in the research interests

Which program are you applying to?

Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

December 8, 2023

How to Write About Your Research Interests

The most common challenge that my master’s and PhD applicant clients face when writing a statement of research interests or a statement of purpose (SOP) is how to describe in concrete terms what their research interests and goals are. This is understandable. Their ideas are still evolving, and some worry that they’ll later be held to the ideas they stated in their applications, as though they were chiseled in stone. Others simply haven’t yet thought those ideas through very much. 

Take a deep breath! By the time you begin writing your thesis, I promise that no one will pop up and wave your SOP or research interests statement around, saying, “But that’s not what you said here!” Everyone knows that your knowledge and ideas will develop throughout your grad program. 

Here are the two things that a great statement of research interests or SOP will do:

• It  will clearly illustrate to the admissions committee that you possess a depth of interest and comprehension in your field and that you understand what goes into research. You will sound naïve if you talk about ideas that are too vague or nebulous, or ones that cannot be addressed adequately through your discipline.  
• It will explain any relevant background you have in this field, why you find it compelling, and  why you are well suited for this career track . 

Four questions to help you find your statement focus

To narrow your interests into something that is concrete enough for you to be able to write about convincingly, without being overly general, ask yourself these questions:

• What are the broad research questions/issues that interest you? Create a summary of your interests that you can work with, and describe your interests in a sentence – or a paragraph, at most.  
• Within those broad areas of interest, can you begin to focus on more specific questions? If you’re not sure what the current questions/problems are in your field, now is the time to start catching up. Read recent journal publications, and go to conferences if you can. Reading the literature in your field will also give you a sense of how to frame your ideas in the language of your field.  
• Have you done any research in this field already? If so, do you intend to build on your previous work in grad school or go in a new direction?  
• How will your research contribute to the field?

Understanding how to present your goals

Some projects described in SOPs are achievable in the short term, while others are big enough to last a career. If your interests/goals fall into this latter category, acknowledge your ambitions, and try to identify some element of your interests that you can pursue as a first step.

Once you have demonstrated your skills (and past experience) in your field, you will be better equipped to define your next steps. 

Focusing your interests will also involve doing more detailed research about the programs to which you plan to apply. For example, consider the following questions:

• Who might be your research supervisor?  
• How do your interests relate to the work this scholar or these scholars are doing now?  
• How would you contribute to the department and to the discipline?

Your SOP will also address your post-degree, longer-term goals. Consider this: do you envision yourself pursuing a career in research/academia? (For many PhD programs, this remains the department’s formal expectation, even though many PhDs find employment outside the academy.) If you’re applying for a master’s degree, be prepared to discuss what your future plans are and how the degree will help you. 

Working on your SOP or statement of research interests?

Your SOP needs to be direct, informative, and… well… purposeful! When you choose Accepted, we match you with a dedicated advisor who will help you create an SOP that best reflects your experiences, goals, and intense desire to attend your target graduate school program. And did you know that Accepted’s clients have received millions of dollars in scholarship offers? Don’t delay – get started now by checking out our  Graduate School Application Services .

For 25 years, Accepted has helped applicants gain acceptance to top undergraduate and graduate programs. Our expert team of admissions consultants features former admissions directors, PhDs, and professional writers who have advised clients to acceptance at top programs worldwide, including Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Princeton, Penn, Columbia, Oxford, Cambridge, INSEAD, MIT, Caltech, UC Berkeley, and Northwestern. Want an admissions expert to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• STEM Applicants: Why Your Statement of Purpose is So Important
• Three Must-Have Elements of a Good Statement of Purpose
• Writing Your Career Goals Essay

About Us Press Room Contact Us Podcast Accepted Blog Privacy Policy Website Terms of Use Disclaimer Client Terms of Service

Accepted 1171 S. Robertson Blvd. #140 Los Angeles CA 90035 +1 (310) 815-9553 © 2022 Accepted

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Researching Programs: Profiling Your Research Interests

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Another piece of the graduate school application puzzle, and of picking the right schools/programs for you, is knowing your own research interests. It's important to have a grasp of your own research interests and to be able to talk about them with others in some meaningful way. One way to do this is to create a profile of your own research interests.

Profiling Research Interests

One's research interests are generally a combination of two factors: what is studied (subject and data) and how it is studied (methodology and theory). As an undergraduate, choosing the right subject is often enough. In choosing a graduate program, however, you need to recognize that some theoretical approaches and methodologies will interest you more than others. You want to choose a program that is not only knowledgeable in your chosen field, but also one that is invested in the theories and methodologies that allow you to ask the questions you think are most important. For example, almost any English literature program will have a scholar who specializes in Shakespeare. However, Shakespearean scholars might be interested in the ways Shakespeare treats gender and sexuality, or in the ways that Shakespeare treats issues of class. Some scholars see Shakespeare as an insightful social critic and will explore topics that are still relevant to our world today. Others will see him as the product of a specific historic time and place and will therefore research his biography and the politics of Edwardian England.

Most journals are partial to some methodologies over others. That means that you need to read articles from different journals, not just articles on different topics. You also want to look for special editions, which will help you see the many sub-fields that develop in every topic.

As you read, keep a columned list of scholars’ names and key terms from your readings. It might also be helpful to keep track of some of the following questions:

• Who studies topics that interest you?
• What kinds of questions are they asking and what kinds of arguments are they making?
• Are there people who study the right topics but seem to be asking the wrong questions?
• Are there people who ask interesting questions even though you don't find their subjects that interesting? Read the footnotes and citations.
• Who are the influential scholars in the field?

Also keep a look out for controversies. They may not always be obvious, but the more you read, the more you'll see lines being drawn and authors picking sides. Understanding the state of the field, and knowing where particular scholars fall, can give you some idea about the attitudes that a particular graduate program might hold towards possibly contentious issues in a field of study. However, keep in mind that programs often have many faculty members, some with disparate opinions.

/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="in the research interests"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Research statement, what is a research statement.

The research statement (or statement of research interests) is a common component of academic job applications. It is a summary of your research accomplishments, current work, and future direction and potential of your work.

The statement can discuss specific issues such as:

• funding history and potential
• requirements for laboratory equipment and space and other resources
• potential research and industrial collaborations
• how your research contributes to your field
• future direction of your research

The research statement should be technical, but should be intelligible to all members of the department, including those outside your subdiscipline. So keep the “big picture” in mind. The strongest research statements present a readable, compelling, and realistic research agenda that fits well with the needs, facilities, and goals of the department.

Research statements can be weakened by:

• overly ambitious proposals
• lack of clear direction
• lack of big-picture focus
• inadequate attention to the needs and facilities of the department or position

Why a Research Statement?

• It conveys to search committees the pieces of your professional identity and charts the course of your scholarly journey.
• It communicates a sense that your research will follow logically from what you have done and that it will be different, important, and innovative.
• It gives a context for your research interests—Why does your research matter? The so what?
• It combines your achievements and current work with the proposal for upcoming research.
• areas of specialty and expertise
• potential to get funding
• academic strengths and abilities
• compatibility with the department or school
• ability to think and communicate like a serious scholar and/or scientist

Formatting of Research Statements

The goal of the research statement is to introduce yourself to a search committee, which will probably contain scientists both in and outside your field, and get them excited about your research. To encourage people to read it:

• make it one or two pages, three at most
• use informative section headings and subheadings
• use bullets
• use an easily readable font size
• make the margins a reasonable size

Organization of Research Statements

Think of the overarching theme guiding your main research subject area. Write an essay that lays out:

• The main theme(s) and why it is important and what specific skills you use to attack the problem.
• A few specific examples of problems you have already solved with success to build credibility and inform people outside your field about what you do.
• A discussion of the future direction of your research. This section should be really exciting to people both in and outside your field. Don’t sell yourself short; if you think your research could lead to answers for big important questions, say so!
• A final paragraph that gives a good overall impression of your research.

Writing Research Statements

• Avoid jargon. Make sure that you describe your research in language that many people outside your specific subject area can understand. Ask people both in and outside your field to read it before you send your application. A search committee won’t get excited about something they can’t understand.
• Write as clearly, concisely, and concretely as you can.
• Keep it at a summary level; give more detail in the job talk.
• Ask others to proofread it. Be sure there are no spelling errors.
• Convince the search committee not only that you are knowledgeable, but that you are the right person to carry out the research.
• Include information that sets you apart (e.g., publication in  Science, Nature,  or a prestigious journal in your field).
• What excites you about your research? Sound fresh.
• Include preliminary results and how to build on results.
• Point out how current faculty may become future partners.
• Acknowledge the work of others.
• Use language that shows you are an independent researcher.
• BUT focus on your research work, not yourself.
• Include potential funding partners and industrial collaborations. Be creative!
• Provide a summary of your research.
• Put in background material to give the context/relevance/significance of your research.
• List major findings, outcomes, and implications.
• Describe both current and planned (future) research.
• Communicate a sense that your research will follow logically from what you have done and that it will be unique, significant, and innovative (and easy to fund).

Describe Your Future Goals or Research Plans

• Major problem(s) you want to focus on in your research.
• The problem’s relevance and significance to the field.
• Your specific goals for the next three to five years, including potential impact and outcomes.
• If you know what a particular agency funds, you can name the agency and briefly outline a proposal.
• Give broad enough goals so that if one area doesn’t get funded, you can pursue other research goals and funding.

Identify Potential Funding Sources

• Almost every institution wants to know whether you’ll be able to get external funding for research.
• Try to provide some possible sources of funding for the research, such as NIH, NSF, foundations, private agencies.
• Mention past funding, if appropriate.

Be Realistic

There is a delicate balance between a realistic research statement where you promise to work on problems you really think you can solve and over-reaching or dabbling in too many subject areas. Select an over-arching theme for your research statement and leave miscellaneous ideas or projects out. Everyone knows that you will work on more than what you mention in this statement.

Consider Also Preparing a Longer Version

• A longer version (five–15 pages) can be brought to your interview. (Check with your advisor to see if this is necessary.)
• You may be asked to describe research plans and budget in detail at the campus interview. Be prepared.
• Include laboratory needs (how much budget you need for equipment, how many grad assistants, etc.) to start up the research.

Samples of Research Statements

To find sample research statements with content specific to your discipline, search on the internet for your discipline + “Research Statement.”

• University of Pennsylvania Sample Research Statement
• Advice on writing a Research Statement (Plan) from the journal  Science

How to Write a Killer Research Interest Statement

Listen to one of our scientific editorial team members read this article. Click here to access more audio articles or subscribe.

A research interest statement, essential for academic job applications, should concisely outline past, current, and future research within 1–3 pages. It must include a compelling introduction, detailed research plans, alignment with the targeted lab or department, and a strong conclusion. Personalization for each application, clear and concise writing, and incorporating feedback are key. For faculty roles, emphasize long-term goals and potential research contributions.

The day will come when your job contract ends or you feel like applying for a new and exciting position. You may feel a bit lost preparing all the documents you need for that new job post but don’t worry, help is out there!

When applying for a PhD, post-doc , or faculty position, you will need to provide your curriculum vitae (CV), including the contact information of two or more references, sometimes specific certificates (e.g., language certificate), and a research interest statement. A statement of research interests is a 1–3 page document (if the required length is not clearly stated) that describes your research until now, your interests, and your future plans.

Why Do You Need a Research Interest Statement?

This document is helpful for the lab/department that wants to hire you, as well as for yourself. A potential employer will learn about:

• your interests and experience;
• your passion for research;
• the match between your interests and the employer’s research;
• your ability to think logically;
• your independence from your supervisor;
• the extent of your writing skills (important for paper and grant writing).

You will have the chance to:

• think about and define your future plans and research interests;
• gain confidence, and visualize your future career path.

Depending on where you are applying and for what position, there will be some differences in the requirements for the research interest statement. Sometimes you’ll need to produce a separate file, which is often required for faculty positions, and other times you can simply include your statement within your CV. Let’s start by defining what to do when applying for a PhD or post-doc position.

Research Interest Statement for PhD or Post-doc Positions

When the research interest statement is part of your CV, aim for one page or around 400 words. Pay attention: do not rewrite your CV—instead, clearly define your research interests. Highlight your scientific skills, your passion, and your ideas!

How to Write a Statement of Research Interests

How should you structure it? Think about how you would tell a story or write your thesis. You need an introduction, a main paragraph, future research ideas, and a conclusion.

Introduction

This summarizes the contents and guides the reader through your application.

Main Paragraph

This is the core of your statement. It contains your recent and current research, as well as your planned future research. If you have worked on several projects, make the connection between them. Write about how you became interested in what you have done and why it still interests you.

Capture your reader’s attention by telling a story, and your statement will be easy to remember. In this section, you can briefly describe any important recognition, such as papers, presentations, awards, and grants.

An important tip: your statement will be more powerful if you place your work in a broader context. Let your reader visualize the ‘big picture’.

Future Prospective Research

This describes your short-term goals (2–5 years). This section will differ depending on whether you’re applying for a PhD or post-doc position. For the former, write about additional technical skills you are planning to learn or how you want to broaden your knowledge in a certain field.

For the latter, try to be a bit more detailed and include how you plan to develop as an independent scientist. State how your research goals will align with the employer’s research, which collaborations you could bring to the department, and which departments on campus you could benefit from working with.

Use one sentence that essentially says why you deserve the job.

Research Interest Statement for Faculty Positions

Applying for faculty positions requires a bit more detail, and sometimes the research interest statement has a precise length (2–5 pages). The structure above is still valid; however, you will need to add long-term goals (5+ years).

You can think of it as comparable to writing a grant application . Include some preliminary data, if you can, and be detailed and precise. It’s crucial, in this case, to be able to visualize the ‘big picture’ without being too vague!

How will your research bring innovation into the field? Make sure you mention any potential funding your research could bring to the department and which laboratory equipment and space the department should provide you with.

You can mention any common campus facilities you plan to use. Include the potential applications of your research; collaborations with industrial partners can strengthen your application.

Important Reminders

Customize your statement.

A very common mistake is to use a basic template for each application. Your application will be better if you customize your statement.

Highlight Why You Are a Good Match for the Lab

Describe the match between your experience and interests and the lab/department you are applying for.

Sometimes it can seem really difficult to find a suitable match, but don’t despair; you need just one or two points of contact between your research/interests and the employer’s research.

Focus on Format

Write clearly, and be concise. Use single or 1.5 line spacing, short bullet lists, and clear subject headings. The clearer your statement, the more powerful your application!

Give it Time

One last tip: give yourself time to write. Leave the statement in your drawer for a few days and come back to it. This will help you obtain a different perspective on what you wrote. If you can, send your statement to friends and colleagues to get suggestions. Someone who isn’t from your field can also bring helpful insights.

Crafting Your Research Interest Statement Summarized

Creating an effective research interest statement for academic positions demands a well-structured approach, showcasing your research journey from past accomplishments to future goals.

This crucial document must be tailored for each application to demonstrate a clear alignment with the intended department or lab. Emphasizing clarity, conciseness, and compelling storytelling, with a strong opening and conclusion is vital.

For faculty roles, detailing long-term ambitions and potential contributions is key. A meticulously crafted research interest statement serves as a powerful tool in your academic career progression.

I hope this article will help you with your applications. Remember: stay calm and keep writing!

Additional Resources

Writing A Research Statement . Carnegie Mellon University Global Communication Center.

Originally published June 21, 2017. Reviewed and updated January 2021. Reviewed and updated November 2023.

23 Comments

Do these apply to post-bachelor positions as well?

Yes, I would so say. It might be more than required but it would definitely impress!

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Forgot your password?

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive mail with link to set new password.

Back to login

• Graduate School

Research Interest Statement Samples That Worked

A good research interest statement sample can be hard to find. Still, it can also be a beneficial tool for writing one and preparing for a grad school application or post-graduate position. Your research interest statement is one of the key components of your application to get into grad school . In a few cases, admissions committees have used it instead of an interview, so it is important to write a strong essay. We’ve provided research interest statement samples for you in this blog post. We have also included several tips that will help you write a strong statement to help improve your chances of getting accepted into your dream program. 

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

Article Contents 13 min read

What is a research interest statement.

A research interest statement is essential for most graduate school, post-graduate, and academic job applications. Sometimes, it may be referred to it as a " statement of intent " or "description of research interests." While they are similar, research interest statement may require some additional information. Generally, your statement will pride a brief overview of your research background, including your past research experience, the current state of your research, and the future research you'd like to complete, including any required equipment and collaborations. It is usually written in the form of a short essay. Still, of course, different graduate programs can have specific requirements, so make sure to check the program you are applying to and read the particular instructions that they give to ensure your research interest statement meets their requirements. 

Your research statement plays a big role in the committee's decision. Ultimately, they are trying to figure out if you, as a person, and your research, would be a good fit for their program. A strong statement can help you convince them of this by showing your passion for research, your research interests and experience, the connection between your interests and the program, and the extent of your writing skills which is really important for paper and grant writing, and thus for earning money for your research!

Undergraduate programs are centered around classes, but graduate and post-graduate programs are all about your research and what your research contributes to your discipline of choice. That is why a research interest statement is so important, because it is essentially a way for you to share this information with the program that you have chosen.

Writing a strong statement can be helpful to you, as well. Having to explain your research and talk about your goals coherently will give you a chance to define your future research and career plans, as well as academic interests.

What Should Your Research Interest Statement Include?

The exact requirements of the research interest statement can vary depending on where you are applying and for what position. Most faculty positions will need you to produce a separate file for your statement, and most of the time, for an academic program, you can simply include your statement within your CV for graduate school .  

Need to prepare your grad school CV? This video has helpful advice for you:

Unless otherwise stated by the program or faculty that you are applying to, your statement should be one to two pages long or between 600 and 1000 words. If you are including your description of interest statements on your resume, then it would be ideal to keep it between 400 and 600 words. Most programs will give you guidelines for the research interest statement so make sure you follow those. They rarely include a specific question or prompt but they might ask for a particular detail to be included in your interest statement. For example, a university’s requirements may look something like this: “In your statement of interest, you should detail your study and/or research interests and reasons for seeking admission. You must identify a faculty member from the Anthropology of Department with whom you are interested in being your advisor. The length of a statement of intent should be 2 pages in length (single-spaced, Times New Roman font size 12 point)”

Your statement should include a brief history of your past research. It should tell the committee what you have previously set out to answer with your research projects, what you found, and if it led to any academic publications or collaborations. It should also address your current research. What questions are you actively trying to solve? You will need to tell the committee if you’ve made any progress, what you have found, if you are connecting your research to the larger academic conversation and what the larger implications of your work actually are. Finally, you want to talk about the future of your research. What further questions do you want to solve? How do you intend to find answers to these questions? What are the broader implications of your potential results, and how can the institution you are applying to help you?

Before we show you some examples, let's go over a few essential things that you need to keep in mind while writing your research interest statement to make sure it is strong. 

Preparation

Give Yourself Ample Time: Much like with other components of your application, like your CV or a graduate school interview question , preparation is the key to success. You should give yourself enough time to thoroughly research the program or faculty you are applying to, gather all the information or documents that can aid you in writing, and then write and rewrite as many times as you need to. Give yourself at least 6 weeks to draft, redraft, and finalize your statement. You may also want to consider investing in a graduate school admissions consultant as they have more experience writing these types of essays and may see things that you can’t.

Research the Program/Faculty: The purpose of your research interest statement is to tell the committee all about your research plans, how it will contribute to the field and convince them that not only is their institution is the best place for it, but that you will be an asset to them as a candidate. To do this, you need to know what kind of candidate they are looking for, what kind of research they have been interested in in the past, and if there is anything particular that they require in the research interest statement. Remember, expectations for research statements can vary among disciplines and universities, so it is essential that you write for the right audience.

The Format / Writing Style

Your research statement should be in an academic essay format. It needs to be concise, well-organized, and easy to read. For graduate school, PhD or post-doc positions, your research interest statement will usually be a part of your resume. We recommend that you stick to the following things when it comes to the format:

Limited Spots Available ","trustpilot":false}" :url=""https:\/\/bemoacademicconsulting.com\/grad-app-webinar-registration"" code="banner2" background-color="#000066" button-color="#ffffff" banner-image>

The Content

Introduction: This is a functional academic document, unlike college essays or personal statements, so you want to go straight to the point and focus on the key information that needs to be conveyed. You want to use this paragraph to tell the committee why you are writing this statement. In other words, you should clearly state what kind of research you are interested in pursuing at the institution in question and explain why you are drawn to the subject. 

Body: This is your “why and how” paragraphs. In 2 or 3 paragraphs, you should expand on your interest, background, accomplishments, and plans in the field of research. Depending on your level of experience, you may use this time to talk about your previous or current research. If you do not have much experience, then you may use this paragraph to talk about any skills or academic achievements that could be relevant. 

Conclusion: To conclude, you should restate your interest and tie it back to the research you intend to continue at the university. Be specific about the direction you’d like to take the research in, who you’d like to work with, and what the institution has that would help you. We also suggest including a concise statement that reiterates your unique suitability for the program, and what you can contribute to it and your chosen field.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Being Too Personal: Often, students will confuse the statement of purpose and the research interest statement or letter of intent. It is essential to understand the difference between these two documents because some programs will ask for both of these documents. There is quite a bit of overlap between the two essays, so they are very easy to mix up. Both documents ask applicants to focus on their research interests, relevant past academic & professional experiences, and their long-term goals in the field. However, a statement of purpose is more of a personal statement that describes your journey and overall suitability for a program. In contrast, a research interest statement is a more formal academic document specific to the research you intend to pursue in a program. It will include many details such as the faculty members you want to work with, the program facilities and resources you wish to use, etc.

Not Following Guidelines: As mentioned earlier, these statements can vary depending on the discipline and the faculty. It is crucial that you review all the institution's guidelines and follow them. Some schools will have a specific word count, others may simply give you a maximum and minimum word count. Others may even have a specific prompt or question that you will need to answer with your essay. You want to make sure that you are following the instructions provided by the program. 

Using Too Much Jargon: Your statement will be read by people who are most likely knowledgeable, but they might not be from your specific field or specialty. We understand that it may not be possible to be clear about your research without using a few niche words, but try to keep them at a minimum and avoid using acronyms that are not well known outside of your specialty.

Having One Generic Statement: The requirements of your research statement are different from one school to another, and you should tailor your letter to the program you are writing to. We know that the research and experience you are talking about are still the same, but the qualities and aspects of that experience you play up should help you appeal to the school you are applying to. For example, if you are applying to a very collaborative program, you should highlight your collaborations and your experience working as part of a team.

Looking for tips on getting into grad school? This infographic is for you:

Research of Interest Statement Samples

Below are sample research interest statements for reference: 

Research Statement of Interest 1

Jennifer Doe

As the child of an immigrant, I have always been fascinated by the relationship between identity, geographic territory, and economic development. With the rise of globalization, there is a broader effort in the social sciences to study the link between cultural identity, human mobility, and economic development in the contemporary world. I hope that my research will contribute to this as well. I am applying to the X University Global Anthropology program, as it is the best place for me to explore my research interests and channel them towards my long-term goals. I believe that my undergraduate education and the research experience it gave me have prepared me to undertake advanced research projects, thus making me an excellent candidate for this program.

I spent the first two years of undergraduate studies taking psychology courses. I went to university knowing that I wanted to learn about human behavior and culture. I was thirsty for information, but I did not know what kind of information just yet. It wasn’t until I took an elective anthropology class in my second year and started discussing identity in anthropology that something clicked. Unlike many other social sciences, anthropology explores the different ways that cultures affect human behavior and that connected right away with my experience as an immigrant. I have been passionate about the subject ever since, and I intend on spending my career exploring this topic further.

In the long run, I am interested in understanding how geography affects the construction of one’s cultural identity, especially when it comes to immigrants. Literature already exists on the topic, but most of it examines the upper levels of this process of social reproduction, concentrating on the roles of governments and associations in promoting ties between migrants and their homelands. Prof. Jane Doe Smith is one of the anthropologists researching the transnational migration experience, and I hope to have the opportunity to work with her at X University.

I was fortunate to be part of a summer research experience as an undergraduate, which took place in several west African countries, including Mali, Senegal, and Nigeria. Dr. Sam Smith was leading the research, and my time on his team allowed me to gain hands-on experience in research while living abroad. One of the things that I did almost daily was interview the subjects in a controlled environment, and sometimes I got to be a part of traditional ceremonies. I learnt how to observe without being intrusive and how to interact with clinical subjects. The experience only strengthened my curiosity and conviction that today more than ever, we need to understand what identity is and the different factors that can affect it.

I enrolled in several challenging research-oriented courses such as Applied Statistical Inference for the Behavioral Sciences, Principles of Measurement, and more throughout my degree. I was also able to work as a research lab assistant for one of my mentors, Mr. Jonathan Smith. I worked with him while he studied the relationship between identity, culture and “self.” My main duties were to assist in the creating of surveys and other assessment materials, administer written and verbal tests to participants, create literature reviews for potential resources, create summaries of findings for analysis and other office duties such as reserving testing rooms. This particular experience allowed me to get some hands-on experience with data collection, data analysis, report preparation and the creation of data summaries.

I know that there is a lot more that I can learn from the X University. I have seen the exemplary work in anthropology and other social studies done by the staff and alumni of this school. It has inspired and convinced me beyond the shadow of a doubt that pursuing my graduate studies in your program meets my personal, academic, and professional goals objectives.

My advanced research skills, passion for anthropology and clinical research, as well as my academic proficiency make me the ideal candidate for X University's Clinical Global Anthropology Master’s program. I believe that X University’s rigorous curriculum and facilities make it the perfect place for me, my long-term career goals and my research commitments. 

Jamie Medicine

I am applying to the brain and development master's program of X university because it is one of the few universities that not only has a program that combines the two disciplines that I majored in my undergraduate studies: Psychology and Linguistics; but also because it is a program that I know would allow me to grow as a researcher, contribute to my chosen fields and achieve my long-term career goals. My research is motivated by two of my favorite things: language and music. To be more specific, hip-hop music. In 20xx, Rollingstone magazine published an article stating that hip hop was now more popular than rock and roll. The rise in popularity of this initially very niche genre has sparked a conversation in specific academic fields such as psychology, sociology, linguistics, and English about the use of language within it but also the effects that it can have on those who listen to it. I hope to one day contribute to that conversation by studying the relationship between hip-hop music and vocabulary development, and I believe that pursuing this particular research interest at X university is the best way for me to do that.

There are many potential places this research may lead me and many potential topics I may explore. Furthermore, there are many things that it would allow us to learn about the effect that music has on our brains and society at large.

I was fortunate enough to work under Dr. Jane D. Smith at the University of X for two years while conducting her recently published study on vocabulary instruction for children with a developmental language disorder. During my time in her lab, I interviewed participants and put together evaluation materials for them. I was also responsible for data entry, analysis, and summarizing. This experience gave me the skills and the knowledge that allowed me to exceed expectations for my final research project in undergraduate school.

One of my undergraduate degree requirements was to complete a small independent study under the supervision of a professor. I chose to study music's effect on children's vocabulary development. Several studies look for ways to decrease the million-word gap, and I wanted to see if this thing that I am so passionate about, music, had any effect at all. I compiled multiple literature reviews and analyzed their results, and I found that there is indeed a correlation between the number of words that a child spoke and the amount of music that they were exposed to. 

This research is currently being explored on a larger scale by Prof. John Doe at X university and learning from him is one of the many reasons I have applied to this program. I took several research methodology courses throughout my degree, and I would love to enroll in the Applied Statistics for Psychology course he is currently teaching to build upon the foundational knowledge I already have. There are several other faculty members in the brain and language department with whom learning from would be a dream come true. In addition to that, working with them is a real possibility because the research they are currently doing and the research I hope to pursue are greatly matched.

I genuinely believe that X university has the curriculum and facilities that I need to meet my long-term goals and research commitments. I also believe that my academic achievements, eagerness to learn, and passion make me the perfect candidate for your program. 

Interested in some tips to help you manage grad school once you're there? Check out this video :

It is essentially an essay that provides a brief overview of your research experience and goals. This includes your past research experience, the current state of your research, and the future research you'd like to complete. It is also sometimes referred to as a "statement of intent" or "description of research interests."

This statement tells the admissions committee more about you as an applicant. It gives you the opportunity to tell them more about your research (past, present, and future) and show them that you are a good fit for their institution.

No. Some graduate school programs might ask for a statement of purpose and a writing sample instead, or they could ask for none of the above. You should always check the requirements of the specific program that you’re applying to.

Generally, your statement should be 400 to 1000 words or about two pages long. That said, most programs will give you guidelines so make sure you check those and follow them.

You certainly can but we do not recommend it. You should always tailor your statement to the program you are applying to. Remember that the aim is to convince the admissions committee that you are a good fit for their school so make sure you highlight the qualities and values that they care about.

We recommend that you doublecheck the information provided by your chosen program as they often have specific instructions for the format of the letter. If none exist, make sure that the format of your document is pleasing to the eye. Stick to easily legible fonts, a decent font size, spacing, margins, etc.  Also, it is best to keep the content of the letter concise and professional.

We recommend giving yourself at least 6 weeks to write your statement. This will give you ample time to brainstorm, write a strong letter, read it again and edit it as many times as necessary. It also gives you enough time to get expert eyes on your letter and work with them to improve it if you wish.

No. Research interest statements are often required for post-graduate school applications and for other positions in academic faculties.

Absolutely! You can always reach out to admissions professionals, such as graduate school admissions consultants or grad school essays tutors .

Want more free tips? Subscribe to our channels for more free and useful content!

Apple Podcasts

Like our blog? Write for us ! >>

Have a question ask our admissions experts below and we'll answer your questions.

Thank you for your excellent site

BeMo Academic Consulting

You are very welcome, Rasool!

Sadia Sultana

hello, thanks for providing guide line for Research Interest statement, the important aspect of scholarship application. Kindly guide me, What should be the title of the Research Statement. Thanks

Hi Sadia! Check the requirements of your school first. They might provide some info on whether a title is even needed. 

Sadia Tasnim Epa

I'm very pleased that you have mentioned every detail of research interest which helped me to clear all of my doubts.... Thank you very much.

Hi Sadia! Glad you found this helpful!

Get Started Now

Talk to one of our admissions experts

Our site uses cookies. By using our website, you agree with our cookie policy .

FREE Training Webinar:

How to make your grad school application stand out, (and avoid the top 5 mistakes that get most rejected).

Time Sensitive. Limited Spots Available:

We guarantee you'll get into grad school or you don't pay.

Swipe up to see a great offer!

• Graduate School
• Newsletters
• GradProspect

September 2023

Top tip: how to write a strong statement of interest.

A statement of interest, also known as statement of intent and description of research interests, is an important component of most graduate school applications. According to one of our faculty members, “The statement of interest is your opportunity to provide more evidence that you will succeed in your program.”

So how to get it right? 

Read the instructions.  Visit the website of the graduate program you’re interested in and check what their guidelines might be. These may include page and word count limitations, document upload specifications and specific questions. 

Demonstrate fit. Show an understanding of the type of work done in the department, and provide an explanation of what you want to study, which should match up with some of the research interests in the faculty.

Be specific. Why UBC? Why this program? Be clear about what you want to do in the program and how the program can support you. 

Be flexible. Indicate your well thought out and informed ideas, but allow them to be malleable. Sketch out a potential research agenda with room for further developmentand show interest in both a particular research area as well as alternative projects.

Be clear. Avoid repetition. Watch out for spelling mistakes and typos, irrelevant personal information, information already contained in other parts of your application, as well as general statements of enthusiasm, empty loyalty, and vague references without any details. Most importantly, don’t forget to proofread. 

And if you feel stuck, start with these questions:

• Why are you interested in this field of study?
• What is your background and how does it relate?
• Can you describe your previous research experience and how it has formed your current interests?
• What is your motivation for proposing a particular research path?
• Are you able to connect your area of interest to work being done in the program?
• Is there anything the admissions committee should be aware of that is not addressed in other parts of your application?
• Why Grad School at UBC?
• Graduate Degree Programs
• Application & Admission
• Info Sessions
• Research Supervisors
• Research Projects
• Indigenous Students
• International Students
• Tuition, Fees & Cost of Living
• Newly Admitted
• Student Status & Classification
• Student Responsibilities
• Supervision & Advising
• Managing your Program
• Health, Wellbeing and Safety
• Professional Development
• Dissertation & Thesis Preparation
• Final Doctoral Exam
• Final Dissertation & Thesis Submission
• Life in Vancouver
• Vancouver Campus
• Graduate Student Spaces
• Graduate Life Centre
• Life as a Grad Student
• Graduate Student Ambassadors
• Meet our Students
• Award Opportunities
• Award Guidelines
• Minimum Funding Policy for PhD Students
• Killam Awards & Fellowships
• Policies & Procedures
• Information for Supervisors
• Dean's Message
• Leadership Team
• Strategic Plan & Priorities
• Vision & Mission
• Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
• Initiatives, Plans & Reports
• Graduate Education Analysis & Research
• Media Enquiries
• Giving to Graduate Studies

Strategic Priorities

• Strategic Plan 2019-2024
• Improving Student Funding
• Promoting Excellence in Graduate Programs
• Enhancing Graduate Supervision
• Advancing Indigenous Inclusion
• Supporting Student Development and Success
• Reimagining Graduate Education
• Enriching the Student Experience

Initiatives

• Public Scholars Initiative
• 3 Minute Thesis (3MT)
• PhD Career Outcomes

Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

Personal tools

• Log in/Register Register

https://www.vitae.ac.uk/researcher-careers/pursuing-an-academic-career/writing-a-statement-of-academic-research-interest

This page has been reproduced from the Vitae website (www.vitae.ac.uk). Vitae is dedicated to realising the potential of researchers through transforming their professional and career development.

• Vitae members' area

Writing a statement of academic research interest

Your ‘statement of research interests’ contains a proposal for future academic research and shows how that builds on your current expertise and achievements. It forms the basis for discussions and your presentation if you are invited for interview.

Tailor it for each academic position you apply for. Your research interests are likely to be broad enough to be tailored to the local interests and expertise. Make sure that there is palpable synergy between the research you are proposing and what the employing department carries out. This is worth the substantial time investment.

In preparing your statement, read your colleagues' statements. ask for feedback from your supervisor/principal investigator or colleagues.

Previous research experience

Consider structuring your research experience by project, tailored as far as possible to your proposed research, as follows:

• achievements
• relevant techniques
• your responsibilities.

Research proposal

If at all possible, talk with people in the department you are applying to. This will raise your profile with potential future colleagues as well as inform your thinking. They are likely enjoy the opportunity to explore exciting new research avenues and will appreciate being asked.  Getting to know them will also make the application process seem less daunting to you.

If you are asked for a research proposal, a word limit is normally specified: this can vary enormously.

Bookmark & Share

Feb. 2, 2022

Grad school 101: discover your research interests, by emily elia: you can develop your research interests as you navigate grad school..

Most people apply to graduate school with at least a vague idea of what they would like to research, but how developed those interests are at the start can vary greatly. While some grad students have specific interests early-on, others only begin with a general concept of where to focus their research. Other students may come in with research interests that change drastically over time. Every senior-level grad student will have a unique story of how their research agenda developed. This article offers some insight on the process of developing your research interests as you navigate grad school.

It’s okay to begin with only general ideas!

You don’t have to enter graduate school with an outline of what your future dissertation will look like, and people won’t expect that of you at the beginning! It’s totally normal to only have some general ideas of what you would like to study. You may also find yourself torn between multiple ideas, needing more time to explore in order to determine what you most want to study. If you are uncertain about how to deepen your interests, try to connect with other graduate students and scholars who are studying things that you think you would like to study. Reach out to senior graduate students in your program who study similar things and ask if you can chat with them about how their research developed. Read the work of scholars who publish studies related to your interests in order to get a better sense of the recent work out there. This will help you become more knowledgeable about the field, and you will gain a better understanding of how you will contribute to this research as a developing scholar.

You are not necessarily bound by your personal statement.

Grad school, especially the first few years, can be a constant flood of new information. You will inevitably take a deeper dive into what you think your interests may be, but you will also be exposed to new areas of research that may excite you! As you learn more, you may take a new direction. Every graduate program will have its own department policies and norms regarding the flexibility of students’ intended track of study, so it’s important to understand these thoroughly before making any big changes in your research agenda, but many graduate programs do not expect you to strictly follow the research interests you described in your personal statement.

Of course, it is important to acknowledge that seamlessly changing your research interests can be limited by the focuses of the faculty in your department. If you realize that you want to study something that no faculty in your program specialize in, you may run into problems. You may find that there are no longer any faculty matches with your new agenda and nobody to serve as your advisor. If your interests develop into something that is absent in your department, it may be helpful to talk with faculty members you trust about what your next steps should be. Faculty members may see the change as less drastic than you think, and they may have ideas on how you can re-establish your dissertation committee and mentors to better fit your new agenda.

It's better to make big changes earlier on.

Graduate programs will each have their own timelines regarding when students must formally declare their advisor, their dissertation committee, their intended research agenda, etc. Generally, changing your research agenda drastically will be easier to navigate while you are still in the early stages of your program. For example, if you know by the second semester of your first year that the research interests you outlined in your personal statement no longer appeal to you, then you likely still have considerable amount of time to reassess your interests and explore which faculty members you can work with. The further along you get in your program, the trickier it will be to change your research agenda without disrupting the timeline of your degree. Furthermore, it will give you much more time to think about your dissertation topic. Though your dissertation topic is often not needed until you are a few years into your program, you will eventually need to declare something, and it may take a few months of workshopping and exploring to solidify your focus. If you have a feeling that you may not be interested in the research areas you first thought to pursue, explore this change as soon as possible.

Be smart about the projects you decide to pursue.

It is great to take time to explore potential avenues of research, especially during the beginning of grad school. However, as you continue through your program and begin to shape your research agenda, you do want to think about creating a cohesive body of work that represents who you are as a researcher. What kind of scholar do you want to be? This does not mean that you can’t have varied interests, but the projects you pursue should be able to showcase just what it is that you study. If you have five projects that are all completely unrelated to one another, it will be difficult for other scholars to determine what exactly it is that you do. Many scholars can fit their work under some kind of thematic “umbrella.” For example, a person pursuing a Ph.D. in History may decide to focus their academic career on naval history, and so the majority of their projects will arise from this cornerstone of naval history.

The research projects you pursue can be varied, but remember that your time and resources are finite! When deciding which projects to invest in, think about how the projects would fit in your overall portfolio as a scholar. There are so many cool topics of study out there; unfortunately, we must pick only a handful to focus on ourselves, at least at the start of our career. If a project comes along that is entirely unrelated to your research agenda, it is important to take the time to consider if it is really worth pursuing. Your research agenda does not have to focus on only one thing, but you do want people to be able to look at your projects and develop a general understanding of what you focus on and where your research fits in your field.

Recognize where you can cut your groove as a scholar.

You are likely in graduate school because there is something out there—a big question, a theory, a phenomenon—that deeply interests you. It is important to pursue research that you care about and genuinely like. Motivating yourself to power through difficult work that you hate will certainly not make graduate school any easier! That being said, it is also important to recognize that you are in graduate school to pursue original, innovative research. You are not in graduate school to study something that somebody else has already dedicated their life’s work to but rather to become an expert in an area of study that needs to be developed. Thus, your research interests cannot be carbon copies of other scholars’ work. When developing your research agenda, you want to think about where you can make a contribution to your field of study. What will you be the expert in?

At the same time, it is important to realize that, as you develop as a scholar, people will not always describe your research in nitty-gritty detail. Rather, your work will find its place in broader “camps” of research in your field. For example, in the field of political science, people will initially describe what they study in very general terms: I study representation in democracies, or I study international organizations. These scholars would study specific facets of these areas, but their peers know which camps they belong to. As you develop your own research agenda, you will find your groove of expertise and your broader camp.

About the author: Originally from Massachusetts, Emily Elia is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in political science. She graduated from the University of Alabama in 2018 and currently studies comparative politics with a focus on Latin America.

How to Write a Statement of Interest for Research

Feeling behind on ai.

You're not alone. The Neuron is a daily AI newsletter that tracks the latest AI trends and tools you need to know. Join 400,000+ professionals from top companies like Microsoft, Apple, Salesforce and more. 100% FREE.

If you are applying for a research program, one of the key components of your application package is a statement of interest. Your statement of interest or statement of purpose is an important document that allows you to showcase your skills, achievements, and passion for research. In this article, we will provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to write a statement of interest for research.

Understanding the Purpose of a Statement of Interest

Before you start writing your statement of interest, it is important to understand its purpose. Your statement of interest should provide the admissions committee with an understanding of your research interests, qualifications, and motivation. It is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your passion for research and convince the committee that you are the right candidate for the program.

A statement of interest is a crucial component of your graduate school application. It is your chance to showcase your research interests and explain why you are the ideal candidate for the program. The statement of interest is often the first thing the admissions committee will read, so it is essential to make a good first impression.

Importance of a well-crafted statement

A well-crafted statement of interest can make a big difference in the outcome of your application. It can help you stand out among other applicants, showing the admissions committee that you are a dedicated and passionate researcher. Therefore, investing time in writing a high-quality statement of interest is crucial to the success of your application.

When crafting your statement of interest, it is important to keep in mind that the admissions committee is looking for candidates who are passionate about their research interests. They want to see that you have a clear understanding of your field and that you are committed to advancing knowledge in that area. A well-crafted statement of interest can help you demonstrate these qualities.

Differentiating between a statement of interest and a personal statement

It is important to recognize that a statement of interest is different from a personal statement. While a personal statement is more general and can focus on various aspects of your personality, a statement of interest should solely focus on your research interests and goals.

When writing your statement of interest, you should avoid discussing personal details that are not relevant to your research interests. Instead, focus on your academic achievements, research experience, and future goals. This will help you demonstrate to the admissions committee that you are a serious candidate who is committed to advancing knowledge in your field.

Keep in mind that the statement of interest is not just a summary of your academic achievements. It is an opportunity for you to explain why you are passionate about your research interests and how you plan to contribute to your field in the future. A well-crafted statement of interest can help you stand out from other applicants and increase your chances of being accepted into your desired graduate program.

Preparing to Write Your Statement of Interest

Before you start writing, it is essential to prepare and conduct thorough research. Here are some tips to help you get started:

Researching the institution and program

Research the institution and program you're applying to. Look into the research interests of faculty members and research projects they're currently working on. This information will help you tailor your statement of interest to the specific program and demonstrate your alignment with the program's research goals.

Identifying your research interests and goals

Reflect on your research interests and goals. Think about what you want to achieve through the research program. Carefully consider your past research experiences and how they have contributed to your goals.

Reflecting on your relevant experiences and skills

Identify your relevant experiences and skills by reflecting on your academic and professional achievements. This will help you highlight your strengths, qualifications, and potential contributions to the program.

Structuring Your Statement of Interest

The following structure can help you organize your statement of interest:

Introduction: Grabbing the reader's attention

Your introduction should be compelling, engaging, and concise. Aim to grab the reader's attention and make them want to continue reading. Introduce your research interests and motivation for applying to the program. Explain what inspired you to pursue further studies in this field.

Body: Showcasing your research interests and qualifications

In the body of your statement, elaborate on your research interests and qualifications. Demonstrate your knowledge of the program and its research goals. Provide specific examples of your academic and professional achievements that relate to your research interests. Make sure that the body is well-structured, easy to read, and clearly expresses your goals and motivation.

Conclusion: Summarizing your goals and motivation

Your concluding paragraph should summarize your key points. Reiterate your research interests and goals and their alignment with the program. Highlight your passion for research and your potential contributions to the program. End on a positive note, showing enthusiasm for the opportunity to join the program.

Tips for Writing an Effective Statement of Interest

Be concise and clear.

Avoid wordiness and ensure your statement is concise and clear. Focus on expressing your ideas effectively in a manner that is easy to understand. Keep your sentences short and to the point, avoiding jargon and technical language that might confuse the reader.

Tailor your statement to the specific program

Your statement of interest should be tailored to the specific research program. Remember to highlight how your research interests and goals align with the program's research goals and demonstrate that you have a thorough understanding of the program and its faculty members.

Demonstrate your passion for research

Your statement should be a reflection of your passion for research. Show the admissions committee that you are committed to your field of study and are dedicated to advancing knowledge in your area of interest.

Proofread and revise

Ensure your statement is error-free by proofreading and revising it after writing. Read it out loud to ensure it flows smoothly and makes sense. Have someone else read your statement and provide feedback on its clarity, structure, grammar, and punctuation.

ChatGPT Prompt for Writing a Statement of Interest for Research

Use the following prompt in an AI chatbot . Below each prompt, be sure to provide additional details about your situation. These could be scratch notes, what you'd like to say or anything else that guides the AI model to write a certain way.

Please compose an in-depth and well-articulated description of your interest in conducting research, highlighting the specific topic or area you intend to investigate and the significance of this research. Your statement should demonstrate your understanding of the research process and your ability to contribute meaningfully to the field.

[ADD ADDITIONAL CONTEXT. CAN USE BULLET POINTS.]

Writing an effective statement of interest requires research, planning, and careful consideration of your qualifications, experience, and goals. By following the tips and guidelines provided in this article, you can create a compelling statement that showcases your passion for research and convinces the admissions committee that you are the right candidate for the program.

You Might Also Like...

Jump to navigation

Search form

Identify your research interests.

As an undergraduate student, you are not expected to know exactly what your area of focus will be. Most likely, you are still discovering and developing your interests and that's okay. However, without having some ideas about what you're interested in, you'll quickly find that searching for opportunities can be overwhelming.

Map Out Your Interests

To figure out what your interests are, take some time and write down 3-5 responses to each of these questions:

• What subjects covered in my field(s) of study interest me the most? (do this for each major/minor you have)
• Which class or classes have been the most interesting, what specifically made them interesting, and what questions did I still have after the class finished? 
• What questions or problems am I most interested in exploring and/or solving?
• What other topics, areas, or fields am I interested in outside of my major/minor?
• What research topics relate to that field or sector I want to end up in and/or what interests me in that field?
• What (if any) research topics relate to my hobbies, personal interests, or extracurricular activities? 
• What skills am I interested in developing which aren't addressed by my major/minor?

Now, look over all of your responses and see if there are any common themes. Did the same topic come up more than once? Are any of the topics closely related or linked? Make a note these to help focus your search for a research opportunity.

Lastly, think a little bit about the things you know you  don't  want to do or are not interested in. Make a note of them in order to help you identify opportunities that won't be a good fit.

Think About How You Want To Get Involved

The next thing you'll want to think about is how you might want to get involved in research. Below are some questions to help guide you:

• What kind of experience do you want: do you want to work in a lab or do you want to work in the field? 
• Are you ok working on a team as part of a larger research topic/question or do you want to do your own original research?
• Do you want to be part of a big team, do you want to work on a smaller project, or would you prefer to work one-on-one with a faculty member / graduate student? 
• Do you want to do research related to your field(s) of study and deepen your understanding / experience or do you want to do research outside your field of study and broaden your understanding / experience?

With this information, you should have a better idea of what you're looking for which will make searching for and finding a research opportunity a bit easier. 

Next, visit our Finding Research Opportunities page to learn about searching for a research opportunity.

Research interests statement

How to write your statement of research interests

Eleanor C Sayre

A statement of research interests is a way for you to articulate what you are interested in, your relevant past experience, and your concise future plans for research. You can think of it like a teaching philosophy, but for research; a future-oriented bio statement; or a narrative account of your research activity and plans.

Why write a statement of research interests?

Broadly speaking, statements of research interest are used in three ways:

• As part of your application package for graduate school or for a faculty job which includes research (1-2pp)
• As generative writing to clarify to yourself and your immediate (prospective) collaborators what you want to do. (1p)
• As part of an advertisement for you and your work, such as in a bio statement or on your website. (0.5p)

Let’s focus on the middle way right now, as it’s a good place to start. Your goal in this statement is to clarify to yourself about what kind of (research) work you want to be doing, and how it connects to the work you’ve already done.

Getting started

What are you curious about.

Research is fundamentally about creating new knowledge. It is a creative, inventive process. If you’re new to research, it can be a bit intimidating to start. Some options:

Spend some time working through the research design exercises to familiarize yourself with questions, access, methods, and theories. Instead of planning a specific research project, though, your goal is to design an ideal project.

When you read a paper, particularly a paper published in the last 18 months, ask yourself what is interesting or cool about this paper. It might not be their conclusions; it might be the clever way they connected hypotheses or the surprising population they worked with.

I am curious about how people develop professional identity as scientists. I’m not particularly interested in student learning of specific topics in physics, except inasmuch as they are indicative of student learning across multiple topics.

Don’t worry if someone else might have already done the research you want to do. If there’s already a large body of literature around your chosen topics, that means you have a lot of opportunity to look for nuance and compare other people’s ideas against each other.

Conversely, if nobody has ever done the research you want to do and you don’t know of anyone doing anything similar, then your interests are probably too esoteric and/or your keywords are too narrow. That’s ok eventually, but right now you need to describe your interests in more general terms.

Some people have a hard time imagining what they’re curious about. They want someone else to tell them what project to work on, how to move forward, and which topics to focus on. If that’s you, now is a good time for introspection: why do you want to do research?

How would you like to change the world?

This is a really big question about the intended impact of your research. Some people want the knowledge they generate to have practical, immediate applications. For example, you might be curious about how first generation college students fare in your program because you want increase their completion rate. Or you might be curious about how students understand topic X because you want to teach it better. The world is a really big place; you don’t have to change all of it. How would you like to change your teaching practice, your department, your town, etc?

I would like academic science to be a more equitable and just place, which means that some of my research is about how marginalized students navigate occasionally hostile pathways through undergraduate degrees. Separately, I want to help emerging researchers learn how to do research in education, so I do research on the best ways to teach graduate students and faculty about how to do education research. These two interests are not the same, but I can pursue both of them in the same project.

It’s ok if you want to change the world in multiple different ways at different scales. For example, you might want to do research on how physics students in general operate in lab classes because you want to develop a vision of undergraduate labs that better prepare students for research, while at the same time you want to improve the learning of students in the classes at your institution.

Who do you want to work with, and in what capacity?

For some researchers, this is a highly constrained topic; for others, it is quite open. Think about the following questions:

• Do you want local or remote collaborators on the same project?
• Do you want to be part of a research group of people on related projects?
• Do you want to be the sole PI with many students? One of a few PIs? Not a PI?
• How much time, realistically, can you devote to research endeavors?
• How many projects do you want to keep going at the same time?
• How much money do you have access to? Do you need to be externally funded? Who should be responsible for acquiring your funding?

I thrive when I have a large collaborative research group to talk to. Some of the people in it should be working on the same projects as me, but some of them can be working on different things in similar ways. I thoroughly enjoy being one PI of many, though I’m ok being a sole-PI or occasional consultant. I need to have several projects going at the same time, and it’s ok with me if that means engaging substantially in multiple research groups.

Some of my collaborators thrive when they can focus on one main project and keep some other things on the back burner. Other collaborators are primarily interested in advising projects that their students are interested in, while still others only want to work on projects that closely align with their own interests.

The best options are the ones that make you happy. There’s no right answer that works for everyone.

What experience do you have?

Even though these are called statements of research interests, they’re often used as to link your past experience with your future plans. Past experience is a pretty good indicator of future plans, so think about what you’ve already done. You can start with just talking about each project: the major goals, the work you personally performed, the products that have (or are planned to) come out of it.

You can use your past experience to teach you about what you like about the research process, and also to teach you what you don’t want your future work to look like. Did you learn that you strongly dislike sitting alone in front of a computer? love working closely with one person? Rather like the idea of observational astronomy but not that particular project? Love computational work but find computational biophysics not as appealing as you previously thought?

Be reflective here, and honest. You are learning about you. In the next stage you’ll work on refining your reflections into a statement for a particular audience.

Write your statement

Generative writing.

Write about one page for each of these questions. It’s ok to leave out questions you’re not sure about the answers for, but strive to be thorough. If you have multiple interests or past projects, it’s ok to write a paragraph about each of them. Look for similarities across projects and experiences to help you synthesize across projects.

Using the ideas in the flow handout , reverse outline your generative writing. A common structure for research statements is:

• Big idea about interests and changing the world
• Your experience & past work on this topic
• Future plans for this topic
• Another topic? Link and repeat.
• Closing thoughts about who you want to work with and in what capacity.

Most statements of research interests are 1-2 pages long. Your generative writing is a lot longer than that! Use the refining process to make your statement more concise.

Many students’ statements of research interests start with a paragraph about how much they have always loved this topic. Something like “ever since I was a young child, I have loved science.” Don’t do this. Our narratives about what “has always been true” are constructed in the present, and they are generally only selectively accurate renditions of the past.

Another common opening is to quote some famous scientist, usually Einstein or Feynman, about the wonder of the natural world or the majesty of science. Don’t do this. It’s trite and boring.

Think about audience

If you have a lot of ideas or interests, the audience for your research statement can help you decide what to focus on.

For example, if you’re writing an application essay to graduate school, your future plans probably aren’t very detailed. You can still have a big idea for changing the world, but it might be difficult to link your prior experience to your research interests. Many undergraduate research experiences teach participants that they enjoy research, just not that kind of research. In this statement, you need to name potential advisors in the department, and link their work to your interests. For help with that linking, I very strongly encourage you to email with and have an informational interview with each prospective advisor after your generative writing, but before you polish your statement. Receiving emails from prospective grad students is a totally normal part of being a research advisor, and I do it pretty much every week in application season. As an advisor and member of my department’s grad admissions committee, I look more favorably on applications which clearly fit the kinds of research we do in the department.

Alternately, if you are applying to faculty jobs , linking your past experience and future plans is very important. You will need to adjust your future plans so that they fit well into the kind of job you’re applying for, and specifically into the interests and resources of the department. Depending on the department, you might need to emphasize your goals around working with undergraduate students, attracting external funding, working with k12 teachers, or developing lab materials. In my department, to get tenure you need to demonstrate intellectual independence from your grad/postdoc work, so it is important that applicants’ research plans are not merely a continuation of their dissertations.

If you’re writing your statement of research interests for internal purposes only, to clarify what you’re looking for in your research life, then you should focus on whatever parts of the statement you need to work through to bring clarity to yourself. At different times in my life, I’ve focused on how to make my different projects sound like a coherent whole, how to finesse bad research experiences as learning opportunities, particular funding opportunities, and who I want to work with (both number and names).

Make it pretty

With your audience in mind, go through the last two exercises on the flow handout . You’re looking to make your statement feel like a cohesive whole that best shows off your goals, experience, and future plans, as moderated by the resources available in a particular context.

When it feels reasonably ok – not perfect! – send it to a trusted beta-reader to get feedback on your writing. This could be your advisor, a mentor in the field, or someone you know that knows a lot about the kind of position you’re looking for. You can also visit with your university writing center or career center (even after graduation!) for help with flow. They’re not usually specialized into statements of research interests, but they are good at general writing help.

Sometimes people ask me if I would be willing to read their statements ahead of time. For my current and former students (& collaborators), the answer is always yes. I will always help you do the thing you want to do next in your professional life. For prospective students, prospective collaborators, or other community members this is a little more complicated. Among these groups, I prioritize statements from BIPOC, women, and people whose research interests are aligned with my own. My availability for this kind of service to the community is limited, especially during application season. You should contact me to ask before you send your statement.

Additional topics to consider

Generative writing.

How to make the first draft of your research paper.

How to decide who is an author, in what order, and why.

Writing better papers

How to make a coherent and easy-to-read research paper.

This article was first written on June 1, 2018, and last modified on February 8, 2024.

Writing a Research Statement

What is a research statement.

A research statement is a short document that provides a brief history of your past research experience, the current state of your research, and the future work you intend to complete.

The research statement is a common component of a potential student's application for post-undergraduate study. The research statement is often the primary way for departments and faculty to determine if a student's interests and past experience make them a good fit for their program/institution.

Although many programs ask for ‘personal statements,' these are not really meant to be biographies or life stories. What we, at Tufts Psychology, hope to find out is how well your abilities, interests, experiences and goals would fit within our program.

We encourage you to illustrate how your lived experience demonstrates qualities that are critical to success in pursuing a PhD in our program. Earning a PhD in any program is hard! Thus, as you are relaying your past, present, and future research interests, we are interested in learning how your lived experiences showcase the following:

• Perseverance
• Resilience in the face of difficulty
• Motivation to undertake intensive research training
• Involvement in efforts to promote equity and inclusion in your professional and/or personal life
• Unique perspectives that enrich the research questions you ask, the methods you use, and the communities to whom your research applies

How Do I Even Start Writing One?

Before you begin your statement, read as much as possible about our program so you can tailor your statement and convince the admissions committee that you will be a good fit.

Prepare an outline of the topics you want to cover (e.g., professional objectives and personal background) and list supporting material under each main topic. Write a rough draft in which you transform your outline into prose. Set it aside and read it a week later. If it still sounds good, go to the next stage. If not, rewrite it until it sounds right.

Do not feel bad if you do not have a great deal of experience in psychology to write about; no one who is about to graduate from college does. Do explain your relevant experiences (e.g., internships or research projects), but do not try to turn them into events of cosmic proportion. Be honest, sincere, and objective.

What Information Should It Include?

Your research statement should describe your previous experience, how that experience will facilitate your graduate education in our department, and why you are choosing to pursue graduate education in our department. Your goal should be to demonstrate how well you will fit in our program and in a specific laboratory.

Make sure to link your research interests to the expertise and research programs of faculty here. Identify at least one faculty member with whom you would like to work. Make sure that person is accepting graduate students when you apply. Read some of their papers and describe how you think the research could be extended in one or more novel directions. Again, specificity is a good idea.

Make sure to describe your relevant experience (e.g., honors thesis, research assistantship) in specific detail. If you have worked on a research project, discuss that project in detail. Your research statement should describe what you did on the project and how your role impacted your understanding of the research question.

Describe the concrete skills you have acquired prior to graduate school and the skills you hope to acquire.

Articulate why you want to pursue a graduate degree at our institution and with specific faculty in our department.

Make sure to clearly state your core research interests and explain why you think they are scientifically and/or practically important. Again, be specific.

What Should It Look Like?

Your final statement should be succinct. You should be sure to thoroughly read and follow the length and content requirements for each individual application. Finally, stick to the points requested by each program, and avoid lengthy personal or philosophical discussions.

How Do I Know if It is Ready?

Ask for feedback from at least one professor, preferably in the area you are interested in. Feedback from friends and family may also be useful. Many colleges and universities also have writing centers that are able to provide general feedback.

Of course, read and proofread the document multiple times. It is not always easy to be a thoughtful editor of your own work, so don't be afraid to ask for help.

Lastly, consider signing up to take part in the Application Statement Feedback Program . The program provides constructive feedback and editing support for the research statements of applicants to Psychology PhD programs in the United States.

Develop Your Interests

The first step in any research or creative project is figuring out what interests you. you probably have many interests that feel completely disconnected from each other. not a problem. think about what you’d like to learn..

I'm Interested in a LOT of Things!

How to narrow down your interests.

Think about the following questions:

• In the next 10 years, what is the most important problem you think people will need to solve?
• What lecture from your favorite class in X field kept you thinking after you left class? Did you want to talk about it with a friend?
• If you could showcase a project in your portfolio to a future employer, what kind of project or output would it be?

The goal of this step should be identifying things you’re interested in for  whatever  reason and want to learn more about!

You can also think about research areas by topic — the WHAT? (for example, 20th century German literature, food studies, or orchestra music) or by methods -– the HOW? (for example, building prototypes, archival research, or interviewing)

Check out the following video of Northwestern students talking about their projects and how they view research!

Lastly, you could also think about research in terms of how you want to incorporate it into your studies.

• I am a X major. I should do X research.
• I am a X major, and I’m interested in Y, Z, and A. I want to use research to achieve some benefits of a “double major” or a hobby. I can find research in Y, Z, or A and maybe it will overlap with X.
• I am a X major, and I intend to go into career C. People in Career C tend to have skill K, so perhaps I can do research in X to gain skill K for career C.
• I don’t have a major, but I think I like X and Y. I could do research to see if I even like X or Y.

Where Does Research Take Place?

In lab settings, undergraduates work on their own project, but their research is part of a larger research collaboration that includes faculty, postdoctoral researchers, or graduate students. The following image is the common structure of a lab or research group. A faculty member, otherwise called a Primary Investigator (PI) is the leader of the group, with Research Assistant Professors, postdocs, Lab Managers, and Research Coordinators below them. This is then followed by Graduate Students, Undergrads, and Lab Techs.

Students working in non-lab settings can be conducting interviews, analyzing texts, working in archives,  and producing creative projects, among other things, under the guidance of one or more mentors. There is not one structure or hierarchy that is typically in place because of how many different sources you may be working with. You could be working with a couple faculty members, a post doc, and two grad students, or they could be all faculty, or other undergraduates. There’s not a right or wrong way to do this!

Continuing to Develop Your Interests

The cool thing about research is that it’s an ongoing process– people have been interested in the same things as you before, and they’ll continue to be interested in the future. What this means though, is we’re walking into something that may or may not already be extensively explored and we need to get up to speed. There are two ways of familiarizing yourself:

1. Looking at what’s been done before.

2. Talking to the people involved.

Okay! I have topic ideas. Now how to find faculty who are doing related research?

Tips For A Winning PhD Research Statement

The process of creating a winning PhD research statement can be daunting and grueling, but if you take the time to put together an outstanding research statement there’s no telling how far you could get in graduate school!

That’s why we’ve pulled together some top tips to help make you stand out from the crowd. From understanding what a PhD admission search committee looks for to presenting your skills professionally, these tips will ensure that your application documents truly shine.

So, whether you’re new to the world of academia or already know it like the back of your hand; our advice is sure to give you an edge in this highly competitive scheme. Read on and get ready for success in your academic career!

What Is A Research Interest Statement?

A research interest statement is an important part of a PhD application and provides insight into your future research interests, research accomplishments, knowledge, writing skills, and research work experience. Not only is it useful to make a persuasive case for yourself but it is a great opportunity to explain your goals and objectives, the proposed approach, how the results of your research could contribute to the field, and any other relevant information that could help demonstrate to faculty members that you are an excellent candidate for the PhD.

This essay should be written in an easy-to-understand manner and clearly articulate your research projects, provide evidence of your understanding of your research topic in a broader context, and demonstrate your commitment to producing academic publications.

What Is The Difference Between A Research Interest Statement And A Statement of Purpose?

A research statement is a document that outlines an individual’s research agenda and accomplishments. It typically includes details about their past research experience, current research interests, and how they envision their future trajectory. A statement of purpose is a document that outlines an individual’s academic and professional goals. It typically includes information about the applicant’s educational background, career objectives, and desired area of study.

While both documents are important in applications to graduate programs, a research statement is more focused on current and future research plans, while a statement of purpose is more focused on career aspirations. Both essays require careful thought and consideration to effectively communicate an individual’s goals and objectives. It is important to keep these differences in mind when crafting either document.

Is This an Essay That Is Always Required in PhD Applications?

Although not a common component of the application in the U.S., the research interest statement is often required from graduate students by many universities in Europe as part of the PhD application process. The exact content and format of the essay will vary depending on the target institution but typically requires you to briefly describe the research that you plan to pursue during your PhD program.

This document can help graduate school admissions committees get a better understanding of your research goals, verify if you are aware of the most current trends and developments in your field, and quickly determine if you are PhD material or not.

Regardless of the requirements, it is important to keep in mind that your research interest statement should clearly explain why you are applying for the PhD program and what makes you a good candidate for it. Additionally, it should be well-structured and your ideas and questions should be thoughtfully laid out.

What Is The Difference Between a Research Statement and a Research Proposal?

A research statement and a research proposal are two different documents that serve distinct purposes. A research statement is typically a document that provides a brief history of your research interests and experience. It is used to demonstrate your knowledge and skills within a specific field of study, as well as the commitment you have to pursue a research project.

On the other hand, a research proposal is much longer and more formal. It includes an introduction, objectives, methodology, timeline, budget, and potential funding sources for a research project. It is used to provide detailed information about the project, as well as to convince others that the proposed research is worth pursuing.

Ultimately, the research interest statement is more of a personal document used to market your skills and experience in a specific field, while the research proposal is a formal document used to outline the scope and methodology of a project to potential future colleagues in research.

Both documents are important for different purposes, so it is important to understand the differences between research statements and research proposals.

Each should be tailored to fit its intended purpose, so researchers need to understand the differences and be able to create documents with detailed information for each.

What Should A Research Statement Include?

It should include your previous work, such as any prior publications, presentations you have made, or any other completed work. It should also include your current areas of interest, the types of questions you would like to find answers to, and any plans for future faculty collaborations.

Furthermore, it should explain how your past experiences have shaped your academic goals and how it all ties in with the work of current faculty in your target program.

Most programs will provide you with guidelines for crafting an effective essay. Although rarely containing a direct question, these guidelines may ask for specific details to be included. Be sure to adhere strictly to the program’s instructions; you must follow them!

How Long Should It Be?

A research statement should generally be around one to two pages long, although the exact length can vary depending on the institution. Keep in mind that your document is meant to showcase your capabilities as a researcher and should be written in a way that is both concise and comprehensive. Make sure to organize ideas and concepts with rigor!

Focus on the research project, your qualifications, and the contributions that you can make to the field of study. Be sure to explain why you are the best person to carry out this research and how you plan to go about achieving your goals.

How to Write an Outstanding Research Statement for PhD Applications?

It is important to be as specific as possible when discussing your interests and to explain how your work fits into a larger academic conversation. Additionally, it is important to highlight any accomplishments you have achieved in your research, as these will demonstrate the depth and breadth of your knowledge.

Finally, be sure to provide an outline of how you plan to accomplish your research goals with a few specific examples, as this will demonstrate your commitment and dedication to achieving them. With a well-written statement, you can make an impactful impression on the admissions committee and increase your chances of acceptance into the program.

What Are PhD Admissions Committees Looking For In a Research Statement?

Admissions committees are looking for research statements that demonstrate a passion for research and the ability to think critically. They want to see that you have the ability to develop and execute a research idea from conception to completion. You should be able to explain why your research topic is important, highlight the larger implications of your domain of inquiry, show how this research contributes to the field, and how you plan to go about achieving your goals.

Additionally, admissions committees are looking for evidence of creativity in developing novel approaches and evidence of dedication to pursuing your work. Your research statement should also make clear that you can work collaboratively with other researchers and provide thoughtful feedback on the work of your peers.

Finally, admissions committees want to see that you are able to communicate effectively about your research in both written and oral formats.

What Are Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Research Statement?

When writing a research statement, it is important to avoid making broad generalizations or assumptions about the research field. It is also important to be clear and concise. Avoid jargon and overly technical language that could confuse readers.

Additionally, it is important to avoid making unsubstantiated claims or exaggerating results. Finally, it is important to be sure to focus on the research topic that you are proposing and avoid any tangential topics or unrelated information. By avoiding these pitfalls, you will be better able to create a clear and concise research statement that effectively conveys your research ideas.

The last mistake is not proofreading your statement. Even if you think you have written a perfect statement, it is important to review and ensure that there are no mistakes in grammar or spelling; these small errors can easily lead to an unsuccessful application!

With careful attention and consideration of these mistakes, you can create an effective research statement for your PhD application.

How Much Time Should You Spend Writing Your Research Interest Statement?

You should dedicate a significant amount of time to writing your statement. This document serves as an introduction to your research interests, motivations, and goals.

It is an important factor in determining whether you are an ideal candidate for the program or not. It should be given the same care and attention as an undergraduate or graduate thesis. It should be thoroughly composed and edited with the help of advisors and mentors to create a clear, concise, yet comprehensive presentation of who you are and who you will be as a future researcher.

Finally…

Now that you know all there is to about research statements, it’s time to get writing! This document can be daunting but spending the necessary time on it will be worth it when you eventually submit your flawless application. If you need help getting started or even just want someone to review what you’ve written so far, our essay service can assist you in ensuring that your research statement perfectly reflects everything the admissions committee wants to see. Good luck and happy writing! Got questions? Sign up for a consultation or send us a copy of your draft for an assessment, it’s FREE!

With a Master’s from McGill University and a Ph.D. from New York University, Dr. Philippe Barr is the founder of The Admit Lab . As a tenure-track professor, Dr. Barr spent a decade teaching and serving on several graduate admission committees at UNC-Chapel Hill before turning to full-time consulting. With more than seven years of experience as a graduate school admissions consultant, Dr. Barr has stewarded the candidate journey across multiple master’s and Ph.D. programs and helped hundreds of students get admitted to top-tier graduate programs all over the world .

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for weekly tutorials on navigating the PhD application process and live Q&A sessions!

Share this:

Join the conversation.

• Pingback: How To Get Into Grad School for Engineering Tips - The Admit Lab
• Pingback: Discovering PhD Topics for Your PhD Applications - The Admit Lab
• Pingback: How to Write About Your Research Interests 101 -
• Pingback: Best DBA Programs: How to Choose the Right One - Admit Lab

Leave a comment

Leave a reply cancel reply, discover more from admit lab.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• HHS Author Manuscripts

Interest Matters: The Importance of Promoting Interest in Education

Judith m. harackiewicz.

1 University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA

Jessi L. Smith

2 Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA

Stacy J. Priniski

Interest is a powerful motivational process that energizes learning, guides academic and career trajectories, and is essential to academic success. Interest is both a psychological state of attention and affect toward a particular object or topic, and an enduring predisposition to reengage over time. Integrating these two definitions, the four-phase model of interest development guides interventions that promote interest and capitalize on existing interests. Four interest-enhancing interventions seem useful: attention-getting settings, contexts evoking prior individual interest, problem-based learning, and enhancing utility value. Promoting interest can contribute to a more engaged, motivated, learning experience for students.

Discover 4 interventions that promote interest, the science behind them, and policies that put student interest at front of the class

Introduction

Whether it be a “race to the top” or “no child left behind” or “every student succeeds,” U.S. educational policies focus on elevating students’ performance, with much less focus on sustaining students’ interest. Yet, when students are interested in an academic topic, they are more likely to go to class, pay attention, become engaged, take more courses, as well as process information effectively and ultimately perform well ( Hidi & Harackiewicz, 2000 ). Students who discover academic interests in high school and college are better prepared for satisfying careers. Interest is a powerful motivational process that energizes learning and guides academic and career trajectories ( Renninger & Hidi, 2016 ). Can policies help instructors harness this motivation and thus help students develop interest?

Defining Interest

The term interest can describe two distinct (though often co-occurring) experiences: an individual’s momentary experience of being captivated by an object as well as more lasting feelings that the object is enjoyable and worth further exploration. Interest is, therefore, both a psychological state characterized by increased attention, effort, and affect, experienced in a particular moment ( situational interest ), as well as an enduring predisposition to reengage with a particular object or topic over time ( individual interest ; Hidi & Renninger, 2006 ). This duality not only highlights the richness of the interest concept but also contributes to the complexity of defining interest precisely. Situational interest combines affective qualities, such as feelings enjoyment and excitement, with cognitive qualities, such as focused attention and perceived value, all fostered by features of the situation ( Hidi & Renninger, 2006 ). For example, a student might enjoy an entertaining lecture about tsunamis, become fascinated by their power, engage more in the class, and appreciate the subject’s personal relevance. Thus, being in a state of interest means that affective reactions, perceived value, and cognitive functioning intertwine, and that attention and learning feel effortless ( Ainley, 2006 ; Dewey, 1913 ; Hidi, 2006 ). Situational interest relates to self-regulation, task engagement, and persistence ( Sansone & Thoman, 2005 ; Smith, Wagaman, & Handley, 2009 ; Thoman, Smith, & Silvia, 2011 ).

Experiencing situational interest can directly promote learning by increasing attention and engagement. A student who sees a painting by Monet for the first time in an art history class may be captivated by the bright colors and unusual brushstrokes, and as a result, will pay more attention and engage more deeply. If that interest develops into an individual interest, the student will more likely reengage with the material overtime and explore the topic further ( Harackiewicz, Durik, Barron, Linnenbrink-Garcia, & Tauer, 2008 ). Interest, therefore, predicts traditional measures of educational success, including future course taking and performance.

Individual interest highlights individuals’ stable preferences for specific content. Here, the immediate experience of interest reflects a well-developed personal preference to enjoy and value a particular subject or activity across situations. Individual interest is, therefore, a stable, underlying disposition activated in particular situations. For example, students interested in geophysics might be especially likely to be in a state of interest during a lecture on tsunamis, whether the lecture is entertaining or not, because their interest is more developed and less dependent on situational factors.

How Situational Interest Becomes Individual Interest

The four-phase model of interest development ( Hidi & Renninger, 2006 ; Renninger & Hidi, 2016 ) integrates these two perspectives and their development: Particular situations trigger interest, which can then develop across situations and over time to become more enduring. First, features of the environment (e.g., novelty, ambiguity, surprise) catch the person’s attention. This situational interest can last longer, beyond a single situation, if tasks seem meaningful and involving (i.e., if the student perceives the task as valuable or enjoyable). Over time, repeated experiences of triggered and maintained situational interest can develop into an emerging individual interest, such that the individual seeks opportunities to reengage with the object. For example, if the student who was originally fascinated by the Monet painting also enjoys the teacher’s lecture about the Impressionist movement and then notices and appreciates the Monet reproductions on display at the dentist’s office, the student may decide to Google Monet’s paintings and order his biography from the library. Finally, this emerging individual interest can develop into a self-sustaining, well-developed, individual interest (e.g., the student visits art museums and majors in art history).

Progress through these phases requires an environment that supports individual pursuit of interests. For example, a school field trip to an art museum can foster a student’s developing interest in art. As individuals progress through these developmental phases, their connection to the object of interest becomes more stable and generalizable. Interest development begins in a specific situation, but by the time those interests are well developed, individuals make conscious choices and pursue their interests autonomously ( Renninger & Hidi, 2016 ). Indeed, as interest deepens across these four phases, individuals become increasingly aware of their own interest, as an important part of themselves (e.g., consider themselves Monet enthusiasts).

The four-phase model of interest development has implications for teaching practices. First, the model contends that interest develops gradually and that external support (e.g., engaging lectures, school field trips) can foster interest. This also implies that, without external support, interest can go dormant or even be abandoned. Second, the model indicates that students at different stages of interest development may benefit from different types of external support. When students are unfamiliar with a topic, teachers may be able to create environments that catch their attention (e.g., by beginning a chemistry class with a demonstration of a chemical reaction). When students enter a situation with some pre-existing interest, however, teachers may be able to maintain those interests with interventions to expand their knowledge of the topic and solidify its perceived value. Thus, teachers can stimulate students’ developing new interests in the first two phases (triggered and maintained situational interest), and maintain or strengthen interests for students in the second two phases (emerging and well-developed individual interest). In so doing, teachers can foster students’ motivation and achievement.

Interventions to Promote Motivation

Cultivating interest should not be an afterthought to the typical learning situation: Interest is essential to academic success. Interventions to develop students’ interest matter in any educational context, but may be most needed in academic domains that many students do not find initially interesting or those domains in which interest typically declines over time. For example, in middle school and high school, students’ academic interests decline, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects ( Brophy, 2008 ; Eccles et al., 1993 ).

There is no silver-bullet motivational intervention, and what works for one type of student or classroom context may not generalize (we return to this point later). With that said, interest theory informs two intervention approaches:

• Trigger and maintain situational interest: Provide activities that use structural features (i.e., problems, challenges, surprise) to stimulate attention and engagement for all students.
• Build on emerging and well-developed individual interest: Provide content and academic tasks that facilitate connecting academic topics with existing interests.

As Figure 1 summarizes, these interventions target motivational processes expected to influence critical educational outcomes, and take the learner’s phase of interest development into account.

Conceptual model showing how interventions promote interest development and subsequent educational outcomes.

Triggering Students’ Situational Interest: Structural Features

One way to trigger interest is to structure learning activities in ways that catch students’ attention. Dewey (1913) argued that educational activities should awaken and excite the immediate needs of the individual. Berlyne (1970) identified a number of task features, called collative variables, which affect attention and arousal. In a series of studies, he varied the novelty, complexity, surprisingness, and incongruity of visual stimuli, and found that each of these collative variables increased attention, arousal, and interest. More broadly, these principles underlie many interventions intended to promote situational interest in educational contexts, which Renninger and Hidi (2016) refer to as “triggers for interest.” For example, various factors triggered situational interest in a college biology class, such as hands-on activities, novelty, surprise, and group work ( Palmer, 2009 ). Similar factors were important in ninth-grade biology classes, where novelty proved most important, but choice, physical activity, and social involvement were also triggers.

Triggering Students’ Situational Interest: Context Personalization

Another way to trigger students’ interest in a new subject is to leverage their existing individual interests by presenting instruction in the context of those interests. For example, to teach math to a musician, talk about the mathematical principles inherent in music. Building content around existing interests is an intuitive approach for educators. To be sure, taking stock of each student’s interests and adjusting the content accordingly is not without its practical challenges, particularly for instructors of large classes ( Walkington & Bernacki, 2014 ). Indeed, catering to the personal interests of a heterogeneous group of students who differ in their interests can be challenging and time-consuming ( Hidi & Harackiewicz, 2000 ).

However, advanced learning technologies that adjust content based on student preferences can provide feasible and scalable solutions for tailoring instruction to learners’ needs and interests, as in context personalization ( Collins & Halverson, 2009 ; Walkington & Bernacki, 2014 ). This practice matches instructional tasks with characters, objects, and themes of students’ out-of-school interests ( Cordova & Lepper, 1996 ; Høgheim & Reber, 2015 ). For example, in a physics class, a learner interested in extreme sports might be given a task that involves sky diving, to learn about gravity and air resistance. Even with content constraints about what students are expected to learn, the context of that content may be flexible. Personalized contexts connect new content to learner’s pre-existing individual interests. Students given personalized math problems work harder and perform better ( Walkington, 2013 ), with the most pronounced positive effects for students struggling with mathematics and among learners with low individual interest in the content area.

Personalization interventions can be characterized along three dimensions: depth, grain size , and ownership ( Walkington & Bernacki, 2014 ). Depth refers to the quality of the connections to learners’ existing interests. Here, interventions range from simple insertions of surface-level information about students’ interests (e.g., a favorite movie) to elaborate contextualized tasks that relate to students’ interests and hobbies. Grain size refers to the size of the reference group: It differentiates between tasks that are tailored to the interest of an individual learner or to groups of learners such as a certain age group. Here, the intervention depends upon the homogeneity of the class and whether broad categories of personalization are relevant to a wide audience or smaller subgroups of students who would benefit from more individualized personalization. Ownership refers to the degree of autonomy in generating the personalization. Novel topics might require support from the instructor or peers to give ideas for personalization, but students can also play a role in personalizing their learning, which can create the deepest connections ( Walkington & Bernacki, 2014 ).

For example, some groups of students (Native Americans and Latinos) benefit when the presentation of a science topic emphasizes giving back to their community, an important interest for these students ( Brown, Smith, Thoman, Allen, & Muragishi, 2015 ; Smith, Cech, Metz, Huntoon, & Moyer, 2014 ; Thoman, Brown, Mason, Harmsen, & Smith, 2015 ). An intervention designed to integrate topics of giving back to the community in a science course would be a deep, large-grained personalization intervention because it targets the well-developed interests of a group of students. Furthermore, this intervention could be implemented with little ownership (e.g., if the instructor provides information about how science can be used to address community issues) or with a great deal of ownership (e.g., if the instructor tasks students with proposing community outreach activities). What combination of grain, depth, and ownership best connects with students’ existing interests is unclear, but these concepts must inform the design of personalization interventions.

Triggering and Maintaining Situational Interest: Problem-Based Instruction

Problem-based learning is an instructional method that creates a need to solve an authentic dilemma ( Belland, Kim, & Hannafin, 2013 ; Hung, Jonassen, & Liu, 2008 ). From an interest theory perspective, problem-based learning provides a learning environment that can trigger and maintain situational interest. First, the problem presented to students highlights a lack of critical knowledge needed to solve the problem, which can trigger situational interest. Second, the search for answers to the problem stimulates curiosity questions—self-generated questions that can promote the development of deeper interest—while requiring students to acquire and organize new knowledge about the topic, which can promote both interest and learning ( Renninger & Hidi, 2016 ).

Previous research on problem-based learning provides insights into how to create problems that promote interest. Work with Singaporean students suggests that intriguing problems (e.g., why the Japanese were able to conquer Singapore during World War II despite being highly outnumbered) can be effective for eliciting situational interest, but that interest may decline once students discover the answer to the problem ( Rotgans & Schmidt, 2014 ). Thus, a stimulating problem in and of itself may not be enough to promote maintained interest. In a meta-analysis, complex problems were more effective for promoting student learning than were well-structured problems ( Walker & Leary, 2009 ). Indeed, a problem (climate change) that increased in complexity as students learned more about potential solutions repeatedly triggered situational interest across the 15-lesson unit, rather than dropping off once a potential solution was discovered ( Knogler, Harackiewicz, Gegenfurtner, & Lewalter, 2015 ). Thus, complex problems that build on themselves and continually lead students to ask additional questions can repeatedly trigger situational interest ( Walker & Leary, 2009 ).

Utility-Value Interventions: Integrating Situational and Individual Interest Processes

Interest theory suggests that another route to capturing and sustaining students’ motivation is helping students find meaning and value in their courses ( Harackiewicz & Hulleman, 2010 ). Extensive experimental and longitudinal survey studies have documented the importance of value-related beliefs , defined as perceived usefulness and relevance to the student’s identity and both short- and long-term goals ( Eccles, 2009 ; Harackiewicz, Tibbetts, Canning, & Hyde, 2014 ). When students perceive value in course topics, they develop greater interest, work harder, perform better, persist longer, take additional courses, and complete their degree programs ( Harackiewicz et al., 2008 ; Hulleman, Durik, Schweigert, & Harackiewicz, 2008 ). Students who see the value of a field of study experience greater involvement, more positive task attitudes, and greater identification with the domain ( Brown et al., 2015 ; Smith, Brown, Thoman, & Deemer, 2015 ).

Value perceptions play a key role in another prominent theory of motivation: expectancy-value theory ( Eccles et al., 1983 ). According to this theory, people choose challenging tasks—such as persisting in a college physics course—if they (a) value the task and (b) expect that they can succeed (based on self-beliefs). Beliefs about the self and beliefs about the value of the task both predict interest, course choices, and major choice. Task value includes intrinsic value (the enjoyment an individual experiences from performing a task), attainment value (the personal importance of doing well on a task), and utility value (how useful or relevant the task is for the individual’s current and future goals). Intrinsic value is of course closely aligned with situational interest, and both intrinsic and attainment values predict academic interest and persistence ( Eccles & Wigfield, 2002 ). Utility value, however, is an ideal target for interest interventions, because it is the task value most amenable to external influence ( Harackiewicz & Hulleman, 2010 ).

Intervening to communicate the utility of a topic improves motivation. For example, convincing parents of the utility value of math and science for their high school–aged teens should motivate parents to talk to their teens about their courses, which would promote their teens’ interest in STEM topics, and lead them to take more elective math and science courses. Indeed, when utility-value information was communicated to parents (using two brochures and a website), their teens took, on average, an extra semester of math or science in their last 2 years of high school, relative to a control group whose parents did not receive the utility-value information ( Harackiewicz, Rozek, Hulleman, & Hyde, 2012 ). A 5-year follow-up of these students found that students whose parents were in the intervention condition were also more likely to take STEM courses in college and have STEM career aspirations ( Rozek, Svoboda, Harackiewicz, Hulleman, & Hyde, 2016 ). Parents can promote interest, as well as customize utility-value information on an individual basis. Parents know their teens’ interests and can make specific, personal connections in a way that teachers, who work with multiple students, cannot ( Hyde et al., 2016 ).

Instructors can, however, harness the power of deep, specific utility-value connections by asking their students to generate these connections for themselves. To do this requires revising existing course assignments, as well as infusing new opportunities into the curriculum. Utility-value interventions aim to influence students’ perceptions of value by using writing activities focused on course content (e.g., a homework assignment that asks students to reflect on how what they are learning might be useful in their lives). On their own and in their own terms, students generate connections between course topics and their lives—helping them appreciate the value of their coursework and promoting a deeper level of engagement. The key is having students actively work to find the value for themselves. Indeed, self-generated utility-value connections are more powerful than externally provided utility-value information (as when teachers simply tell students that material is useful) in promoting interest and performance ( Canning & Harackiewicz, 2015 ). A utility-value intervention can help spark situational interest in a topic, and it may help students connect that topic to their own interests, which can build on individual interest.

The efficacy of the intervention for promoting interest and performance was first demonstrated in ninth-grade science classes, with the strongest benefits for less confident students ( Hulleman & Harackiewicz, 2009 ); the intervention improved performance for these at-risk students by nearly two thirds of a letter grade, and enhanced their interest in science. Moreover, interest predicted students’ science-related career plans, suggesting that this simple intervention promotes important academic outcomes.

The Special Case of Introductory Courses in Higher Education

Introductory college courses are ripe with possibility: Here, students test the waters in different fields, assess their fit, and gauge their interest in pursuing majors and careers. However, these courses also present unique challenges. For instructors, these courses are populated by large, diverse groups of students with varied levels of knowledge, interest, and motivation in the field, making it difficult to promote interest for all students. For students, introductory courses are often critical gateways to majors and careers, requiring high grades to continue in a field. Structurally, they are often large, impersonal, and overwhelming for students who may be new to the college environment. Particularly among first-year students, introductory courses may be the yardstick by which they measure their fit in college, not just in a particular field. Thus, for many students, introductory courses present high-pressure tests of their academic belonging in a particular field and college more generally, and these pressures are exacerbated for certain groups of at-risk students (e.g., first-generation and underrepresented minority students) who are more likely to doubt their belonging in college, become disengaged in large-lecture courses, or both.

What are the logistics of implementing an interest intervention in a large introductory class? Use of collative factors (novelty, surprise, humor) can grab students’ attention, but can also appear gimmicky and rub college students the wrong way. In contrast, context personalization interventions meet individual students where they are and create interest in course topics by association to their own unique personal interests. At first glance, the logistics of context personalization may not seem feasible in a large-lecture setting. As coursework moves online, however, advances in adaptive learning technologies may help college professors individualize some instructional activities. Similarly, problem-based learning strategies may be ideal for middle school or high school instruction, but are not as easily implemented in large-lecture courses. These approaches might be usefully applied in smaller laboratory sections, which allow more flexibility ( Freeman et al., 2014 ).

The utility-value intervention is well suited for introductory college courses. For example, in introductory undergraduate psychology classes, using brief utility-value writing assignments promoted interest for students who were performing poorly in the class, relative to a control group that wrote summaries of course material ( Hulleman, Godes, Hendricks, & Harackiewicz, 2010 ). Indeed, the utility-value intervention is flexible, can reach students at varying levels of interest, and may even help underrepresented students connect what they are learning to their unique set of interests and values, with the potential to close persistent achievement gaps. As a case in point, a utility-value intervention implemented in a large introductory biology course (with three short writing assignments during the semester) was effective for all students and particularly for students who tended to struggle the most in the course: first-generation underrepresented minority students ( Harackiewicz, Canning, Tibbetts, Priniski, & Hyde, 2015 ). In fact, these students, performed about half a grade point higher in the intervention condition than in the control condition. In addition, they became more engaged in the utility-value assignment, writing longer essays despite identical length requirements. The utility-value intervention is an essential tool, especially for undergraduate instructors, to impact student success with far-reaching positive benefits.

One Size Fits Some

No interest intervention is one size fits all. Considering students’ pre-existing interest and level of competence for a given topic is imperative. Indeed, some interest triggers merely distract students who already have a well-developed interest in a topic, whereas these same triggers promote situational interest for students in the earlier phases of interest. For example, visually stimulating, catchy features such as adding color, varied fonts, and vivid pictures to math tasks enhanced situational interest for students who were low in individual interest, but had a negative effect for students who had more developed interest in math ( Durik & Harackiewicz, 2007 ).

On the whole, utility-value interventions often improve motivation for all students ( Brown et al., 2015 ; Harackiewicz et al., 2015 ; Harackiewicz et al., 2012 ), and the benefits are often largest for the most at-risk students ( Harackiewicz et al., 2015 ; Hulleman et al., 2010 ). Yet, students who feel more competent sometimes benefit more from the most direct utility-value communications ( Durik & Harackiewicz, 2007 ; Durik, Shechter, Noh, Rozek, & Harackiewicz, 2015 ). The way that utility value is communicated also differentially impacts students in different phases of interest development. Directly communicated utility value is most beneficial for students with well-developed interests, but self-generated utility value is more effective for those who are initially low in interest ( Durik, Hulleman, & Harackiewicz, 2015 ). These nuances should inform selection of an intervention, which requires considering the specific goals of the educator, the instructional setting, and the needs of the students.

Interest Matters in Educational Policy

With the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in December 2015 ( U.S. Department of Education, 2015 ), more autonomy is granted to local and state agencies to set educational assessment standards. What is more, the ESSA prioritizes use of evidence-based educational interventions. The time is thus ripe to consider the contribution of interest theory to new and existing K-12 and higher education policies, accreditation standards, and teacher licensure requirements. Teacher preparation, incentivizing, and accountability policies each may contribute to a more engaged learning experience for our nation’s student body, as follows.

To get to a place where student motivation is a valued process and outcome, policies should inform the training of our next generation of educators. National accreditation boards (e.g., Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation), state accrediting agencies, and teacher licensing systems might want to consider tighter alignment with lessons learned from motivational science when they set teacher preparation policies and standards. One possible policy action is the pro-active design of teacher preparation programs based on the principles of interest theory and the interventions that trigger and maintain students’ situational interest or build on their emerging and well-developed individual interests. For example, teacher preparation policy could mandate courses on how to evaluate and adopt interest interventions in curricular, co-curricular, and even extracurricular efforts ( Diekman, Weisgram, & Belanger, 2015 ). One promising route is to implement a core teacher-education course, and continuing education courses, on student interest development processes. Such a course could emphasize different types of interest-triggering structural features ( Durik & Harackiewicz, 2007 ), techniques for context personalization ( Walkington & Bernacki, 2014 ), strategies for problem-based instruction ( Knogler et al., 2015 ), procedures for optimal communication of utility-value information ( Brown et al., 2015 ; Canning & Harackiewicz, 2015 ), and optimal implementation of utility-value interventions ( Harackiewicz et al., 2015 ). Such a course would necessarily emphasize how interest triggers foster connections and deeper processing ( Walkington & Bernacki, 2014 ), as well as lay out the science behind how struggling and at-risk students can benefit from the different types of interest interventions ( Harackiewicz et al., 2014 ).

Teacher preparation policies and practices are useful only insofar as they translate to action in the classroom, which suggests incentivizing the design and adoption of interest interventions and rewarding faculty for the downstream benefits of their efforts toward enhancing student motivation. Getting down into the weeds of creating instructional opportunities that promote and sustain students’ interest or facilitate utility-value connections is time-consuming and requires careful attention to intervention implementation details ( Yeager et al., 2016 ). Various evaluation policies could reward educators who use evidence-based motivational science to inform their curricula and instructional methods, for example, by providing professional development funds, creating organizational teaching awards, and other meritorious recognition for such efforts.

Finally, policies should go beyond strict performance standards and consider multiple indicators of student success that include student interest. The next step is revising existing policies that already hold administrators and instructors accountable for student learning, and expanding those policies to include fostering interest. This could begin, for example, by mandatory inclusion of ratings of the degree of interest in, or utility of, course content in student and peer evaluations of teaching that are factored into annual faculty reviews and promotion decisions. Other options are to create policies that require faculty to outline the utility value of their course content, include interest interventions as a preferred requirement for faculty job candidates, and mandate that promotion and retention dossiers include evidence of efforts toward enhancing student motivation. Such accountability policies would set a new norm for the central role of student interest in education.

The U.S. educational system must respond to the ever-changing needs of our nation’s students. Just as the medical school curriculum was revolutionized by adding a core medical ethics course in the late 1970s ( Lakhan, Hamlat, McNamee, & Laird, 2009 ) and is now integrating coursework to help students navigate the legal and business realities of medical practice ( Shah, 2008 ), teacher-education stakeholders should consider providing future teachers with the skill set to promote and sustain students’ developing interests. Using interest theory to inform educational policy and practice is one step toward creating a future generation of students with a love for learning ( Hidi & Harackiewicz, 2000 ; Renninger, Sansone, & Smith, 2004 ).

• Interest is both increased attention, effort, and affect toward a particular object or topic and an enduring predisposition to reengage over time.
• Integrating these two definitions guides interventions that develop or maintain interest.
• Interest interventions include attention-getting situations, contexts evoking prior individual interest, problem-based learning, and enhancing utility value.
• Student interest is essential to academic success.
• Teacher preparation, incentivizing interest interventions, and accountability for interest contribute to an engaged, motivated learning experience.

Acknowledgments

We thank Max Knogler, Ann Renninger, and Lynda Ransdell for helpful comments on an earlier version of this article.

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The research for and writing of this article were funded by the National Institutes of Health, General Medical Sciences (Grant R01GM102703, PI: Harackiewicz; Grant R01GM098462, PI: Smith).

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are our own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Institutes of Health.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

• Ainley M. Connecting with learning: Motivation, affect and cognition in interest processes. Educational Psychological Review. 2006; 18 :391–405. doi: 10.1007/s10648-006-9033-0. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Belland BR, Kim C, Hannafin MJ. A framework for designing scaffolds that improve motivation and cognition. Educational Psychologist. 2013; 48 :243–270. doi: 10.1080/00461520.2013.838920. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Berlyne DE. Novelty, complexity, and hedonic value. Perception & Psychophysics. 1970; 8 :279–286. doi: 10.3758/BF03212593. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Brophy J. Developing students’ appreciation for what is taught in school. Educational Psychologist. 2008; 43 :132–141. doi: 10.1080/00461520701756511. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Brown ER, Smith JL, Thoman DB, Allen JM, Muragishi G. From bench to bedside: A communal utility value intervention to enhance students’ biomedical science motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology. 2015; 107 :1116–1135. doi: 10.1037/edu0000033. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Canning EA, Harackiewicz JM. Teach it, don’t preach it: The differential effects of directly communicated and self-generated utility-value information. Motivation Science. 2015; 1 :47–71. doi: 10.1037/mot0000015. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Collins A, Halverson R. Rethinking education in the age of technology: The digital revolution and schooling in America. New York, NY: Teachers College Press; 2009. [ Google Scholar ]
• Cordova DI, Lepper MR. Intrinsic motivation and the process of learning: Beneficial effects of contextualization, personalization, and choice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1996; 88 :715–730. doi: 10.1037/0022-0663.88.4.715. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Dewey J. Interest and effort in education. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin; 1913. [ Google Scholar ]
• Diekman AB, Weisgram ES, Belanger AL. New routes to recruiting and retaining women in STEM: Policy implications of a communal goal congruity perspective. Social Issues and Policy Review. 2015; 9 :52–88. doi: 10.1111/sipr.12010. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Durik AM, Harackiewicz JM. Different strokes for different folks: How individual interest moderates the effects of situational factors on task interest. Journal of Educational Psychology. 2007; 99 :597–610. doi: 10.1037/0022-0663.99.3.597. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Durik AM, Hulleman CS, Harackiewicz JM. One size fits some: Instructional enhancements to promote interest don’t work the same for everyone. In: Renninger KA, Nieswandt M, Hidi S, editors. Interest in mathematics and science learning. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association; 2015. pp. 49–62. [ Google Scholar ]
• Durik AM, Shechter O, Noh MS, Rozek CS, Harackiewicz JM. What if I can’t? Perceived competence as a moderator of the effects of utility value information on situational interest and performance. Motivation and Emotion. 2015; 39 :104–118. doi: 10.1007/s11031-014-9419-0. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Eccles JS. Who am I and what am I going to do with my life? Personal and collective identities as motivators of action. Educational Psychologist. 2009; 44 :78–89. doi:10:1080/00461520902832368. [ Google Scholar ]
• Eccles JS, Adler TF, Futterman R, Goff SB, Kaczala CM, Meece JL, Midgley C. Expectations, values, and academic behaviors. In: Spense JT, editor. Perspective on achievement and achievement motivation. San Francisco, CA: W. H. Freeman; 1983. pp. 75–146. [ Google Scholar ]
• Eccles JS, Midgley C, Wigfield A, Buchanan CM, Reuman D, Flanagan C, Mac Iver D. Development during adolescence: The impact of stage-environment fit on young adolescents’ experiences in schools and families. American Psychologist. 1993; 48 :90–101. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.48.2.90. [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Eccles JS, Wigfield A. Motivational beliefs, values, and goals. Annual Review of Psychology. 2002; 53 :109–132. doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.135153. [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Freeman S, Eddy SL, McDonough M, Smith MK, Okoroafor N, Jordt H, Wenderoth MP. Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2014; 111 :8410–8415. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1319030111. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Harackiewicz JM, Canning EA, Tibbetts Y, Priniski SJ, Hyde JS. Closing achievement gaps with a utility-value intervention: Disentangling race and social class. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2015 doi: 10.1037/pspp0000075. Advance online publication. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Harackiewicz JM, Durik AM, Barron KE, Linnenbrink-Garcia L, Tauer JM. The role of achievement goals in the development of interest: Reciprocal relations between achievement goals, interest, and performance. Journal of Educational Psychology. 2008; 100 :105–122. doi: 10.1037/0022-0663.100.1.105. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Harackiewicz JM, Hulleman CS. The importance of interest: The role of achievement goals and task values in promoting the development of interest. Social & Personality Psychology Compass. 2010; 4 :42–52. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-9004.2009.00207.x. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Harackiewicz JM, Rozek CS, Hulleman CS, Hyde JS. Helping parents to motivate adolescents in mathematics and science: An experimental test of a utility-value intervention. Psychological Science. 2012; 43 :899–906. doi: 10.1177/0956797611435530. [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Harackiewicz JM, Tibbetts Y, Canning EA, Hyde JS. Harnessing values to promote motivation in education. In: Karabenick S, Urden T, editors. Motivational interventions: Advances in motivation and achievement. Vol. 18. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing; 2014. pp. 71–105. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Hidi S. Interest: A unique motivational variable. Educational Research Review. 2006; 1 :69–82. doi: 10.1016/j.edurev.2006.09.001. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Hidi S, Harackiewicz JM. Motivating the academically unmotivated: A critical issue for the 21st century. Review of Educational Research. 2000; 79 :151–179. doi: 10.2307/1170660. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Hidi S, Renninger KA. The four-phase model of interest development. Educational Psychologist. 2006; 41 :111–127. doi: 10.1207/s15326985ep4102_4. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Høgheim S, Reber R. Supporting interest of middle school students in mathematics through context personalization and example choice. Contemporary Educational Psychology. 2015; 42 :17–25. doi: 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2015.03.006. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Hulleman CS, Durik AM, Schweigert SA, Harackiewicz JM. Task values, achievement goals, and interest: An integrative analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology. 2008; 100 :398–416. doi: 10.1037/0022-0663.100.2.398. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Hulleman CS, Godes O, Hendricks BL, Harackiewicz JM. Enhancing interest and performance with a utility value intervention. Journal of Educational Psychology. 2010; 102 :880–895. doi: 10.1037/a0019506. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Hulleman CS, Harackiewicz JM. Promoting interest and performance in high school science classes. Science. 2009; 326 :1410–1412. doi: 10.1126/science.1177067. [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Hung W, Jonassen DH, Liu R. Problem-based learning. In: Spector JM, Merrill MD, Van Merrienboer J, Driscoll MP, editors. Handbook of research on educational communications and technology. 3. New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates; 2008. pp. 485–506. [ Google Scholar ]
• Hyde JS, Canning EA, Rozek CS, Clarke E, Hulleman CS, Harackiewicz JM. The role of mothers’ communication in promoting motivation for math and science course-taking in high school. Journal of Research on Adolescence. 2016 doi: 10.1111/jora.12253. Advance online publication. [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Knogler M, Harackiewicz JM, Gegenfurtner A, Lewalter D. How situational is situational interest? Investigating the longitudinal structure of situational interest. Contemporary Educational Psychology. 2015; 43 :39–50. doi: 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2015.08.004. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Lakhan SE, Hamlat E, McNamee T, Laird C. Time for a unified approach to medical ethics. Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine. 2009; 4 doi: 10.1186/1747-5341-4-13. Article 13. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Palmer DH. Student interest generated during an inquiry skills lesson. Journal of Research in Science Teaching. 2009; 46 :147–165. doi: 10.1002/tea.20263. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Renninger KA, Hidi S. The power of interest for motivation and engagement. New York, NY: Routledge; 2016. [ Google Scholar ]
• Renninger KA, Sansone C, Smith JL. Love of learning. In: Peterson C, Seligman MEP, editors. Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2004. pp. 161–179. [ Google Scholar ]
• Rotgans JI, Schmidt HG. Situational interest and learning: Thirst for knowledge. Learning and Instruction. 2014; 32 :37–50. doi: 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2014.01.002. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Rozek CS, Svoboda RC, Harackiewicz JM, Hulleman CS, Hyde JS. A utility-value intervention with parents increases STEM preparation and career pursuit. 2016. Manuscript under review. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Sansone C, Thoman DB. Interest as the missing motivator in self-regulation. European Psychologist. 2005; 10 :175–186. doi: 10.1027/1016-9040.10.3.175. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Shah ND. The teaching of law in medical education. Virtual Mentor. 2008; 10 :332–337. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Smith JL, Brown ER, Thoman DL, Deemer ED. Losing its expected communal value: How stereotype threat undermines women’s identity as research scientists. Social Psychology of Education. 2015; 18 :443–466. doi: 10.1007/s11218-015-9296-8. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Smith JL, Cech E, Metz A, Huntoon M, Moyer C. Giving back or giving up: Native American student experiences in science and engineering. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology. 2014; 20 :413–429. doi: 10.1037/a0036945. [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Smith JL, Wagaman J, Handley IM. Keeping it dull or making it fun: Task variation as a function of promotion versus prevention focus. Motivation and Emotion. 2009; 33 :150–160. doi: 10.1007/s11031-008-9118-9. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Thoman DB, Brown ER, Mason AZ, Harmsen AG, Smith JL. The role of altruistic values in motivating underrepresented minority students for biomedicine. BioScience. 2015; 65 :183–188. doi: 10.1093/biosci/biu199. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Thoman DB, Smith JL, Silvia P. The resource replenishment function of interest. Social Psychological & Personality Science. 2011; 2 :592–599. doi: 10.1177/1948550611402521. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• U.S. Department of Education. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): A new education law. 2015 Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/essa .
• Walker A, Leary H. A problem based learning meta analysis: Differences across problem types, implementation types, disciplines, and assessment levels. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning. 2009; 3 :12–43. [ Google Scholar ]
• Walkington CA. Using adaptive learning technologies to personalize instruction to student interests: The impact of relevant contexts on performance and learning outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology. 2013; 105 :932–945. doi: 10.1037/a0031882. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Walkington CA, Bernacki ML. Motivating students by “personalizing” learning around individual interests: A consideration of theory, design, and implementation issues. Advances in Motivation and Achievement. 2014; 18 :139–176. doi: 10.1108/S0749-742320140000018004. [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Yeager DS, Romero C, Paunesku D, Hulleman CS, Schneider B, Hinojosa C, … Dweck CS. Using design thinking to improve psychological interventions: The case of the growth mindset during the transition to high school. Journal of Educational Psychology. 2016; 108 :374–391. doi: 10.1037/edu0000098. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]

Research interests: their dynamics, structures and applications in unifying search and reasoning

• Published: 08 December 2010
• Volume 37 , pages 65–88, ( 2011 )

Cite this article

• Yi Zeng 1 ,
• Erzhong Zhou 1 ,
• Yan Wang 1 ,
• Yulin Qin 1 ,
• Zhisheng Huang 2 &
• Ning Zhong 3  

337 Accesses

7 Citations

Explore all metrics

Most scientific publication information, which may reflects scientists’ research interests, is publicly available on the Web. Understanding the characteristics of research interests from previous publications may help to provide better services for scientists in the Web age. In this paper, we introduce some parameters to track the evolution process of research interests, we analyze their structural and dynamic characteristics. According to the observed characteristics of research interests, under the framework of unifying search and reasoning (ReaSearch), we propose interests-based unification of search and reasoning (I-ReaSearch). Under the proposed I-ReaSearch method, we illustrate how research interests can be used to improve literature search on the Web. According to the relationship between an author’s own interests and his/her co-authors interests, social group interests are also used to refine the literature search process. Evaluation from both the user satisfaction and the scalability point of view show that the proposed I-ReaSearch method provides a user centered and practical way to problem solving on the Web. The efforts provide some hints and various methods to support personalized search, and can be considered as a step forward user centric knowledge retrieval on the Web. From the standpoint of the Active Media Technology (AMT) on the Wisdom Web, in this paper, the study on the characteristics of research interests is based on complex networks and human dynamics, which can be considered as an effort towards utilizing information physics to discover and explain the phenomena related to research interests of scientists. The application of research interests aims at providing scientific researchers best means and best ends in an active way for literature search on the Web.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

A Semantic Method to Extract the User Interest Center

ISSA: Generic Pipeline, Knowledge Model and Visualization Tools to Help Scientists Search and Make Sense of a Scientific Archive

Exploratory Search for Scientific Articles

The page was visited in Oct. 17th, 2009. A list of filtered words can be found from http://www.wici-lab.org/wici/dblp-sse/Filterwords.txt .

SwetoDBLP dataset is an RDF version of the DBLP dataset. It can be downloaded from http://knoesis.wright.edu/library/ontologies/swetodblp/ .

The RDF version of the DBLP authors’ interests dataset has been released through http://wiki.larkc.eu/csri-rdf .

http://www.wici-lab.org/wici/dblp-sse

Aleman-Meza, B., Hakimpour, F., Arpinar, I. B., & Sheth, A. P. (2007). Swetodblp ontology of computer science publications. Journal of Web Semantics, 5 (3):151–155.

Article   Google Scholar  

Anderson, J. R., & Schooler, L. J. (1991). Reflections of the environment in memory. Psychological Science, 2 (6), 396–408.

Barabási, A. L. (2002). Linked: How everything is connected to everything else and what it means for science, business and everyday life (1 ed.). Perseus Publishing.

Barabási, A. L. (2005). The origin of bursts and heavy tails in human dynamics. Nature, 435 , 207–211.

Berners-Lee, T., & Fischetti, M. (1999). Weaving the web: The original design and ultimate destiny of the world wide web by its inventor . HarperSanFrancisco.

Braam, R. R., Moed, H. F., & Raan, A. F. J. v. (1991). Mapping of science by combined co-citation and word analysis: II. Dynamical aspects. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 42 (4), 252–266.

Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school . National Academy Press.

Chen, C. M. (2006). Citespace II: Detecting and visualizing emerging trends and transient patterns in scientific literature. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 57 (3), 359–377.

Dezso, Z., Almaas, E., Lukács, A., Rácz, B., Szakadát, I., & Barabási, A. L. (2006). Dynamics of information access on the web. Physical Review E, 73 (066132), 1–6.

Google Scholar  

Ebbinghaus, H. (1913). Memory: A contribution to experimental psychology hermann ebbinghaus . Teachers College, Columbia University.

Erten, C., Harding, P. J., Kobourov, S. G., Wampler, K., & Yee, G. (2004). Exploring the computing literature using temporal graph visualization. In Proceedings of the 2004 SPIE Conference on visualization and data analysis (Vol. 5295, pp. 45–56).

Fensel, D., & van Harmelen, F. (2007). Unifying reasoning and search to web scale. IEEE Internet Computing, 11 (2), 96, 94–95.

Greene, J. H. (1997). Production and inventory control handbook (3 ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Haight, F. A. (1967). Handbook of the Poisson distribution . New York: Wiley.

MATH   Google Scholar  

Han, X. P., Zhou, T., & Wang, B. H. (2008). Modeling human dynamics with adaptive interest. New Journal of Physics, 10 (073010), 1–8.

Hoeber, O. (2008). Web information retrieval support systems: The future of web search. In Proceedings of the 2008 IEEE/WIC/ACM international conference on web intelligence and intelligent agent technology (Vol. 3, pp. 29–32).

Liu, J. M. (2006). Active media technologies (amt) from the standpoint of the wisdom web. In Y. Li, M. Looi, & N. Zhong (Eds.), Proceedings of the 4th international conference on active media technology (AMT 2006). Frontiers in artificial intelligence and applications (Vol. 138, pp. 3–6). IOS Press.

Masoliver, J., Montero, M., & Weiss, G. H. (2003). Continuous-time random-walk model for financial distributions. Physical Review E, 67 (021112), 1–10.

Oliveira, J. G., & Barabási, A. L. (2005). Darwin and Einstein correspondence patterns. Nature, 437 , 1251.

Popescul, A., Flake, G. W., Lawrence, S., Ungar, L. H., & Giles, C. L. (2000). Clustering and identifying temporal trends in document databases. In Proceedings of the 2000 IEEE advances in digital libraries (pp. 173–182).

Qiu, F., & Cho, J. (2006). Automatic identification of user interest for personalized search. In Proceedings of the 2006 international world wide web conference .

Reynolds, P. (2003). Call center staffing . Lebanon, Tennessee: The Call Center School Press.

Roy, S., Gevry, D., & Pottenger, W. M. (2002). Methodologies for trend detection in textual data mining. In Proceedings of the 2002 text mining workshop at the second SIAM conference on data mining .

Shneiderman, B. (2008). Science 2.0. Science, 319 , 1349–1350.

Small, H. G., & Griffith, B. C. (1974). The structure of scientific literatures: I. Identifying and graphing specialties. Science Studies, 4 , 17–40.

Yao, Y. Y. (2002). Information retrieval support systems. In Proceedings of the 2002 IEEE international conference on fuzzy systems (pp. 773–778).

Yao, J. T., & Yao, Y. Y. (2003). Web-based support systems (reprint from wss’03). In Proceedings of the 2004 international workshop on web-based support systems (pp. 1–5).

Yao, Y. Y., Zeng, Y., Zhong, N., & Huang, X.J. (2007). Knowledge retrieval (kr). In Proceedings of the 2007 IEEE/WIC/ACM international conference on web intelligence (pp. 729–735).

Zeng, Y., Ren, X., Qin, Y. L., Zhong, N., Huang, Z. S., & Wang, Y. (2009). Social relation based scalable semantic search refinement. In The 1st asian workshop on scalable semantic data processing (AS2DP) .

Zeng, Y., Yao, Y. Y., Zhong, N. (2009b). Dblp-sse: A dblp search support engine. In Proceedings of the 2009 IEEE/WIC/ACM international conference on web intelligence (pp. 626–630).

Zeng, Y., Wang, Y., Huang, Z. S., Damljanovic, D., Zhong, N., et al. (2010a) User interests: Definition, vocabulary, and utilization in unifying search and reasoning. In Proceedings of the 2010 international conference on active media technology (pp. 98–107). Springer.

Zeng, Y., Zhong, N., Wang, Y., Qin, Y. L., Huang, Z. S., Zhou, H. Y., et al. (2010b). User-centric query refinement and processing using granularity based strategies. Knowledge and Information Systems . doi: 10.1007/s10115-010-0298-8 .

Zeng, Y., Zhou, E. Z., Qin, Y. L., & Zhong, N. (2010b). Research interests: Their dynamics, structures and applications in web search refinement. In Proceedings of the 2010 IEEE/WIC/ACM international conference on web intelligence (pp. 639–646). IEEE Computer Society.

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study is supported by the European Commission under the 7th framework programme, Large Knowledge Collider (FP7-215535). The author would like to thank Yiyu Yao for his constructive discussion on user interests based knowledge retrieval, Rui Guo and Chao Gao on their useful comments on network theory which are used for interpreting the phenomenon observed in this study, Jian Yang for his suggestions on measurement of research interests.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

International WIC Institute, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, People’s Republic of China

Yi Zeng, Erzhong Zhou, Yan Wang, Xu Ren & Yulin Qin

Division of Mathematics and Computer Science, Vrije University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Zhisheng Huang

Department of Life Science and Informatics, Maebashi Institute of Technology, Maebashi-City, 371-0816, Japan

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yi Zeng .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Zeng, Y., Zhou, E., Wang, Y. et al. Research interests: their dynamics, structures and applications in unifying search and reasoning. J Intell Inf Syst 37 , 65–88 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10844-010-0144-1

Download citation

Received : 11 April 2010

Revised : 20 October 2010

Accepted : 23 November 2010

Published : 08 December 2010

Issue Date : August 2011

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10844-010-0144-1

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Research interest detection
• Retained interest
• Interest duration
• Web search refinement
• Unifying search and reasoning
• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

Research, Interests, and Activities (RIA)

On this page, description.

The Research, Interests, and Activities (RIA) application provides Faculty with a single location for the disclosure of outside interests and activities and a method of conducting research-relatedness assessments. Additionally, the disclosures included in the tool ensure compliance with Penn policies and meet the requirements of funding agencies. To find more information about the RIA system, including instructional documents and support, please click below:

Related Resources

Policies & procedures, financial conflicts of interest in research program, policy on conflicts of interest related to research, special disclosure process for pcori-funded projects.

• Download PDF
• Share X Facebook Email LinkedIn
• Permissions

Exploring and Reducing the Impact of Neighborhoods on Health Disparities

• 1 Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• 2 Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
• Original Investigation Neighborhood Determinants and Symptom Severity Among Individuals With Psychosis Oladunni Oluwoye, PhD; Megan Puzia, MS; Ari Lissau, BA; Ofer Amram, PhD; Douglas L. Weeks, PhD JAMA Network Open

Health is a complex construct, the consequence of an interplay of a myriad of factors—some known (smoking, exercise, diet, and stress), but most unknown. Health care professionals are motivated to help patients live long, healthy, happy lives. However, the root causes of good health have remained stubbornly elusive. Historically, clinicians have focused on diagnosing and controlling disease, achieving specific targets such as blood pressure and blood glucose control, preventing unhealthy complications, and minimizing devastating outcomes. However, this has not always led to good health; more factors are at play. In addition to expected variances in health, there are striking disparities in health worldwide. Certain groups of people die younger and bear the brunt of poor outcomes. 1 For example, Black US residents have nearly double the rate of end-stage kidney disease and kidney-related deaths than White US residents. 2

Initially, clinicians were blamed for the disparate outcomes. 3 However, as the health care system tested interventions to reduce disparities, it became clear that factors not in control of the health care system contributed to health and health outcomes. There is a web of influences across multiple domains involving a dynamic interaction of genetics, behaviors, as well as sociocultural determinants. A good place to explore these factors is the neighborhood in which an individual resides. Important contributors to health, life circumstances, and social determinants of health cluster within neighborhoods. Assessing factors at the neighborhood level provides a more nuanced exploration of health outcome influences compared with assessing elements at the individual level. 4

Neighborhood characteristics—including racial and ethnic composition, environmental exposures, as well as the social and physical or built environments—are correlated with health outcomes and have been identified as important aspects to consider in research and clinical management. 4 , 5 Similarly, evidence has shown that socioeconomic status is associated with physical and social environments within neighborhoods and is a potential target for health intervention to reduce disparities. 5 Living in neighborhoods where there is concentrated poverty, poor educational and vocational opportunities, high unemployment rates, higher rates of crime and violence, limited or no access to healthy food options, and reduced greenspace all contribute to poor health and suboptimal outcomes.

Dr Oluwoye and colleagues 4 focus on neighborhood determinants of mental health, namely symptom severity among individuals with psychosis. They identified 3 types of neighborhoods as having disparate impacts on mental health: urban low-risk, urban high-risk, and rural. Urban low-risk neighborhoods had high income, educational attainment, and access to transportation and health care but also high levels of environmental exposures. Urban high-risk neighborhoods had low income and educational attainment and low access to health care with high access to transportation and environmental exposures. Rural areas had average income, average-to-low educational attainment, and limited access to health care and transportation but low levels of environmental exposure. In addition to well-established correlates of depression and anxiety, they found that urban high-risk neighborhoods had worse mental health compared with urban low-risk or rural areas. This finding is not surprising, given the challenges of day-to-day life that can occur in neighborhoods with higher risk profiles. For example, neighborhoods with high crime and gun violence cause chronic stress for those living there, a potent influencer of mental health. Furthermore, urban high-risk neighborhoods have decreased walkability, high pollution, poor food environments, inadequate recreational space for physical activity, high stress, low civic engagement, and decreased social connectedness. 5 , 6 Their conclusions supported the need for assessing and understanding the cumulative impact of neighborhood factors on health to improve health outcomes.

The important question is what can be done to minimize risks for poor health outcomes in neighborhoods with higher risk profiles and limited resources? Fifteen years ago, the World Health Organization stated that “the unequal distribution of health-damaging experiences is not in any sense a natural phenomenon but is the result of a toxic combination of poor social policies and programs, unfair economic arrangements, and bad politics.” 7 They outlined several steps that could close this gap: improve daily living conditions; tackle the inequitable distribution of power, money, and resources; measure and understand the problem; and assess the impact of action on reducing health disparities and improving health outcomes. These reforms are beyond the power of individual clinicians, requiring a collaborative effort between the individuals most impacted by neighborhood determinants, specialists in multiple disciplines, and interdisciplinary teams to reduce inequities in health and improve outcomes. However, closing the gap will likely require significant changes in sociopolitical, cultural, and economic systems, beyond the power of the health care system.

Research to identify and address neighborhood influences on specific health consequences is an important step toward improving both mental and physical health outcomes. At present, most research on neighborhoods has been exploratory. 6 The harder task will be to design and evaluate the impact of tailored neighborhood interventions on reducing disparities and improving outcomes that are specific to community needs. Research like that of Dr Oluwoye and colleagues 4 can help lay the groundwork for next steps.

Accepted for Publication: March 28, 2024.

Published: May 15, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.10206

Open Access: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC-BY License . © 2024 Jackson JL et al. JAMA Network Open .

Corresponding Author: Jeffrey L. Jackson, MD, MPH, Medical College of Wisconsin, 5000 W National Ave, Milwaukee WI 53295 ( [email protected] ).

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.

See More About

Jackson JL , Williams JS. Exploring and Reducing the Impact of Neighborhoods on Health Disparities. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(5):e2410206. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.10206

Manage citations:

© 2024

Select Your Interests

Customize your JAMA Network experience by selecting one or more topics from the list below.

• Academic Medicine
• Acid Base, Electrolytes, Fluids
• Allergy and Clinical Immunology
• American Indian or Alaska Natives
• Anesthesiology
• Anticoagulation
• Art and Images in Psychiatry
• Artificial Intelligence
• Assisted Reproduction
• Bleeding and Transfusion
• Caring for the Critically Ill Patient
• Challenges in Clinical Electrocardiography
• Climate and Health
• Climate Change
• Clinical Challenge
• Clinical Decision Support
• Clinical Implications of Basic Neuroscience
• Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Consensus Statements
• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Critical Care Medicine
• Cultural Competency
• Dental Medicine
• Dermatology
• Diabetes and Endocrinology
• Diagnostic Test Interpretation
• Drug Development
• Electronic Health Records
• Emergency Medicine
• End of Life, Hospice, Palliative Care
• Environmental Health
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Facial Plastic Surgery
• Gastroenterology and Hepatology
• Genetics and Genomics
• Genomics and Precision Health
• Global Health
• Guide to Statistics and Methods
• Hair Disorders
• Health Care Delivery Models
• Health Care Economics, Insurance, Payment
• Health Care Quality
• Health Care Reform
• Health Care Safety
• Health Care Workforce
• Health Disparities
• Health Inequities
• Health Policy
• Health Systems Science
• History of Medicine
• Hypertension
• Images in Neurology
• Implementation Science
• Infectious Diseases
• Innovations in Health Care Delivery
• JAMA Infographic
• Law and Medicine
• Leading Change
• Less is More
• LGBTQIA Medicine
• Lifestyle Behaviors
• Medical Coding
• Medical Devices and Equipment
• Medical Education
• Medical Education and Training
• Medical Journals and Publishing
• Mobile Health and Telemedicine
• Narrative Medicine
• Neuroscience and Psychiatry
• Notable Notes
• Nutrition, Obesity, Exercise
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Occupational Health
• Ophthalmology
• Orthopedics
• Otolaryngology
• Pain Medicine
• Palliative Care
• Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
• Patient Care
• Patient Information
• Performance Improvement
• Performance Measures
• Perioperative Care and Consultation
• Pharmacoeconomics
• Pharmacoepidemiology
• Pharmacogenetics
• Pharmacy and Clinical Pharmacology
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
• Physical Therapy
• Physician Leadership
• Population Health
• Primary Care
• Professional Well-being
• Professionalism
• Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
• Public Health
• Pulmonary Medicine
• Regulatory Agencies
• Reproductive Health
• Research, Methods, Statistics
• Resuscitation
• Rheumatology
• Risk Management
• Scientific Discovery and the Future of Medicine
• Shared Decision Making and Communication
• Sleep Medicine
• Sports Medicine
• Stem Cell Transplantation
• Substance Use and Addiction Medicine
• Surgical Innovation
• Surgical Pearls
• Teachable Moment
• Technology and Finance
• The Art of JAMA
• The Arts and Medicine
• The Rational Clinical Examination
• Tobacco and e-Cigarettes
• Translational Medicine
• Trauma and Injury
• Treatment Adherence
• Ultrasonography
• Users' Guide to the Medical Literature
• Vaccination
• Venous Thromboembolism
• Veterans Health
• Women's Health
• Workflow and Process
• Wound Care, Infection, Healing

Get the latest research based on your areas of interest.

Others also liked.

• Register for email alerts with links to free full-text articles
• Access PDFs of free articles
• Manage your interests
• Save searches and receive search alerts

'I learned that my interests in history and finance are not mutually exclusive'

Skyler Risom: History

A&S Communications

Skyler Risom

History New Canaan, Conn.

What was your favorite class and why?

HIST 3081 Stability and Crisis: Capitalism and Democracy, 1870 to the Present, taught by Professor Nicholas Mulder, felt like the culmination of my passion for studying history. In the first lectures, I vividly recall my excitement to be in this class in my final year as a history major, just weeks after the conclusion of my summer internship in finance. Prof. Mulder’s expertise in both fields bridged regions and time periods to study economic crises through financial institutions, governments and consumers. Each class challenged me to apply frameworks to analyze the evolution of market phenomena and regulations, diving into the corners of history that had always caught my attention. Ever since my childhood spent reading historical fiction, learning about ancient civilizations and studying global trade companies, I have been drawn to the stories and systems embedded in history. In Prof. Mulder’s class, I thought to myself: this synthesis of knowledge is why I chose Cornell, and why I chose the history major – and I am beyond fortunate to be pursuing my lifelong interests at the university level.  

What is your main extracurricular activity and why is it important to you? 

Throughout my four years in the Cornell Finance Club, I have grown confident that my humanities skills – particularly research, persuasive writing and presentation – uniquely equip me to understand markets and pursue a career in financial services. Through stock pitch competitions, new member education and serving as vice president of recruitment, I learned that my interests in history and finance are not mutually exclusive. The club was my most meaningful mentorship experience at Cornell, giving me the confidence to pursue my internship and ultimately my full-time career. 

What Cornell memory do you treasure the most?         

Entering Cornell during the pandemic, I felt lucky to explore new corners of the university with my longtime passion for running. As I developed a path across North Campus, the Arts Quad and the bridge over Fall Creek, I grew in excitement for future in-person instruction and love for my new home. Running through campus would become a habit I maintained throughout my Cornell experience, a familiar constant throughout the whir of assignments, commitments and interviews. In my final year, running has allowed me to reflect on the many stages through which I have traveled my familiar route. While the starting and ending points may have changed slightly over the years – across North Campus to Collegetown – the core of my path has remained the same. Each time I run past the clock tower, through the Vet School facilities and by Schoellkopf Stadium, I marvel at how fortunate I am to enjoy the scenery, fresh air and friendly community. My friends have often teased me for running through the crowded streets rather than secluded and peaceful park trails. However, my four years’ worth of memories of running through an awe-inspiring campus embody the dynamism of the Cornell community. As new buildings are erected and new faces arrive, I have been lucky to bask in the same sense of curiosity and energy still coursing through campus.

Who or what influenced your Cornell education the most?     

I am very fortunate to have parents who encourage me to explore my passions and interests, placing my health and happiness above all. Whenever they visit campus, their awe of the university and the scope of its facilities humbles and motivates me to stay curious about all that I can learn. While my academic journey was my own, they inspired me to prioritize exploration outside of the classroom, like taking the PE class Walking Tours and even trying out for the polo team (evidently a one-time endeavor). I also have often thought of my fathers’ parents, World War II immigrants, when I reflect on the opportunities afforded to me at such a storied and prestigious institution. Their journey and service to the United States has been a consistent inspiration for my studies in history and lifelong pride to be a student at the “first American university.”

If you were to offer advice to an incoming first-year student, what would you say?

Know yourself! You are your most meaningful and effective advocate, and only you understand how to make the most of each day. You should soak up every moment of living just steps away from your friends, so find out when you are most productive and free up time to focus on yourself. More than anything, I have learned that we have nothing without our physical and mental health. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, go for a walk outside, even just for a few minutes. If you’re cramming for an exam, remember that you need to sleep to actually memorize the information you just reviewed. Go to the dining hall, try every café on campus, and make it a habit to have every meal you can with another person. Leaving Cornell, I am proudest of the relationships I developed, and I will treasure all that I learned from my community. It is up to you to prioritize staying in the present. As they say, life comes from you – not at you. Remember that your education is not just in the classroom, but through learning to make an impact within your community.

Every year, our faculty nominate graduating Arts & Sciences students to be featured as part of our Extraordinary Journeys series.  Read more about the Class of 202 4.

More News from A&S

American Sign Language has found a growing home on the Hill

Extraordinary Journeys: The Class of 2024

BTPI will research relationship between Bitcoin and financial freedom

Reynolds Foundation commits $1.25M to fund Brooks School initiatives

Facility for Rare Isotope Beams

At michigan state university, international research team uses wavefunction matching to solve quantum many-body problems, new approach makes calculations with realistic interactions possible.

FRIB researchers are part of an international research team solving challenging computational problems in quantum physics using a new method called wavefunction matching. The new approach has applications to fields such as nuclear physics, where it is enabling theoretical calculations of atomic nuclei that were previously not possible. The details are published in Nature (“Wavefunction matching for solving quantum many-body problems”) .

Ab initio methods and their computational challenges

An ab initio method describes a complex system by starting from a description of its elementary components and their interactions. For the case of nuclear physics, the elementary components are protons and neutrons. Some key questions that ab initio calculations can help address are the binding energies and properties of atomic nuclei not yet observed and linking nuclear structure to the underlying interactions among protons and neutrons.

Yet, some ab initio methods struggle to produce reliable calculations for systems with complex interactions. One such method is quantum Monte Carlo simulations. In quantum Monte Carlo simulations, quantities are computed using random or stochastic processes. While quantum Monte Carlo simulations can be efficient and powerful, they have a significant weakness: the sign problem. The sign problem develops when positive and negative weight contributions cancel each other out. This cancellation results in inaccurate final predictions. It is often the case that quantum Monte Carlo simulations can be performed for an approximate or simplified interaction, but the corresponding simulations for realistic interactions produce severe sign problems and are therefore not possible.

Using ‘plastic surgery’ to make calculations possible

The new wavefunction-matching approach is designed to solve such computational problems. The research team—from Gaziantep Islam Science and Technology University in Turkey; University of Bonn, Ruhr University Bochum, and Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany; Institute for Basic Science in South Korea; South China Normal University, Sun Yat-Sen University, and Graduate School of China Academy of Engineering Physics in China; Tbilisi State University in Georgia; CEA Paris-Saclay and Université Paris-Saclay in France; and Mississippi State University and the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University (MSU)—includes  Dean Lee , professor of physics at FRIB and in MSU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and head of the Theoretical Nuclear Science department at FRIB, and  Yuan-Zhuo Ma , postdoctoral research associate at FRIB.

“We are often faced with the situation that we can perform calculations using a simple approximate interaction, but realistic high-fidelity interactions cause severe computational problems,” said Lee. “Wavefunction matching solves this problem by doing plastic surgery. It removes the short-distance part of the high-fidelity interaction, and replaces it with the short-distance part of an easily computable interaction.”

This transformation is done in a way that preserves all of the important properties of the original realistic interaction. Since the new wavefunctions look similar to that of the easily computable interaction, researchers can now perform calculations using the easily computable interaction and apply a standard procedure for handling small corrections called perturbation theory.  A team effort

The research team applied this new method to lattice quantum Monte Carlo simulations for light nuclei, medium-mass nuclei, neutron matter, and nuclear matter. Using precise ab initio calculations, the results closely matched real-world data on nuclear properties such as size, structure, and binding energies. Calculations that were once impossible due to the sign problem can now be performed using wavefunction matching.

“It is a fantastic project and an excellent opportunity to work with the brightest nuclear scientist s in FRIB and around the globe,” said Ma. “As a theorist , I'm also very excited about programming and conducting research on the world's most powerful exascale supercomputers, such as Frontier , which allows us to implement wavefunction matching to explore the mysteries of nuclear physics.”

While the research team focused solely on quantum Monte Carlo simulations, wavefunction matching should be useful for many different ab initio approaches, including both classical and  quantum computing calculations. The researchers at FRIB worked with collaborators at institutions in China, France, Germany, South Korea, Turkey, and United States.

“The work is the culmination of effort over many years to handle the computational problems associated with realistic high-fidelity nuclear interactions,” said Lee. “It is very satisfying to see that the computational problems are cleanly resolved with this new approach. We are grateful to all of the collaboration members who contributed to this project, in particular, the lead author, Serdar Elhatisari.”

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. National Science Foundation, the German Research Foundation, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences President’s International Fellowship Initiative, Volkswagen Stiftung, the European Research Council, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Security Academic Fund, the Rare Isotope Science Project of the Institute for Basic Science, the National Research Foundation of Korea, the Institute for Basic Science, and the Espace de Structure et de réactions Nucléaires Théorique.

Michigan State University operates the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) as a user facility for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC), supporting the mission of the DOE-SC Office of Nuclear Physics. Hosting what is designed to be the most powerful heavy-ion accelerator, FRIB enables scientists to make discoveries about the properties of rare isotopes in order to better understand the physics of nuclei, nuclear astrophysics, fundamental interactions, and applications for society, including in medicine, homeland security, and industry.

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of today’s most pressing challenges. For more information, visit energy.gov/science.

Microsoft Research Blog

Research focus: week of may 13, 2024.

Published May 15, 2024

Share this page

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Reddit
• Subscribe to our RSS feed

Welcome to Research Focus, a series of blog posts that highlights notable publications, events, code/datasets, new hires and other milestones from across the research community at Microsoft.

NEW RESEARCH

Injecting new knowledge into large language models via supervised fine-tuning .

Large language models (LLMs) have shown remarkable performance in generating text similar to that created by people, proving to be a valuable asset across various applications. However, adapting these models to incorporate new, out-of-domain knowledge remains a challenge, particularly for facts and events that occur after the model’s training knowledge cutoff date.

In a recent paper: Injecting New Knowledge into Large Language Models via Supervised Fine-Tuning , researchers from Microsoft investigate the effectiveness of supervised fine-tuning (SFT) as a method for knowledge injection in LLMs, specifically focusing on recent sporting events. They compare different dataset generation strategies—token-based and fact-based scaling—to create training data that helps the model learn new information. Their experiments on GPT-4 demonstrate that while token-based scaling can lead to improvements in Q&A accuracy, it may not provide uniform coverage of new knowledge. Fact-based scaling, on the other hand, offers a more systematic approach to ensure even coverage across all facts. The researchers present a novel dataset generation process that leads to more effective knowledge ingestion through SFT, and results show considerable performance improvements in Q&A tasks related to out-of-domain knowledge. 

A Reflection on Human-Notebook Experiences in the Era of AI

Computational notebooks provide an interactive way to work with data. They have been widely used by data professionals to write code, explore data, and generate visualizations, all in one document. Previous research has revealed unique pain points around the user experience in computational notebooks. However, as AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot have emerged, it is unclear whether these pain points have been reduced or changed, or whether new pain points have arisen. Due to the fast pace of advances in AI technology, most of the development of new AI tools has been primarily driven by technology and not by user experience.

In a recent paper: A Reflection on Human-Notebook Experiences in the Era of AI , researchers from Microsoft summarize literature on how new AI technology has impacted human-notebook interaction and human-computer interaction (HCI) paradigms, new challenges and user behavior around using AI assistants, and recent research on AI assistants in computational notebook scenarios. They outline gaps in existing literature and suggest a future focus on improving macro human-notebook experiences throughout a user’s workflow, measuring and quantifying the value of AI systems, and establishing a set of standards and best practices for AI tools.

Spotlight: On-demand video

AI Explainer: Foundation models ​and the next era of AI

Explore how the transformer architecture, larger models and more data, and in-context learning have helped advance AI from perception to creation.

Jacdac: Service-Based Prototyping of Embedded Systems

The traditional approach to programming embedded systems is monolithic: firmware on a microcontroller contains both application code and the drivers needed to communicate with sensors and actuators, using low-level protocols such as I2C, SPI, and RS232. In comparison, software development for the cloud has moved to a service-based development and operation paradigm: a service provides a discrete unit of functionality that can be accessed remotely by an application, or other service, but is independently managed and updated.

In a recent paper: Jacdac: Service-Based Prototyping of Embedded Systems (opens in new tab) , researchers from Microsoft propose, design, implement, and evaluate a service-based approach to prototyping embedded systems called  Jacdac (opens in new tab) . Jacdac defines a service specification language, designed especially for embedded systems, along with a host of specifications for a variety of sensors and actuators. With Jacdac, each sensor/actuator in a system is paired with a low-cost microcontroller that advertises the services that represent the functionality of the underlying hardware over an efficient and low-cost single-wire bus protocol. A separate microcontroller executes the user’s application program, which is a client of the Jacdac services on the bus. 

Three Jacdac kits, comprising over twenty modules, have been produced by third-party manufacturers: KittenBot (opens in new tab) and Forward Education (opens in new tab) .

PARIKSHA: A Scalable, Democratic, Transparent Evaluation Platform for Assessing Indic Large Language Models

Evaluation of multilingual LLMs is challenging due to a variety of factors – the lack of benchmarks with sufficient linguistic diversity, contamination of popular benchmarks into LLM pre-training data, and the lack of local, cultural nuances in translated benchmarks. Hence, it is difficult to extensively evaluate LLMs in a multilingual setting, leading to lack of fair comparisons between models and difficulties in replicating the evaluation setup used by some models. Recently, several Indic (Indian language) LLMs have been created to help build more locally and culturally relevant LLMs.

In a recent paper: PARIKSHA: A Scalable, Democratic, Transparent Evaluation Platform for Assessing Indic Large Language Models , researchers from Microsoft present an evaluation framework, which is the first comprehensive evaluation of Indic LLMs using a combination of human and LLM-based evaluation. The researchers conduct a total of 90,000 human evaluations and 50,000 LLM-based evaluations of 29 models to present leaderboards for 10 Indic languages. Pariksha provides inclusive evaluation by engaging a community of workers that represent India’s large and diverse workforce and also serves as a research platform for improving the process of evaluation. For transparency on the process, the evaluation artifacts will be released. Conducting Pariksha at regular intervals, the researchers aim to enable models to improve over time with insights and artifacts from their evaluations. 

Tinker, Tailor, Configure, Customize: The Articulation Work of Customizing AI Fairness Checklists

Many responsible AI resources, such as toolkits, playbooks, and checklists, have been developed to support AI practitioners in identifying, measuring, and mitigating potential fairness-related harms. These resources are often designed to be general purpose, in order to address a variety of use cases, domains, and deployment contexts. However, this can lead to decontextualization, where such resources lack the level of relevance or specificity needed to use them.

To understand how AI practitioners might contextualize one such resource, an AI fairness checklist, for their particular use cases, domains, and deployment contexts, researchers from Microsoft conducted a retrospective contextual inquiry with 13 AI practitioners from seven organizations. In a recent paper: Tinker, Tailor, Configure, Customize: The Articulation Work of Customizing AI Fairness Checklists , they identify how contextualizing this checklist introduces new forms of work for AI practitioners and other stakeholders, while opening up new sites for negotiation and contestation of values in AI. The researchers also identify how the contextualization process may help AI practitioners develop a shared language around AI fairness. They also identify dynamics related to ownership over this process that suggest larger issues of accountability in responsible AI work. 

MS MARCO Web Search: A Large-scale Information-rich Web Dataset with Millions of Real Click Labels

LLMs are becoming indispensable tools for many creative and information related tasks, but they still come with limitations, including a tendency to fabricate content. State-of-the-art algorithms pair the LLM with an external, dynamically updated knowledge base to ground the LLM’s answers and provide up-to-date information. However, these techniques require large amounts of relevant, labeled training data that have not previously been publicly available. 

In a recent paper: MS MARCO Web Search: A Large-scale Information-rich Web Dataset with Millions of Real Click Labels presented at the 2024 ACM Web Conference, researchers from Microsoft introduce a novel dataset that closely mimics real-world web document and query distribution. MS MARCO Web Search contains 10 million unique queries across 93 languages with millions of relevant labeled query-document pairs. It uses ClueWeb22’s 10 billion high-quality web pages as the document corpus and provides rich information for various kinds of downstream tasks. 

This dataset unlocks several new research directions that previous datasets cannot well support, including generic end-to-end neural indexer models, generic embedding models, and next generation information access systems with LLMs. MS MARCO Web Search offers a retrieval benchmark with three web scale retrieval challenge tasks, each with automatic evaluation and leaderboard. These tasks demand innovation in both machine learning and information retrieval systems. The researchers intend for MS MARCO Web Search to lay the groundwork for future advancements in AI and systems research.

• AI Case Studies for Natural Science Research with Bonnie Kruft

Among the stunning changes and disruptions driven by AI, one of the most significant is the impact on scientific discovery. In her presentation at EmTech Digital 2024 (opens in new tab) , Bonnie Kruft, partner deputy director at Microsoft Research AI for Science, outlined some examples of how generative AI enables groundbreaking research in the natural sciences. Recent breakthroughs aided by AI include small molecular inhibitors for treating infectious disease, the discovery of new materials for energy storage, and new drug development. 

Catch a replay of the presentation , including a follow-up Q&A with the audience, and hear how researchers are reducing discovery times from years to months. The discussion explores safe and responsible AI practices, how large language models can work with science-based models, and what lies ahead for AI in science. 

Microsoft Research in the news

The tiny glass blocks that can preserve your data for centuries  .

The Times UK | April 27, 2024

Microsoft’s Project Silica is an innovative form of long-term storage – potentially revolutionizing how important data can be preserved for future generations.

These Recyclable Circuit Boards Could Stem E-Waste  

IEEE Spectrum | May 2, 2024

New research from the University of Washington and Microsoft show that vitrimer-based PCBs can be broken down into a gel for repeated reuse. The research stems from the Microsoft Research Climate Initiative .

Today’s AI models are impressive. Teams of them will be formidable  

The Economist | May 13, 2024

Teams of LLMs are more capable and intelligent than solitary agents because a single job can be split into many smaller, more specialized tasks, says Chi Wang, a principal researcher at Microsoft Research in Redmond, Washington.

You Only Cache Once: Decoder-Decoder Architectures for Language Models  

Microsoft Research LinkedIn | May 11, 2024

YOCO is a novel decoder-decoder architecture for LLMs, enhancing memory efficiency by caching key-value pairs only once. It slashes KV cache memory and prefilling time and makes 1M-length LLMs practical.

Peter Lee discusses new technologies that will drive the future of drug discovery  

AAPS | May 10, 2024

The president of Microsoft Research explores how new advances in technologies, such as AI and machine learning, are transforming biotechnology, in the closing plenary of the AAPS National Biotechnology Conference (NBC) on Thursday, May 16.

PKSHA develops advanced LLMs in collaboration with Microsoft Japan  

Business Wire | April 29, 2024

PKSHA Technology has developed one of the first Japanese-English LLMs in collaboration with Microsoft Japan. This development primarily focuses on boosting productivity within contact centers and corporate help desks.

BRAID fellowships include three collaborations with Microsoft Research  

Bridging Responsible AI Divides | May 2024

BRAID fellowships support individual researchers in partnership with public and private organizations to address challenges in the field of responsible AI. Among the latest fellowships are three supported by Microsoft Research.

Related publications

Injecting new knowledge into large language models via supervised fine-tuning, continue reading.

Research Focus: Week of April 15, 2024

Research Focus: Week of April 1, 2024

Research Focus: Week of February 5, 2024

Research Focus: Week of May 22, 2023

Research areas.

Research Groups

• Research for Industry
• Technology and Empowerment | India
• Research in Software Engineering (RiSE)
• FATE: Fairness, Accountability, Transparency & Ethics in AI

Related tools

Related projects.

• GenAI for Industry
• Project VeLLM
• Project FarmVibes
• Jacdac: Connect and code electronics. Instantly.
• AI Fairness Checklist

Related labs

• Microsoft Research AI for Science
• Microsoft Research Lab - India
• Microsoft Research Lab - Redmond
• Microsoft Research Lab - New York City

Related videos

• Follow on Twitter
• Like on Facebook
• Follow on LinkedIn
• Subscribe on Youtube
• Follow on Instagram

Share this page:

The health benefits and business potential of digital therapeutics

Around the world, the burden of chronic disease is increasing at a rapid pace. Unfortunately, most of these conditions are irreversible and need to be managed through lifelong medication use. However, many patients struggle with adhering to prescribed medications and implementing the behavioral and lifestyle changes that are needed to manage their diseases and stabilize their conditions. Often, physicians and other healthcare providers have little ability to monitor the extent to which patients are following their recommendations and maintaining treatment regimens. As a result, disease burdens at a population level are higher than they should be.

These challenges have created a need for compre­hensive disease management solutions that are best enabled by digital technologies. In 2021, global digital health funding grew 79 percent over the previous year to reach $57.2 billion. 1 State of digital health 2021 report , CB Insights, January 20, 2022. Much attention and funding have flowed toward digital therapeutics , which can include multiple points of intervention along the patient journey, including monitoring, medication adherence, behavioral engagement, person­alized coaching, and real-time custom health recommendations. Within digital health, funding for digital therapeutics (including solutions for mental health) has grown at an even faster pace—up 134 percent from the prior year to reach $8.9 billion in 2021. 2 Heather Landi, “Global digital health funding skyrockets to $57.2B with record cash for mental health, telehealth,” Fierce Healthcare,January 21, 2022.

The impact potential here is significant, both in terms of clinical outcomes and economic benefits for stakeholders and societies. For example, research has shown that digital disease management can drive a 45 percent reduction in the three-month rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and a 50 percent reduction in the 30-day readmission rates for patients after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). 3 Jerilyn K. Allen et al., “Digital health intervention in acute myocardial infarction,” Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes , July 15, 2021, Volume 14, Issue 7; Pawel Buszman et al., “Managed care after acute myocardial infarction (MC-AMI) reduces total mortality in 12-month follow-up—results from Poland’s National Health Fund Program of Comprehensive Post-MI Care—A population-wide analysis,” Journal of Clinical Medicine , 2020, Volume 9, Issue 10. Similarly, it can help lower hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels by one percentage point among patients with type 2 diabetes. 4 Marcy K. Abner et al., “A novel intervention including individualized nutritional recommendations reduces hemoglobin A1c level, medication use, and weight in type 2 diabetes,” JMIR Diabetes , 2017, Volume 2, Issue 1. These data points illustrate the extent to which digital disease manage­ment can help save lives while also keeping patients healthier, which reduces costs for many stake­holders, including the patients themselves.

Research has shown that digital disease management can drive a 45 percent reduction in the three-month rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and a 50 percent reduction in the 30-day readmission rates for patients.

Many players are trying to disrupt the disease management space and develop new innovative models to manage chronic diseases. New-age start-ups bring radical, unconstrained perspectives, while incumbents contribute a much more detailed understanding of the challenges and various stake­holders. Ultimately, both start-ups and incumbents have critical roles to play in disrupting the space and scaling up solutions.

Digital therapeutics can play an important role in chronic-disease management

The burden of chronic diseases has been increasing globally and is expected to continue. Chronic diseases (such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and respiratory disease) were causes or contributing factors in 75 percent of worldwide deaths in 2010 and 79 percent in 2020. By 2030, experts predict that chronic diseases will contribute to as much as 84 percent of total global mortality (exhibit).

Poor monitoring of and adherence to prescribed medications undermine the management of chronic diseases. According to a 2021 global study, compliance among patients with type 2 diabetes ranges from 69 to 79 percent. 5 Diagnosis-related groups (DRG) treatment data: compliance (medication possession ratio) among patients with type 2 diabetes ranges between 69 to 79 percent for top-20 type 2 diabetes drugs; compliance rates for cancers according to a study on 52,450 patients was 37 percent. Patients were found to be most compliant in the 50- to 59-year-old range (49 percent compliant), with decreased compliance at the extremes of age. See Joseph Blansfield et al., “Analyzing the impact of compliance with national guidelines for pancreatic cancer care using the National Cancer Database,” Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery , August 2018, Volume 22, Issue 8; Nathan Levitan, “Industry Voices—Here’s how AI is impacting the delivery of cancer care right now,” Fierce Healthcare, June 28, 2019.

Of course, chronic diseases need to be managed not only by medication but also with regular monitoring and lifestyle changes. Hence, providers need better end-to-end solutions that proactively and comprehensively monitor patient health, as well as encourage behavioral changes to improve adherence to prescribed medications, diet, and lifestyles.

Digital technologies can play an important role in improving disease management by tackling these challenges. The potential for digital therapeutics to have a big impact is evidenced by the fact that almost two-thirds of the global population now has internet access.

Research has shown that digital solutions for disease management can drive better outcomes for patients living with chronic diseases. Examples include the following:

• A study of ten thousand patients by the Poland National Health Fund showed a 45 percent reduction in three-month MACE rate and a 40 percent reduction in 12-month mortality rate achieved through managed care after AMI. The study involved cardiac rehabilitation with physician guidance, counseling sessions on lifestyle modification, education on the associated risk factors, therapy, and in-person relaxation sessions. 6 “Managed care after acute myocardial infarction,” 2021.
• A study by the Mayo Clinic in partnership with Healarium showed a reduction in three-month rehospitalizations and emergency department visits of 40 percent for patients following AMI, a weight reduction of 4.0 kilograms, and a 10.8-millimeter reduction in systolic blood pressure. The study involved tracking of vitals, diet, and physical activity, setting reminders and goals, information on current health status, and educational courses for patients. 7 Thomas G. Allison et al., “Digital health intervention as an adjunct to cardiac rehabilitation reduces cardiovascular risk factors and rehospitalizations, Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research , 2015, Volume 8, Issue 5.
• A US study of more than one thousand patients by Johns Hopkins and Corrie Health showed a 50 percent reduction in the 30-day readmission rate in patients following AMI attained through digital-health-based interventions. The study involved continuous monitoring of vitals with the help of connected devices; educational content on procedures, risk factors, and lifestyle modifications; medication management through reminders and tracking adherence; connection with the care team; mood tracking; and the ability to check the side effects of medication. 8 “Digital health intervention in acute myocardial infarction,” 2021.
• A one percentage-point reduction in HbA1c levels was shown in patients with type 2 diabetes who participated in an online patient community as part of Virta Health’s ten-week nonrandomized parallel arm study with 262 outpatients. The patients were given individualized nutritional recommendations through dedicated health coaches, continuous glucose monitoring kits, and online counseling with doctors. 9 “A novel intervention including individualized nutritional recommendations reduces hemoglobin A1c level,” 2017.

Eight key elements of impactful digital therapeutics solutions

Strong digital therapeutics solutions typically contain most or all of the following eight elements:

• Regular monitoring, measurement, and feedback through connected medical devices . Devices such as smart inhalers for respiratory conditions or continuous glucose monitors for diabetes can provide patients with nudges and alerts for out-of-range readings. For example, Boston-based Biofourmis applies digital therapeutics through the continuous monitoring of connected medical devices. The company offers a doctor-prescribed digital platform approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for patients suffering from chronic heart conditions. Its unique wearable devices offer specialty chronic heart care management, including automated medication management combined with a multidisciplinary remote clinical-care team. In 2022, the company was valued at $1.3 billion.
• Keeping payers and providers in the loop. When patients grant access to their vital statistics, insurance companies, caregivers, and employers can reward them for progress in stabilizing or improving chronic health conditions. For example, Livongo, a program from Teladoc Health, allows patients with diabetes to monitor their condition regularly and send alerts via Bluetooth to an app on their own and their caregiver’s phones if readings exceed normal ranges. Over time, patients enrolled with Livongo have achieved a 0.8 percentage-point drop in HbA1c for diabetics, a 10.0-millimeter hemoglobin drop in blood pressure for patients with hypertension, a 1.8-point drop in body mass index, and a 7.0 percent drop in weight. Livongo allows payers and providers to identify and reward good behavior, as well as deter or penalize poor adherence to health plans prescribed by providers.
• Personalized coaching and support . Patients can connect with specific coaches to obtain a personalized diet and exercise plan tailored to their chronic illnesses. This can be very effective from a therapeutic standpoint. A meta-analysis of digital health interventions on blood pressure management showed that digital counseling alongside antihypertensive medical therapy reduced systolic blood pressure by 50 percent relative to controls. 10 Ella Huszti et al., “Advancing digital health interventions as a clinically applied science for blood pressure reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis,” Canadian Journal of Cardiology , May 2020, Volume 36, Issue 5. For example, Hinge Health has built a $6.2 billion business that offers wearable sensors combined with personalized exercise therapy and one-on-one health coaching.
• Gamified behavioral modification. Digital therapeutics solutions can include gamified challenges and incentives to track and drive adherence to prescribed diets, lifestyle practices, and medications. For example, Discovery, a South African health insurance company, encourages its members to make healthier choices through its Vitality behavioral change program that combines data analytics with rewards and incentives for healthier lifestyle choices.
• Building a thriving community . An active virtual patient community can drive adherence by challenging and motivating patients to live up to their own health goals. For instance, one study of seven thousand patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, HIV, fibromyalgia, or mood disorders found that nearly 60 percent thought the PatientsLikeMe health network helped give them a better understanding of the side effects of medications. The study also found that nearly a quarter of patients with mood disorders needed less inpatient care thanks to their use of the PatientsLikeMe site. 11 “PatientsLikeMe,” Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, accessed January 2023.
• Health mall. A recent McKinsey survey found that 90 percent of healthcare leaders believe that patients interacting with digital health ecosystems want an integrated journey rather than point experiences or solutions. 12 Stefan Biesdorf, Ulrike Deetjen, and Basel Kayyali, “ Digital health ecosystems: Voices of key healthcare leaders ,” McKinsey, October 12, 2021. Healthcare companies can meet this desire for integration by offering digital health malls that include access to prescribed medications, health supplements, wellness products, and diagnostic tests at the click of a button.
• Patient education . Digital education materials can give patients and their family members information on disease conditions, treatment options, diet, and healthy lifestyle choices. For instance, the Midday app launched by Mayo Clinic and digital health start-up Lisa Health provides support, including educational content, to women experiencing menopause. 13 Tia R. Ford, “Lisa Health launches Midday, an app leveraging AI to personalize the menopause journey, in collaboration with Mayo Clinic,” Mayo Clinic, July 19, 2022.
• Advanced analytics to predict and prevent health events . Organizations are working now to build data algorithms that could identify and predict triggers for healthcare events. They could suggest when to take preventative action or where lifestyle and behavioral changes might forestall adverse events.

How incumbents can thrive in the digital therapeutics space

Digital therapeutics have tremendous potential to reduce disease burdens, deliver better clinical outcomes, help providers make more informed treatment decisions, and improve patients’ lives by offering better ways to manage chronic health conditions. Digital therapeutics also offer incumbents access to new sections of the healthcare value chain and a way to play in the much larger end-to-end healthcare market. Given these opportunities, healthcare and pharma incumbents may wish to explore ways to compete and win in this space.

Incumbents have certain inherent advantages in building digital therapeutics offerings. They already have direct access to patients, plus deep knowledge of the pain points in the disease management journey. They also fully understand the disease science that needs to be integrated into the digital health offering.

Still, incumbents also have some work to do to be competitive in digital therapeutics. To successfully launch and scale an offering, they may need to recruit or upskill employees with skills in product development, design, technology, medicine, data science, and strategic partnerships. Incumbents should plan to spend from three to five years building their digital capabilities and inculcating their new digital workforce with the culture, vision, mission, and values to compete successfully against nimble start-ups.

Incumbents that move quickly still have an opportunity to gain a first-mover advantage in the growing digital therapeutics sector, where promising start-ups can receive multibillion-dollar valuations. By developing their own digital therapeutics offerings, incumbents may also find themselves in a stronger position to protect their core businesses from being disrupted by others.

Chirag Adatia is a partner in McKinsey’s Gurugram office, where Samarth Shah is a consultant. Ralf Dreischmeier  is a senior partner in the London office.  Kirtika Sharma is a partner in the Mumbai office.

Explore a career with us

Related articles.

Digital therapeutics and pharma: A blueprint for success from Sanofi’s Bozidar Jovicevic

The promise of digital therapeutics

Exploring the potential of digital therapeutics

• Future Students
• Current Students
• Faculty/Staff

News and Media

• News & Media Home
• Research Stories
• School's In
• In the Media

You are here

70 years after brown v. board of education, new research shows rise in school segregation.

As the nation prepares to mark the 70th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education , a new report from researchers at Stanford and USC shows that racial and economic segregation among schools has grown steadily in large school districts over the past three decades — an increase that appears to be driven in part by policies favoring school choice over integration.

Analyzing data from U.S. public schools going back to 1967, the researchers found that segregation between white and Black students has increased by 64 percent since 1988 in the 100 largest districts, and segregation by economic status has increased by about 50 percent since 1991.

The report also provides new evidence about the forces driving recent trends in school segregation, showing that the expansion of charter schools has played a major role.  

The findings were released on May 6 with the launch of the Segregation Explorer , a new interactive website from the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University. The website provides searchable data on racial and economic school segregation in U.S. states, counties, metropolitan areas, and school districts from 1991 to 2022. 

“School segregation levels are not at pre- Brown levels, but they are high and have been rising steadily since the late 1980s,” said Sean Reardon , the Professor of Poverty and Inequality in Education at Stanford Graduate School of Education and faculty director of the Educational Opportunity Project. “In most large districts, school segregation has increased while residential segregation and racial economic inequality have declined, and our findings indicate that policy choices – not demographic changes – are driving the increase.” 

“There’s a tendency to attribute segregation in schools to segregation in neighborhoods,” said Ann Owens , a professor of sociology and public policy at USC. “But we’re finding that the story is more complicated than that.”

Assessing the rise

In the Brown v. Board decision issued on May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racially segregated public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and established that “separate but equal” schools were not only inherently unequal but unconstitutional. The ruling paved the way for future decisions that led to rapid school desegregation in many school districts in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Though segregation in most school districts is much lower than it was 60 years ago, the researchers found that over the past three decades, both racial and economic segregation in large districts increased. Much of the increase in economic segregation since 1991, measured by segregation between students eligible and ineligible for free lunch, occurred in the last 15 years.

White-Hispanic and white-Asian segregation, while lower on average than white-Black segregation, have both more than doubled in large school districts since the 1980s. 

Racial-economic segregation – specifically the difference in the proportion of free-lunch-eligible students between the average white and Black or Hispanic student’s schools – has increased by 70 percent since 1991. 

School segregation is strongly associated with achievement gaps between racial and ethnic groups, especially the rate at which achievement gaps widen during school, the researchers said.  

“Segregation appears to shape educational outcomes because it concentrates Black and Hispanic students in higher-poverty schools, which results in unequal learning opportunities,” said Reardon, who is also a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and a faculty affiliate of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning . 

Policies shaping recent trends 

The recent rise in school segregation appears to be the direct result of educational policy and legal decisions, the researchers said. 

Both residential segregation and racial disparities in income declined between 1990 and 2020 in most large school districts. “Had nothing else changed, that trend would have led to lower school segregation,” said Owens. 

But since 1991, roughly two-thirds of districts that were under court-ordered desegregation have been released from court oversight. Meanwhile, since 1998, the charter sector – a form of expanded school choice – has grown.

Expanding school choice could influence segregation levels in different ways: If families sought schools that were more diverse than the ones available in their neighborhood, it could reduce segregation. But the researchers found that in districts where the charter sector expanded most rapidly in the 2000s and 2010s, segregation grew the most. 

The researchers’ analysis also quantified the extent to which the release from court orders accounted for the rise in school segregation. They found that, together, the release from court oversight and the expansion of choice accounted entirely for the rise in school segregation from 2000 to 2019.

The researchers noted enrollment policies that school districts can implement to mitigate segregation, such as voluntary integration programs, socioeconomic-based student assignment policies, and school choice policies that affirmatively promote integration. 

“School segregation levels are high, troubling, and rising in large districts,” said Reardon. “These findings should sound an alarm for educators and policymakers.”

Additional collaborators on the project include Demetra Kalogrides, Thalia Tom, and Heewon Jang. This research, including the development of the Segregation Explorer data and website, was supported by the Russell Sage Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.   

More Stories

⟵ Go to all Research Stories

Get the Educator

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Stanford Graduate School of Education

482 Galvez Mall Stanford, CA 94305-3096 Tel: (650) 723-2109

• Contact Admissions
• GSE Leadership
• Site Feedback
• Web Accessibility
• Career Resources
• Faculty Open Positions
• Explore Courses
• Academic Calendar
• Office of the Registrar
• Cubberley Library
• StanfordWho
• StanfordYou

Improving lives through learning

• Stanford Home
• Maps & Directions
• Search Stanford
• Emergency Info
• Terms of Use
• Non-Discrimination
• Accessibility

© Stanford University , Stanford , California 94305 .

Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Prevention Research Centers Special Interest Projects NOFO

Deadline for Applications: March 4, 2024 by 11:59 PM Eastern time

This Notice of Funding Opportunity, or NOFO (RFA-DP-24-062) invites applications from CDC Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research Centers (PRCs), selected for funding under RFA-DP-24-004, to apply for supplemental funding to conduct Special Interest Research Projects (SIPs) to inform public health practice.

Approximately $36,075,000 is available for the period of performance (9/30/2024–9/29/2029). CDC anticipates making up to 28 awards under this NOFO. Awards issued under this NOFO are contingent upon the availability of funds and receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

The purpose of this NOFO is for awarded PRCs to conduct high-quality applied health promotion and disease prevention research projects in real-world settings to identify, design, test, evaluate, disseminate, and translate interventions (i.e., programs, practices, policies, or strategies) to prevent and reduce risk for the leading causes of illness, disability, and death in the United States.

SIPs are supplemental funding awards that focus on topics of interest or gaps in knowledge or research and can also support the development of state and local public health interventions and policies. SIP topics are aligned with public health priorities, such as the Healthy People 2030 Objectives—the Health and Human Services’ national objectives for improving Americans’ health. SIPs are sponsored and primarily funded by CDC Centers, Institutes, and Offices (CIOs).

SIPs can have different structures including funding one or multiple PRCs to conduct community-based applied prevention research projects:

• Single PRC: The SIP supports one PRC to conduct a specific research project.
• Multiple PRCs: The SIP supports two or more PRCs to conduct different dimensions of a research project or to test strategies in different populations.
• Thematic Research Networks: The SIP supports multiple PRCs that collaborate on research of a specific health issue.

PRCs selected for funding under RFA-DP-24-004 are encouraged to apply for SIPs that expand and strengthen their PRC’s mission and increase their applied public health research activities—to contribute to preventing and reducing risk for the leading causes of illness, disability, and death in the United States.

Eligible PRCs funded under RFA-DP-24-004:

• Emory University
• Georgia State University
• Harvard School of Public Heath
• Morehouse School of Medicine
• New York University School of Medicine
• San Diego State University
• University of Arizona
• University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
• University of California, San Francisco
• University of Iowa
• University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester
• University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
• University of Minnesota
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Rochester
• University of South Carolina at Columbia
• University of Utah
• University of Wisconsin-Madison

CDC will be hosting a pre-application informational call Thursday, February 1, 2024, 1:30–3:30pm Eastern time. Register for the call.

Letters of Intent (LOIs) are due February 2, 2024. Although LOIs are optional, they are highly encouraged and should be emailed with “NOFO RFA-DP-24-062” in the subject line to [email protected] . Please refer to NOFO “Section IV. Application and Submission Information, 3. Letter of Intent” for information to include.

Please email any questions about this NOFO to [email protected] with “NOFO RFA-DP-24-062” in the subject line. Questions must be received by February 16, 2024, 5 PM Eastern time to ensure a response by the application deadline of March 4, 2024.

• Opening date: December 15, 2023
• Pre-application information call: February 1, 2024, 1:30-3:30pm Eastern time. View the call script and presentation
• Closing date: March 4, 2024
• The last day to submit questions regarding RFA-DP-24-062 is February 16, 2024 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.

Apply for this Funding Opportunity

Frequently Asked Questions

Submit a Question

Call Script

Submit Letter of Intent by February 2, 2024

Subscribe to Prevention Research Matters for the latest updates on the PRC Network:

Exit Notification / Disclaimer Policy

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
• Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
• You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
• CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website.