The HRB is a member of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (COARA), which recognises the diversity of contributions to, and careers in, research. It stipulates that research, and researchers should be primarily assessed on qualitative indicators rather than journal- and publication-based metrics. As a signatory of the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), the HRB supports a research environment where importance is placed on the intrinsic value and relevance of research and its potential impact on society.
Arising out of these commitments, since 2016 the HRB has been using a narrative-like CV for funding schemes that build research capacity and capabilities by supporting people and skills. The HRB Narrative-style CV encompasses a structured description of a researcher’s contribution and achievements that reflect a broader range of skills, experiences and research outputs beyond publications and funding records.
The HRB Narrative-style CV template has evolved based on reflections from earlier experimental work and the feedback gathered from surveys, assessing user experience (applicants, mentors and reviewers). It is aligned to the Royal Society Résumé for Researchers and best international practice.
Why have a more detailed HRB narrative-style CV?
The HRB wants to fund research that improves people’s health and promotes evidence-informed care. This type of impact is only partially captured in academic publications. We therefore need a broader assessment of researchers based on the merits of their contribution as a whole.
By using a narrative-style CV, the HRB is part of a global movement towards a more holistic assessment which recognises societal outcomes of research in addition to the generation of knowledge.
Why not have the same CV format across all schemes?
The HRB narrative-style CV is used across career funding schemes such as postdoctoral fellowships, emerging investigator stage and research leadership awards.
In schemes where the focus is not primarily on the Lead Applicant but on the generation of knowledge and the associated outputs from the research, a shorter CV format is used. It is worth noting that the HRB has never used journal impact factors as part of the assessment and selection of awards in any scheme and typically limits the number of publications which can be listed to five.
Who is this for?
Since 2022, the current CV format is used for Lead Applicants, Co-Lead Applicants and Mentors in HRB funding schemes building research capacity by supporting people and skills, and is an integral part of the overall funding application. Co-Applicants are asked to complete a shorter CV, in line with other HRB project and programme schemes, requesting the key information to be assessed by reviewers depending on the type of the co-applicant (eg researcher, knowledge user, PPI contributor, etc).
Researchers applying to career funding schemes should use the narrative-style CV to present their career paths in a convincing and comprehensible way. Reviewers are not asked to score the different sections of the Career-track CV individually but assess the overall CV in line with the assessment criteria of the funding scheme.
Each narrative-style CV should be tailored to the individual applicant and to the funding opportunity they are applying for.
The Joint Funders Group
Established in 2021, the Joint Funders Group brings the HRB together with international funders to explore a shared approach to adopting a narrative-like CV format. The Group is led by UKRI in the UK.
Members of the group collaborate to develop resources to support the implementation and evaluation of such a CV format across the research sector.
Please contact Dr Annalisa Montesanti (amontesanti@hrb.ie) for further information.