CV and BiodataCV sample for a PhD or research fellowship application
For postgraduate students applying for a doctoral programme, a project fellowship or a research assistant post. With no publications yet, the CV rests on the dissertation, laboratory or field skills and academic record.
The sample
Arif Hussain
[Address] | [Phone with country code] | [Email]
Research interests
Water quality and public health; low-cost methods of water testing; environmental chemistry.
Education
M.Sc., Chemistry (Analytical), [University], 2026, 8.4/10 CGPA, third in a class of 46
B.Sc. (Hons.), Chemistry, [College, University], 2024, 79%
Eligibility
[National or state eligibility or entrance test], Chemical Sciences, [month and year], qualified for [fellowship or lectureship].
Research experience
M.Sc. dissertation: "Fluoride in groundwater of eight villages of [District]: levels and seasonal change"
Supervisor: Dr [Name], Department of Chemistry, [University]. July 2025 to April 2026.
- Collected 96 samples from hand pumps and borewells in pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons
- Measured fluoride by ion-selective electrode and checked a subset by a colorimetric method
- Found 11 sources above the acceptable limit used in the study; mapped them and reported to the supervisor's project team
- Wrote a 60 page dissertation, graded A
Summer research internship, [Institute], May to June 2025, under Dr [Name]
- Prepared standards and ran calibration for metal analysis on an atomic absorption spectrophotometer
- Analysed 40 soil extracts for lead and cadmium
Presentations
"Seasonal change in groundwater fluoride", poster, Research Scholars' Day, [University], March 2026.
Technical skills
Instruments: UV-visible spectrophotometer, ion-selective electrodes, atomic absorption spectrophotometer (supervised use), pH and conductivity meters
Methods: titrimetry, sample preservation, calibration, basic quality control
Software: spreadsheet statistics and charts; basic R; reference manager
Relevant courses
Instrumental methods of analysis; Environmental chemistry; Statistics for chemists; Research methodology.
Awards and scholarships
Merit scholarship, [University], 2024 to 2026. First prize, inter-college science quiz, 2023.
Activities
Volunteer, department's water-testing camp for two villages, 2025. Student coordinator, Chemistry Association, 2025-26.
Languages
English, Hindi, Urdu.
Referees
Dr [Name], Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, [University] (dissertation supervisor). [Official email]
Prof. [Name], Head, Department of Chemistry, [University]. [Official email]
Every name, institution, journal and paper in this sample is invented. Square brackets mark where your own real details go.
Why it is set out this way
- Research interests come first and are specific, so a prospective supervisor can see the fit at once.
- The dissertation is described as a piece of research: question, samples, method, finding, output.
- Instruments are named with an honest note of the level of use.
- Rank in class and a merit scholarship support the grade.
- Referees are the two teachers who know the work best, with official email addresses.
Adapting it for yourself
- Replace the dissertation with your own, keeping the four points: what you asked, what you did, how, and what came of it.
- If you have a paper submitted or published, add a Publications heading above Presentations.
- Match the research interests, truthfully, to the department or project you are applying to.
- For applications abroad, give grades with their scale and follow the university's page limit.
Questions people ask
I have no publications. Can I still apply for a PhD?
Yes. At entry, departments look at your academic record, dissertation or project work, skills and referees' letters.
How long should this CV be?
About two pages.
Other samples
CV guides
General guidance. This page gives general suggestions, reviewed in November 2026. If an institution, employer or country gives its own form, format or instruction, follow that. Every person, institution and publication in our examples is invented. Nothing here is legal, immigration or professional advice.