A new CV
The SNSF will introduce a new standardised CV format in autumn 2022. The aim is to facilitate comparisons between applicants and to make the evaluation of their scientific career more transparent.
Researchers applying for an SNSF grant are required to submit a CV as part of their application. There are currently various different formats, not all of which are in line with international best practices.
To address this, the SNSF first implemented a pilot programme in selected scientific disciplines in 2020 to test a standardised CV format with a new structure. Careful assessment by experts at the SNSF and abroad have mostly been positive, showing that, with a few adaptations, this format takes into account the diversity of career paths and could be applied to all disciplines.
More equal opportunities
The objective of the new CV is to allow researchers to present their most important scientific contributions in the form of short narratives in combination with a limited number of research results, rather than extensive publication lists. This mixed approach will help promote equal opportunities and increase the visibility and value given to work other than publications, particularly for those disciplines and research institutions that may be at a disadvantage in the race to publish.
The CV will also introduce a uniform method of calculating the academic age of applicants, which will now be based on the duration of their research activity rather than their biological age. This new format will no longer include publication metrics - such as impact factors - as a means of assessing the quality of individual research articles, rather the actual content of the articles will be assessed.
Applicants will be able to enter their CV on SNSF platforms as of May or June. An ORCID ID will be required and communicated to those conducting the evaluation. Creating an online CV is a simple process, but it may take a certain amount of time in the beginning. We therefore recommend that applicants start entering it at an early stage. The new CV is shorter and can be easily reused in other applications.
The new CV format will be introduced in project funding in time for the 1 October 2022 call and subsequently extended step-by-step to all other SNSF schemes by 2023.