Research Interests

In this strategy, writers discuss their current research interest(s) by suggesting research directions, showing commitment to research, or stating the potential value of prospective research. This can be done by identifying general and specific research topics, possible future research and/or thesis/dissertation topics, and the implications and value of the research. This strategy is especially important for those applying to doctoral programs as articulating research interests can start to show a direct connection to a program and professor. For this reason, this is considered this a required strategy.

Here are some examples of how writers use the Research Interests strategy in their SoPs. Notice how the writers use the language of the discipline; if this isn’t your field of study, you might not know what these topics are; however, we can understand that the writers are discussing their interests because of language like “I am interested in studying,” “I would like to study,” and “I would like to center my research on.”

 

Example
I am interested in studying gene expression and regulation in plants to synthetically reprogram their behavior to create solutions to dietary and sustainable issues. I am also fascinated by genetic and epigenetic protein-DNA interactions, as well as gene editing and cryo-EM techniques.
Example
While pursuing a Ph.D. and beyond, I would like to study breast milk in order to understand how hormonal makeup is different across different communities. Specifically, I would like to center my research on the ecology of lactation, particularly in topics such as variation in lipid content of milk between populations living in different environments.

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A Guide to Writing the Statement of Purpose for Graduate School Applications Copyright © by Erin Todey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.