A new platform can help with writing narrative résumés
In recent times, the narrative format of résumés has been gaining increasing prominence in the world of research grant applications. This format allows researchers to present their professional experiences and achievements in greater depth compared to the traditional, list-based CVs. The European Research Council (ERC), several international research grant applications, and various national calls (such as the MTA Lendület and the Academic Youth Award applications) now require researchers to submit their résumés in this narrative form instead of the previously customary list-style CVs.
Narrative CVs
focus on the researcher's unique professional contributions, skills, and experiences,
making it easier for reviewers to understand and take into account career-impacting life situations, such as career breaks due to maternity leave or employment in industry, among others.
Katalin Solymosi, a plant biologist at ELTE and president of the Young Academy of Europe, which brings together young European researchers, told Nature: 'Researchers' professional abilities cannot be judged solely by quantitative indicators. If we want to change the research culture and build a more inclusive scientific environment where all talent has a place, funders need to pay greater attention to qualitative metrics.'"
Narrative CVs provide an opportunity for funders to see not just the dry data of applications, but also the human story behind them. They allow researchers to briefly summarize or explain what they consider to be their most important unique contributions, both for the specific application and their entire career. Additionally, they can highlight the research skills they possess and how these skills can contribute to the success of the project.
However, many researchers lack experience in writing narrative résumés,
are unsure about what to include, and how to avoid making the text too long, which no one will read. This is where the free online mentoring platform called Peer Exchange Platform for Narrative-style CVs (PEP-CV) comes in, providing support by connecting researchers with mentors who can guide them through the process.
On the platform, researchers can register either as mentors or as mentees seeking advice. Since its launch in March, the platform has attracted over 500 users, including 153 mentors and 348 mentees. Users can select a suitable mentor, and if the mentor accepts the request, the mentorship process can begin successfully.
Future plans include recognizing mentors for their free and voluntary work through the ORCID system. This platform authentically tracks the publications of authors (and, if they contribute, their review and editorial work as well), thus providing a more comprehensive picture of their contributions to science.
The mentor platform for narrative-style CVs (PEP-CV) was established in March 2024 after extensive preparatory work by UK Research and Innovation, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Irish Research Foundation, the Dutch Research Council, the Luxembourg National Research Foundation, London-based Wellcome funding agencies, and two organizations representing researchers: the Young Academy of Europe and the Marie Curie Alumni Association. Katalin Solymosi participated in this work and also organized a joint webinar in 2023 on the experiences of narrative CVs for the Young Academy of Europe and the Budapest Knowledge Center of Academia Europaea. Narrative CVs
represent an important step in the global and European reform process of research evaluation,
aiming to replace the current assessment system, which is almost exclusively based on publications and quantitative metrics (impact factors, number of articles, h-index), with an evaluation that qualitatively recognizes the broader value-creating work of researchers (e.g., teaching responsibilities, supervising, science policy activities) while responsibly using quantitative indicators.
You can read more about the necessity and process of reforming research evaluation HERE in the January 2024 issue of Hungarian Science. ELTE joined the relevant European initiative—Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment—as one of the first domestic signatories.
(Source: elte.hu)