what is statement of research experience

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Graduate School Applications: Writing a Research Statement

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The research statement is a common component of a potential candidate’s application for post-undergraduate study. This may include applications for graduate programs, post-doctoral fellowships, or faculty positions. The research statement is often the primary way that a committee determines if a candidate’s interests and past experience make them a good fit for their program/institution.

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.

What Should It Look Like?

Research statements are generally one to two single-spaced pages. You should be sure to thoroughly read and follow the length and content requirements for each individual application.

Your research statement should situate your work within the larger context of your field and show how your works contributes to, complicates, or counters other work being done. It should be written for an audience of other professionals in your field.

What Should It Include?

Your statement should start by articulating the broader field that you are working within and the larger question or questions that you are interested in answering. It should then move to articulate your specific interest.

The body of your statement should include a brief history of your past research . What questions did you initially set out to answer in your research project? What did you find? How did it contribute to your field? (i.e. did it lead to academic publications, conferences, or collaborations?). How did your past research propel you forward?

It should also address your present research . What questions are you actively trying to solve? What have you found so far? How are you connecting your research to the larger academic conversation? (i.e. do you have any publications under review, upcoming conferences, or other professional engagements?) What are the larger implications of your work?

Finally, it should describe the future trajectory on which you intend to take your research. What further questions do you want to solve? How do you intend to find answers to these questions? How can the institution to which you are applying help you in that process? What are the broader implications of your potential results?

Note: Make sure that the research project that you propose can be completed at the institution to which you are applying.

Other Considerations:

• What is the primary question that you have tried to address over the course of your academic career? Why is this question important to the field? How has each stage of your work related to that question?
• Include a few specific examples that show your success. What tangible solutions have you found to the question that you were trying to answer? How have your solutions impacted the larger field? Examples can include references to published findings, conference presentations, or other professional involvement.
• Be confident about your skills and abilities. The research statement is your opportunity to sell yourself to an institution. Show that you are self-motivated and passionate about your project.

/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="what is statement of research experience"> 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

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.

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How to Write a Research Statement

Last Updated: May 19, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 63,852 times.

The research statement is a very common component of job applications in academia. The statement provides a summary of your research experience, interests, and agenda for reviewers to use to assess your candidacy for a position. Because the research statement introduces you as a researcher to the people reviewing your job application, it’s important to make the statement as impressive as possible. After you’ve planned out what you want to say, all you have to do is write your research statement with the right structure, style, and formatting!

Research Statement Outline and Example

Planning Your Research Statement

• For example, some of the major themes of your research might be slavery and race in the 18th century, the efficacy of cancer treatments, or the reproductive cycles of different species of crab.
• You may have several small questions that guide specific aspects of your research. Write all of these questions out, then see if you can formulate a broader question that encapsulates all of these smaller questions.

• For example, if your work is on x-ray technology, describe how your research has filled any knowledge gaps in your field, as well as how it could be applied to x-ray machines in hospitals.
• It’s important to be able to articulate why your research should matter to people who don’t study what you study to generate interest in your research outside your field. This is very helpful when you go to apply for grants for future research.

• Explain why these are the things you want to research next. Do your best to link your prior research to what you hope to study in the future. This will help give your reviewer a deeper sense of what motivates your research and why it matters.

• For example, if your research was historical and the documents you needed to answer your question didn’t exist, describe how you managed to pursue your research agenda using other types of documents.

• Some skills you might be able to highlight include experience working with digital archives, knowledge of a foreign language, or the ability to work collaboratively. When you're describing your skills, use specific, action-oriented words, rather than just personality traits. For example, you might write "speak Spanish" or "handled digital files."
• Don’t be modest about describing your skills. You want your research statement to impress whoever is reading it.

Structuring and Writing the Statement

• Because this section summarizes the rest of your research statement, you may want to write the executive summary after you’ve written the other sections first.
• Write your executive summary so that if the reviewer chooses to only read this section instead of your whole statement, they will still learn everything they need to know about you as an applicant.
• Make sure that you only include factual information that you can prove or demonstrate. Don't embellish or editorialize your experience to make it seem like it's more than it is.

• If you received a postdoctoral fellowship, describe your postdoc research in this section as well.
• If at all possible, include research in this section that goes beyond just your thesis or dissertation. Your application will be much stronger if reviewers see you as a researcher in a more general sense than as just a student.

• Again, as with the section on your graduate research, be sure to include a description of why this research matters and what relevant skills you bring to bear on it.
• If you’re still in graduate school, you can omit this section.

• Be realistic in describing your future research projects. Don’t describe potential projects or interests that are extremely different from your current projects. If all of your research to this point has been on the American civil war, future research projects in microbiology will sound very farfetched.

• For example, add a sentence that says “Dr. Jameson’s work on the study of slavery in colonial Georgia has served as an inspiration for my own work on slavery in South Carolina. I would welcome the opportunity to be able to collaborate with her on future research projects.”

• For example, if your research focuses on the history of Philadelphia, add a sentence to the paragraph on your future research projects that says, “I believe based on my work that I would be a very strong candidate to receive a Balch Fellowship from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.”
• If you’ve received funding for your research in the past, mention this as well.

• Typically, your research statement should be about 1-2 pages long if you're applying for a humanities or social sciences position. For a position in psychology or the hard sciences, your research statement may be 3-4 pages long.
• Although you may think that having a longer research statement makes you seem more impressive, it’s more important that the reviewer actually read the statement. If it seems too long, they may just skip it, which will hurt your application.

Formatting and Editing

• For example, instead of saying, “This part of my research was super hard,” say, “I found this obstacle to be particularly challenging.”

• For example, if your research is primarily in anthropology, refrain from using phrases like “Gini coefficient” or “moiety.” Only use phrases that someone in a different field would probably be familiar with, such as “cultural construct,” “egalitarian,” or “social division.”
• If you have trusted friends or colleagues in fields other than your own, ask them to read your statement for you to make sure you don’t use any words or concepts that they can’t understand.

• For example, when describing your dissertation, say, “I hypothesized that…” When describing your future research projects, say, “I intend to…” or “My aim is to research…”

• At the same time, don’t make your font too big. If you write your research statement in a font larger than 12, you run the risk of appearing unprofessional.

• For instance, if you completed a postdoc, use subheadings in the section on previous research experience to delineate the research you did in graduate school and the research you did during your fellowship.

Expert Q&A

You might also like.

• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/graduate_school_applications/writing_a_research_statement.html
• ↑ https://www.cmu.edu/student-success/other-resources/handouts/comm-supp-pdfs/writing-research-statement.pdf
• ↑ https://postdocs.cornell.edu/research-statement
• ↑ https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academic-progress/pathways-to-success/prepare-for-your-career/take-action/research-statement/
• ↑ https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/executivesummary
• ↑ https://www.niu.edu/writingtutorial/style/formal-and-informal-style.shtml
• ↑ https://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/connections/writing-about-your-research-verb-tense
• ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/editing-and-proofreading-techniques

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The Complete MD/PhD Applicant Guide pp 61–65 Cite as

The Significant Research Experience Essay

• Jonathan Sussman 4 ,
• Jordan Setayesh 5 &
• Amitej Venapally 6  
• First Online: 23 September 2020

2142 Accesses

One of the most unique and substantial parts of the MD/PhD application is the significant research experience essay, which is a part of the primary AMCAS application. In this essay, applicants describe their research positions, projects, and accomplishments in detail. This chapter explains how to structure and write this essay in terms of the scientific method. It is important for applicants to demonstrate involvement in every step of the scientific process, from designing the experiments to communicating the results. However, this essay serves as an excellent medium through which applicants can explain how their research interests have evolved over time and the most important lessons they learned through research. In effect, this essay can be viewed as a technical-based personal statement.

• Significant research experience essay
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2020 AMCAS Applicant Guide. American Association of Medical Colleges. 2020. https://aamc-orange.global.ssl.fastly.net/production/media/filer_public/14/6f/146f366e-d54a-4792-9870-ffe451b2e473/aamc-2020-amcas-applicant-guide041119.pdf . Accessed 11 June 2020.

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Sussman, J., Setayesh, J., Venapally, A. (2021). The Significant Research Experience Essay. In: The Complete MD/PhD Applicant Guide. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55625-9_8

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How to write a research statement

When you are applying for an academic position, you are often requested to write a research statement. A research statement is a document of typically 2-3 pages in which you describe your past, present, and future research.

Your past research experience can detail various projects you have worked on, the skills you learned, the publications that resulted from this work, and how this work was funded. For your present work, you can focus on a brief discussion of how you went from your past experience to your current project, and how it fits within the broader field. For your future work, you can discuss the main research line you would want to develop if you get hired by the institution where you are applying.

Since research statements are quite a standard part of an academic job application process, you can find various examples for different fields online. In this post, I have summarized my eight best tips for you:

1. Ask colleagues for examples

Ask colleagues in your field and at your goal institution for their examples of research statements, so that you get a better feeling of what is expected from you. You may get inspiration from typical examples that are available online, but you need to realize as well that each field and each university have their own preferences.

2. Read the instructions carefully

As with every type of application, you need to make sure you follow the instructions in terms of formatting and length to the letter. If your application does not follow the template, it may be headed for a straight rejection.

3. Explain why your research is important

When you discuss your research experience and plans for the future, make sure you explain the broader importance of your work. Why does your research matter? Which challenge for our society does your research contribute to, in one way or another?

4. Talk about funding and funding potential

Through which institutions have you obtained funding so far? How is your experience in terms of applying for funding? Have you worked in consortia yet in the past? All of these topics can be important to address to let the search committee know that you have experience with obtaining funding, and if you don’t have experience yet, that you have outlined where you will apply and how you will get support to get your proposals checked by somebody who can give you good advice before submission.

5. Write for a broad search committee

Academic search committees may bring together people from various fields, so try to write clearly and avoid jargon. Any person on the committee should be able to understand the topic you are working on, why it matters, and – at large- why you would be a good hire for them.

6. Show consistency in your career

Try to explain how you went from past to current research, and how you plan to continue in the future. This type of consistency does not mean that you need to be working on one single topic your entire research career, but means you show how you have built up skills and how you plan to use these for your future research topics.

7. Set realistic goals for the future

Avoid being vague and setting extremely lofty goals for your future research. Instead, show that you can tackle a realistic topic, based on your career trajectory, but that has significant impact as well. Make it as precise and detailed as possible.

8. Tailor to the institution

Part of being realistic, is tailoring your research statement to the institution as well. It’s tempting to make a single academic job application package and submit the same package to various institutions, but the search committee will notice this quickly. Tailor your application by explaining, for example, how your skills would be complementary to those in the institution, or how the laboratory facilities of this university would be a perfect match for the research you want to carry out.

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How to Write a Research Statement

• Experimental Psychology

Task #1: Understand the Purpose of the Research Statement

The primary mistake people make when writing a research statement is that they fail to appreciate its purpose. The purpose isn’t simply to list and briefly describe all the projects that you’ve completed, as though you’re a museum docent and your research publications are the exhibits. “Here, we see a pen and watercolor self-portrait of the artist. This painting is the earliest known likeness of the artist. It captures the artist’s melancholic temperament … Next, we see a steel engraving. This engraving has appeared in almost every illustrated publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and has also appeared as the television studio back-drop for the …”

Similar to touring through a museum, we’ve read through research statements that narrate a researcher’s projects: “My dissertation examined the ways in which preschool-age children’s memory for a novel event was shaped by the verbal dialogue they shared with trained experimenters. The focus was on the important use of what we call elaborative conversational techniques … I have recently launched another project that represents my continued commitment to experimental methods and is yet another extension of the ways in which we can explore the role of conversational engagement during novel events … In addition to my current experimental work, I am also involved in a large-scale collaborative longitudinal project …”

Treating your research statement as though it’s a narrated walk through your vita does let you describe each of your projects (or publications). But the format is boring, and the statement doesn’t tell us much more than if we had the abstracts of each of your papers. Most problematic, treating your research statement as though it’s a narrated walk through your vita misses the primary purpose of the research statement, which is to make a persuasive case about the importance of your completed work and the excitement of your future trajectory.

Writing a persuasive case about your research means setting the stage for why the questions you are investigating are important. Writing a persuasive case about your research means engaging your audience so that they want to learn more about the answers you are discovering. How do you do that? You do that by crafting a coherent story.

Task #2: Tell a Story

Surpass the narrated-vita format and use either an Op-Ed format or a Detective Story format. The Op-Ed format is your basic five-paragraph persuasive essay format:

First paragraph (introduction):

• broad sentence or two introducing your research topic;
• thesis sentence, the position you want to prove (e.g., my research is important); and
• organization sentence that briefly overviews your three bodies of evidence (e.g., my research is important because a, b, and c).

Second, third, and fourth paragraphs (each covering a body of evidence that will prove your position):

• topic sentence (about one body of evidence);
• fact to support claim in topic sentence;
• another fact to support claim in topic sentence;
• another fact to support claim in topic sentence; and
• analysis/transition sentence.

Fifth paragraph (synopsis and conclusion):

• sentence that restates your thesis (e.g., my research is important);
• three sentences that restate your topic sentences from second, third, and fourth paragraph (e.g., my research is important because a, b, and c); and
• analysis/conclusion sentence.

Although the five-paragraph persuasive essay format feels formulaic, it works. It’s used in just about every successful op-ed ever published. And like all good recipes, it can be doubled. Want a 10-paragraph, rather than five-paragraph research statement? Double the amount of each component. Take two paragraphs to introduce the point you’re going to prove. Take two paragraphs to synthesize and conclude. And in the middle, either raise six points of evidence, with a paragraph for each, or take two paragraphs to supply evidence for each of three points. The op-ed format works incredibly well for writing persuasive essays, which is what your research statement should be.

The Detective Story format is more difficult to write, but it’s more enjoyable to read. Whereas the op-ed format works off deductive reasoning, the Detective Story format works off inductive reasoning. The Detective Story does not start with your thesis statement (“hire/retain/promote/ award/honor me because I’m a talented developmental/cognitive/social/clinical/biological/perception psychologist”). Rather, the Detective Story starts with your broad, overarching research question. For example, how do babies learn their native languages? How do we remember autobiographical information? Why do we favor people who are most similar to ourselves? How do we perceive depth? What’s the best way to treat depression? How does the stress we experience every day affect our long-term health?

Because it’s your research statement, you can personalize that overarching question. A great example of a personalized overarching question occurs in the opening paragraph of George Miller’s (1956) article, “The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information.”

My problem is that I have been persecuted by an integer. For seven years this number has followed me around, has intruded in my most private data, and has assaulted me from the pages of our most public journals. This number assumes a variety of disguises, being sometimes a little larger and sometimes a little smaller than usual, but never changing so much as to be unrecognizable. The persistence with which this number plagues me is far more than a random accident. There is, to quote a famous senator, a design behind it, some pattern governing its appearances. Either there really is something unusual about the number or else I am suffering from delusions of persecution. I shall begin my case history by telling you about some experiments that tested how accurately people can assign numbers to the magnitudes of various aspects of a stimulus. …

In case you think the above opening was to a newsletter piece or some other low-visibility outlet, it wasn’t. Those opening paragraphs are from a Psych Review article, which has been cited nearly 16,000 times. Science can be personalized. Another example of using the Detective Story format, which opens with your broad research question and personalizes it, is the opening paragraph of a research statement from a chemist:

I became interested in inorganic chemistry because of one element: Boron. The cage structures and complexity of boron hydrides have fascinated my fellow Boron chemists for more than 40 years — and me for more than a decade. Boron is only one element away from carbon, yet its reactivity is dramatically different. I research why.

When truest to the genre of Detective Story format, the full answer to your introductory question won’t be available until the end of your statement — just like a reader doesn’t know whodunit until the last chapter of a mystery. Along the way, clues to the answer are provided, and false leads are ruled out, which keeps readers turning the pages. In the same way, writing your research statement in the Detective Story format will keep members of the hiring committee, the review committee, and the awards panel reading until the last paragraph.

Task #3: Envision Each Audience

The second mistake people make when writing their research statements is that they write for the specialist, as though they’re talking to another member of their lab. But in most cases, the audience for your research statement won’t be well-informed specialists. Therefore, you need to convey the importance of your work and the contribution of your research without getting bogged down in jargon. Some details are important, but an intelligent reader outside your area of study should be able to understand every word of your research statement.

Because research statements are most often included in academic job applications, tenure and promotion evaluations, and award nominations, we’ll talk about how to envision the audiences for each of these contexts.

Job Applications . Even in the largest department, it’s doubtful that more than a couple of people will know the intricacies of your research area as well as you do. And those two or three people are unlikely to have carte blanche authority on hiring. Rather, in most departments, the decision is made by the entire department. In smaller departments, there’s probably no one else in your research area; that’s why they have a search going on. Therefore, the target audience for your research statement in a job application comprises other psychologists, but not psychologists who study what you study (the way you study it).

Envision this target audience explicitly.Think of one of your fellow graduate students or post docs who’s in another area (e.g., if you’re in developmental, think of your friend in biological). Envision what that person will — and won’t — know about the questions you’re asking in your research, the methods you’re using, the statistics you’re employing, and — most importantly — the jargon that you usually use to describe all of this. Write your research statement so that this graduate student or post doc in another area in psychology will not only understand your research statement, but also find your work interesting and exciting.

Tenure Review . During the tenure review process, your research statement will have two target audiences: members of your department and, if your tenure case receives a positive vote in the department, members of the university at large. For envisioning the first audience, follow the advice given above for writing a research statement for a job application. Think of one of your departmental colleagues in another area (e.g., if you’re in developmental, think of your friend in biological). Write in such a way that the colleague in another area in psychology will understand every word  — and find the work interesting. (This advice also applies to writing research statements for annual reviews, for which the review is conducted in the department and usually by all members of the department.)

For the second stage of the tenure process, when your research statement is read by members of the university at large, you’re going to have to scale it down a notch. (And yes, we are suggesting that you write two different statements: one for your department’s review and one for the university’s review, because the audiences differ. And you should always write with an explicit target audience in mind.) For the audience that comprises the entire university, envision a faculty friend in another department. Think political science or economics or sociology, because your statement will be read by political scientists, economists, and sociologists. It’s an art to hit the perfect pitch of being understood by such a wide range of scholars without being trivial, but it’s achievable.

Award Nominations . Members of award selection committees are unlikely to be specialists in your immediate field. Depending on the award, they might not even be members of your discipline. Find out the typical constitution of the selection committee for each award nomination you submit, and tailor your statement accordingly.

Task #4: Be Succinct

When writing a research statement, many people go on for far too long. Consider three pages a maximum, and aim for two. Use subheadings to help break up the wall of text. You might also embed a well-designed figure or graph, if it will help you make a point. (If so, use wrap-around text, and make sure that your figure has its axes labeled.)

And don’t use those undergraduate tricks of trying to cram more in by reducing the margins or the font size. Undoubtedly, most of the people reading your research statement will be older than you, and we old folks don’t like reading small fonts. It makes us crabby, and that’s the last thing you want us to be when we’re reading your research statement.

Nice piece of information. I will keep in mind while writing my research statement

Thank you so much for your guidance.

HOSSEIN DIVAN-BEIGI

Absolutely agree! I also want to add that: On the one hand it`s easy to write good research personal statement, but on the other hand it`s a little bit difficult to summarize all minds and as result the main idea of the statement could be incomprehensible. It also seems like a challenge for those guys, who aren`t native speakers. That`s why you should prepare carefully for this kind of statement to target your goals.

How do you write an action research topic?? An then stAte the problem an purpose for an action research. Can I get an example on language development?? Please I need some help.

Thankyou I now have idea to come up with the research statement. If I need help I will inform you …

much appreciated

Just like Boote & Beile (2005) explained “Doctors before researchers” because of the importance of the dissertation literature review in research groundwork.

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Morton Ann Gernsbacher , APS Past President, is the Vilas Research Professor and Sir Frederic Bartlett Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Patricia G. Devine , a Past APS Board Member, is Chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She can be contacted at [email protected].

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How to Construct a Compelling Research Statement

A research statement is a critical document for prospective faculty applicants. This document allows applicants to convey to their future colleagues the importance and impact of their past and, most importantly, future research. You as an applicant should use this document to lay out your planned research for the next few years, making sure to outline how your planned research contributes to your field.

Some general guidelines

(from Carleton University )

An effective research statement accomplishes three key goals:

• It clearly presents your scholarship in nonspecialist terms;
• It places your research in a broader context, scientifically and societally; and
• It lays out a clear road map for future accomplishments in the new setting (the institution to which you’re applying).

Another way to think about the success of your research statement is to consider whether, after reading it, a reader is able to answer these questions:

• What do you do (what are your major accomplishments; what techniques do you use; how have you added to your field)?
• Why is your work important (why should both other scientists and nonscientists care)?
• Where is it going in the future (what are the next steps; how will you carry them out in your new job; does your research plan meet the requirements for tenure at this institution)?

1. Make your statement reader-friendly

A typical faculty application call can easily receive 200+ applicants. As such, you need to make all your application documents reader-friendly. Use headings and subheadings to organize your ideas and leave white space between sections.

In addition, you may want to include figures and diagrams in your research statement that capture key findings or concepts so a reader can quickly determine what you are studying and why it is important. A wall of text in your research statement should be avoided at all costs. Rather, a research statement that is concise and thoughtfully laid out demonstrates to hiring committees that you can organize ideas in a coherent and easy-to-understand manner.

Also, this presentation demonstrates your ability to develop competitive funding applications (see more in next section), which is critical for success in a research-intensive faculty position.

2. Be sure to touch on the fundability of your planned research work

Another goal of your research statement is to make the case for why your planned research is fundable. You may get different opinions here, but I would recommend citing open or planned funding opportunities at federal agencies or other funders that you plan to submit to. You might also use open funding calls as a way to demonstrate that your planned research is in an area receiving funding prioritization by various agencies.

If you are looking for funding, check out this list of funding resources on my personal website. Another great way to look for funding is to use NIH Reporter and NSF award search .

3. Draft the statement and get feedback early and often

I can tell you from personal experience that it takes time to refine a strong research statement. I went on the faculty job market two years in a row and found my second year materials to be much stronger. You need time to read, review and reflect on your statements and documents to really make them stand out.

It is important to have your supervisor and other faculty read and give feedback on your critical application documents and especially your research statement. Also, finding peers to provide feedback and in return giving them feedback on their documents is very helpful. Seek out communities of support such as Future PI Slack to find peer reviewers (and get a lot of great application advice) if needed.

4. Share with nonexperts to assess your writing’s clarity

Additionally, you may want to consider sharing your job materials, including your research statement, with non-experts to assess clarity. For example, NC State’s Professional Development Team offers an Academic Packways: Gearing Up for Faculty program each year where you can get feedback on your application documents from individuals working in a variety of areas. You can also ask classmates and colleagues working in different areas to review your research statement. The more feedback you can receive on your materials through formal or informal means, the better.

5. Tailor your statement to the institution

It is critical in your research statement to mention how you will make use of core facilities or resources at the institution you are applying to. If you need particular research infrastructure to do your work and the institution has it, you should mention that in your statement. Something to the effect of: “The presence of the XXX core facility at YYY University will greatly facilitate my lab’s ability to investigate this important process.”

Mentioning core facilities and resources at the target institution shows you have done your research, which is critical in demonstrating your interest in that institution.

Finally, think about the resources available at the institution you are applying to. If you are applying to a primarily undergraduate-serving institution, you will want to be sure you propose a research program that could reasonably take place with undergraduate students, working mostly in the summer and utilizing core facilities that may be limited or require external collaborations.

Undergraduate-serving institutions will value research projects that meaningfully involve students. Proposing overly ambitious research at a primarily undergraduate institution is a recipe for rejection as the institution will read your application as out of touch … that either you didn’t do the work to research them or that you are applying to them as a “backup” to research-intensive positions.

You should carefully think about how to restructure your research statements if you are applying to both primarily undergraduate-serving and research-intensive institutions. For examples of how I framed my research statement for faculty applications at each type of institution, see my personal website ( undergraduate-serving ; research-intensive research statements).

6. Be yourself, not who you think the search committee wants

In the end, a research statement allows you to think critically about where you see your research going in the future. What are you excited about studying based on your previous work? How will you go about answering the unanswered questions in your field? What agencies and initiatives are funding your type of research? If you develop your research statement from these core questions, your passion and commitment to the work will surely shine through.

A closing thought: Be yourself, not who you think the search committee wants. If you try to frame yourself as someone you really aren’t, you are setting the hiring institution and you up for disappointment. You want a university to hire you because they like you, the work you have done, and the work you want to do, not some filtered or idealized version of you.

So, put your true self out there, and realize you want to find the right institutional fit for you and your research. This all takes time and effort. The earlier you start and the more reflection and feedback you get on your research statement and remaining application documents, the better you can present the true you to potential employers.

More Advice on Faculty Job Application Documents on ImPACKful

How to write a better academic cover letter

Tips on writing an effective teaching statement

More Resources

See here for samples of a variety of application materials from UCSF.

• Rules of the (Social Sciences & Humanities) Research Statement
• CMU’s Writing a Research Statement
• UW’s Academic Careers: Research Statements
• Developing a Winning Research Statement (UCSF)
• Academic Packways
• ImPACKful Tips

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Tips for Writing about Your Research Experience (Even if You Don’t Think You Have Any)

If you’re someone who hasn’t yet done formal research in a university setting, one of the most intimidating parts of the process can be simply getting your foot in the door. Just like the way your options can seem very limited when applying for your first job, asking for a research position when you have no “experience” can seem discouraging — maybe even to the point of causing you to question whether you should apply in the first place. With that being said, there are some simple tips you can employ when applying for research positions to highlight the link between your existing interests and the work of the position for which you are applying.

First things first: tailor not just your cover letter (for applications that ask for it) but your resume to the position for which you are applying. Even if you’re just sending a casual email to a professor to ask about the research that they’re doing, as a rule, it never hurts to attach your resume. I also like to think that submitting a resume even without being asked to shows that you’re serious about doing research, and have taken the time to put together a thoughtful inquiry into a position. If you’ve never written a cover letter or resume before, don’t fret. The Center for Career Development has some great online resources to help you create one from scratch. If you are looking for more individualized help, you can also schedule an appointment to get one-on-one feedback on your application at any stage in the writing process.

One of the things that I’ve found, however, is that the single-page format of a resume often isn’t enough space to include all of the information about every single thing you’ve ever done. Rather than trying to jam as many impressive accomplishments as you can onto a page, your goal should be to create a resume that gives a cumulative sense of your interests and experiences as they relate to the position for which you are applying. One of my favorite ways to do this is to create a “Research” section. “But Kate, what if I don’t have any research experience?,” you ask. Remember that paper you wrote about a painting by Monet in your favorite class last semester? Write the title down, or even a sentence or two that summarizes your main argument. The art museum you’re hoping to do research at will love knowing that your interest in their current exhibition on Impressionism is rooted in classes you’ve taken and the projects you’ve done in them, no matter how new you may be to a topic. Your interest in a specific research position has to come from somewhere, and your resume is an important part of demonstrating this to others.

What I would like to reassure you of is that it’s normal to be an undergraduate with very little research experience. The people reading your application —whether it be for an official program or even if it’s just a friendly email with a few questions— know that you are a student and will probably be excited to offer you guidance on how to get involved with more specific research projects even if all you have to offer at this point is enthusiasm for the topic. Working in a lab or with a professor on a research project is an opportunity designed to help you learn above all else, so it’s ok if you don’t know what you’re doing! It goes without saying that having little experience will make the final result of your research experience all the more worthwhile because of the potential to gain knowledge in ways you haven’t even imagined.

— Kate Weseley-Jones, Humanities Correspondent

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How to Write a Statement of Purpose | Example

Published on February 13, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on June 1, 2023.

When you apply for graduate programs or scholarships, the admissions committee is looking for more than just a list of grades. The statement of purpose (also known as a statement of intent or motivation letter) is your chance to stand out from the crowd and showcase your motivation, skills and potential. It should:

• Outline your academic or professional interests and goals
• Discuss relevant skills, experience and achievements
• Demonstrate why you’d be a good fit for the program

Table of contents

Successful statement of purpose example, requirements and prompts, personal introduction, experience and achievements, goals and motivations, fit with the program, tips for an effective statement of purpose, other interesting articles.

The torment of the Founding Fathers is responsible for my interest in Classics. My desire to learn Latin stemmed from reading American Revolutionary-era history during junior high and high school, and particularly from the countless Latin quotations I found in John Adams’ writings. Always eager for a challenge, I was intrigued by the American founders’ accounts of the torture of learning such a difficult language. In my first semester at university, I started learning Latin and thoroughly loved it. As I learned more and more about classical civilization through the language, I realized that I was passionately interested in many aspects of the field of Classics. I have since taken courses on mythology, art and archaeology, and religion, on ancient history, and on the classical tradition. I have also learned Greek, of course, starting with an intensive two-semester course at the university’s summer school. My experience studying abroad in Florence and traveling through Italy and Greece intensified my zeal for the field and, in particular, fueled my ambition to specialize in classical archaeology.

My personal philosophy of life is that everything is connected, and this conviction drives my desire to study Classics. The most rewarding moments for me are discovering and investigating connections – both broad ones, between fields and disciplines, and more specific ones, like the relationship between a piece of literature and an object of material culture. My liberal arts education has equipped me with a broad base of knowledge in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and arts, and in the honors program I pursued independent projects exploring academic and personal connections, including a paper on ancient Mayan astronomy, a self-observation study on the effects of nutrition and hydration on exercise performance, and a paper on the influence of political context on the changing artistic representations of John Adams. By seeking out connections between seemingly unrelated areas of academia, I have acquired a well-rounded outlook which helps me approach new ideas with both a range of prior experiences and a mind always open to different interpretations.

In accordance with my personal philosophy, I have also continued to explore connections within Classics and between Classics and other fields. In 2007, I published an article in my university’s undergraduate humanities journal; inspired by my studies in Florence, I compared representations of the birth of Venus in ancient and Renaissance literature and art. My major academic achievement to date, however, has been my senior honor thesis on John Adams’ connection to the Classics. Funded by a Hilldale Research Fellowship, I conducted research in the Adams Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society and in John Adams’ personal library at the Boston Public Library on the influence of the classical tradition on Adams’ worldview and how he consciously modeled himself on classical ideals. It was particularly fulfilling to connect historical and classical research in writing about the figure most responsible for instigating my study of the Classics.

As well as my research skills, I have demonstrated proficiency in the classical languages, winning prizes for both Latin and Greek translation from the Classics Department, as well as receiving an enthusiastic nomination from the department for the Pearson Fellowship from the American Philological Association. I am also the president of the undergraduate Classics Society, which allows me to share my enthusiasm for Classics with other students and the larger community.

One of the most appealing aspects of studying Classics is the vast range of topics encompassed by the field. Because my interests are broad and I value an interdisciplinary approach, I would like to pursue graduate study ultimately leading to a PhD in Classical Archaeology. Archaeology in itself is, of course, a multi-faceted field, requiring knowledge of history, language, anthropology, and various scientific and technological methods. I have already started building my skills in this area: I participated in a microartifact analysis from the excavation of a Maya site in Belize as part of an honors project, and this summer I will take part in two archaeological projects in Turkey after working as a research assistant on related material in the spring semester. This PhD program includes many other opportunities I am eager to explore, such as palaeography and papyrology courses, and especially the variety of fieldwork and museum experiences available. I believe that my strong background in the classical languages and wide range of courses on classical civilization and archaeological methods have prepared me well for this program, and I am convinced that, guided by my philosophy of interconnectedness, I will flourish in this program.

The first step is to read the application instructions. These should include the length of the document (usually 1-2 pages), any formatting requirements, and often a question or prompt that indicates what you should focus on.

In some cases, you might also be asked to submit a personal statement . Similar advice applies to both of these documents—both should give a sense of who you are, what you’ve done and what you want to do. But a statement of purpose is often more formal, tightly focused on your academic background and your suitability for the program.

If you are working on multiple applications, don’t try to write a one-size-fits-all text—tailor your statement of purpose to each program. Make sure to respond to the prompt and include all the information you’re asked for. A typical statement of purpose prompt looks like this:

Your focus will be slightly different depending on whether you’re applying for research-based academic programs (such as a PhD ) or professional qualifications (such as an MBA). But all statements of purpose should contain the following elements.

This is your chance to introduce yourself to the admissions committee and let them hear your voice. The statement of purpose shouldn’t tell your life story, but it should give a glimpse into who you are.

Academic and personal background

Give an overview of your academic background, and show what drives your interest in this field or profession. You might want to include some personal background too—your family history, social circumstances, personal relationships and life experiences have all shaped your trajectory and perspective. What unique insights will you bring with you?

Characteristics and personality

Think about aspects of your character that make you well-suited for graduate school. Don’t just list generic adjectives—give examples that demonstrate your strengths and show why they’re relevant.

• Are you organized enough to handle a high-pressure workload?
• Do you have the creativity needed to develop original ideas, or a systematic mindset perfect for problem-solving?
• Do you have strong leadership skills, or are you great at working collaboratively?

Avoid including irrelevant autobiographical detail in the statement of purpose. Everything you include should be aimed at showing why you’d be a strong candidate for the program.

Your experience shows that you have the necessary skills to succeed in graduate school. Don’t just summarize everything you’ve done—pick out some highlights to build a clear picture of your strengths and priorities, illustrating how you’ve learned and developed along the way.

Academic experience

If you’re applying for a research-focused program, such as a PhD, show your knowledge of the field and outline your research experience. This might include:

• A brief summary of your thesis or final project
• Courses that you found particularly valuable
• Projects you contributed to
• Publications
• Presentations
• Extracurriculars that gave you relevant skills or experience

Professional experience

If you’re applying for a professional program, such as an MBA, outline your experience so far and show how it relates to your career plans. This might include:

• Past or current job roles
• Projects you led or participated in
• Internships
• Voluntary work
• Training courses

In all cases, give specific examples with details of what you worked on, what you achieved, and what you got out of the experience.

As well as showing that you’re prepared for the program, explain what you expect to get out of it. What are your motivations for applying? How do you plan to make the most of its opportunities, and how will it help you achieve your goals?

Academic motivations

For academic programs, indicate your research interests, showing how they follow from and build upon what you have studied so far. This might include:

• A subfield that you want to strengthen your expertise in
• A specific problem or question that you’d like to address
• An initial idea for a research project
• A theoretical or methodological approach that you want to develop

This isn’t the place for an in-depth research plan, but it’s a chance to show your enthusiasm and knowledge of your field.

Professional motivations

For professional programs, outline your career aspirations and show how your experience informs your goals. This might include:

• The next step you want to take in your career. What position are you aiming for and how will the program help you achieve it?
• Your motivations for a career change. Can you make a link between your previous experience and your new direction?
• Your long-term goals. Where do you want to be in five or ten years, and how do you see yourself getting there?

The admissions committee wants to know that you’re genuinely motivated to complete the program, and the clearer your plans, the more convincing your commitment.

It’s important to show not only why you want to study this subject, but also why you want to do it in this particular institution and department.

• Do your research, and mention particular classes, specialisms or faculty that attracted you.
• Show why you’re a good fit. Do your priorities align with the values and culture of the institution? What will you contribute to the department?
• Discuss the specific skills, knowledge and experience you expect to get from the program.

The statement of purpose isn’t only about selling yourself—it’s about illustrating an ideal match between you and the program.

Once you’ve made sure to cover all the key elements, you can work on strengthening and polishing the text. Follow these tips to make your application the best it can be.

Stay focused

It can be tempting to try to cram in everything you’ve done, but a good statement of purpose requires careful selection to craft a focused narrative. One way to do this is by building your text around a central theme—for example, a character trait, an intellectual interest, or a career goal.

This strategy helps structure your text and puts your priorities centre stage. Link each paragraph back to the central idea, making it clear how everything fits together.

Think about your structure

The structure of a statement of purpose is somewhat flexible, as long as you include all the relevant information in an order that makes sense.

For example, you might start with a chronological story of where your interests began, or you might open with your goals and then select a series of examples that show your capacity to achieve them. If you’re desperate to study in this specific program, you could lead with a summary of why it’s your ideal choice, and then elaborate on each aspect to show why you’re a perfect fit.

The important thing is that the text showcases your strengths and motivations in a compelling, coherent way. As in any other piece of academic writing, make sure each paragraph communicates one main idea, and that each sentence flows smoothly and logically from the last. Use transition words and topic sentences to move between paragraphs.

Add meaning to your resume

The bare facts of your achievements—grades, prizes, work experience—are already included in your graduate school resume and transcripts. Use the statement of purpose not to repeat yourself, but to add personal meaning and texture to these facts.

If you got top marks for your thesis, describe the research process and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the topic. If you completed an internship or participated in a project, explain what new skills you learned and which aspects you found most valuable. If you already have lots of experience in the field, show how each step developed your skills and shaped your current plans.

Revise, edit, proofread

Your statement of purpose isn’t only about the content—it’s also a chance to show that you can express yourself fluently, confidently and coherently in writing. Spend plenty of time revising, editing and proofreading your text before you submit.

Make sure you stay within the recommended length, and check if there are any specific formatting requirements. If not, use a standard 12pt font, 1-inch margins and 1.5 line spacing.

When you have a final draft, our professional statement of purpose proofreading service can offer an extra pair of eyes to make sure every sentence is perfect.

Proofread my statement of purpose

Checklist: Statement of purpose

My statement of purpose clearly responds to the prompt.

I have introduced my academic, professional and/or personal background.

I have described any relevant experience and shown my development over time.

I have highlighted key achievements that demonstrate my talents.

There is a clear connection between my previous experience and my future plans.

I have explained how the program will help me achieve my goals.

I have mentioned specific aspects of the program, department and institution that appeal to me.

Every paragraph focuses on one central idea.

The paragraphs are organized in a logical order and tell a clear, coherent story.

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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.

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Writing Personal and Research Statements for Grad School

If you are applying to graduate programs, we highly encourage you to watch this video from OITE Director, Dr. Sharon Milgram . In this talk, she details many aspects to help you draft a compelling and successful statement.

Many programs are now asking for different types of statements. You could be asked to submit any or all of the following: research, personal statement, statement of purpose, diversity, Covid-19, resilience. Sometimes the title is unclear and different schools may use different titles/labels. Due to this variability, be sure to read the prompt carefully and answer any of the question(s) asked of you.

We have seen that most programs usually ask for either one statement focusing on both career and research (as a statement of purpose) or a separate personal statement and research statement . However, just to make it confusing – we have also seen some programs ask for all three!

• Statement of Purpose = Career & Research
• Personal Statement = Experience + Career Goals
• Research Statement = Research Goals
• Diversity Statement
• Covid Statement

Some notes on the main statements requested: Personal Statement  - In this statement you should discuss your academic and career objectives and you should be specific on your reasons for focusing on this area of study and X University.  Look to the prompt for guidance on this, but if you are submitting this document in conjunction with a research statement and/or statement of purpose, then you can use this document to elaborate on your life experiences.  This could mean detailing influences, values, etc. that surrounds your purpose for seeking this degree. This document could also be an opportunity to write more about your journey through this process, your motivation, and any challenges or obstacles along the way that have helped you grow as a scientist/person ultimately making you a stronger candidate. Remember: this is still your chance to sell yourself for this program.

Research Statement  - Please provide a description of your research experience(s), including the goals of each project, approaches used, results obtained, and implications of the findings for the project and the field at large. You may choose to describe a single research experience in depth or several experiences. It is important to focus on what you did, the skills you learned, and how you would be able to add value to a research group at X University.

Statement of Purpose – What is the purpose you are pursuing ABC degree in XYZ field? What are your relevant experiences (research, clinical, courses, etc) that propel you to this graduate degree? In this statement, you should delineate your reasons for applying to the proposed program at X University and your preparation for this field of study which often means detailing your research and study interests.  Future career plans and other aspects of your background and interests which may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study should also be noted.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE! If any of this guidance conflicts with what you see instructed on a prompt from a school, follow the directions of the prompt. These terms are often used interchangeably and might mean something very different for each program for which you are applying.

Related posts:

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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

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A compelling teaching and research statement can make the difference between getting the academic job desired and having the profile ignored with dozens of other job seekers. One may not actually be asked to present a teaching statement during the job application process, but the action of writing one will help to clarify one’s goals and how to talk about them. If asked for a statement of teaching and research, then it will be a useful resource to have completed.

Writing a teaching and research statement

Take the time to write your statement correctly, for it is not something that can come “off the top of your head.” Teaching and research statements are a summary of work and teaching philosophy, both of which can be very complicated statements.

The research statement discusses a person’s work in a way that helps people understand one’s interests and focus in his or her work. It should address several points clearly and concisely:

• What impact has it had or is expected to have?
• How does it line up (if it does) with other work being done in the field?
• What changes might there be in a person’s life as a result of this work?
• How might someone be challenged to make use of this work?
• What additional questions have come up as a result of the work?
• What is the timeline and what resources are required to make this happen?

The research statement could be several pages, but be prepared to create a one to two-page summary that can be presented on demand. One can speak with the facility to which they are applying and get an idea of the length and format of the research statement they wish to see.

The teaching statement presents one’s philosophy on teaching. This should not only talk about the techniques used, but the motivation behind choosing those particular methods. Some of the points that a teaching statement might cover are:

• What are one’s goals for teaching and the reasoning behind the particular methods used?
• How have they been adapted to one’s own style?
• How effective are these techniques compared to other techniques in the field?
• How has one’s implementation of a particular tool been influenced by his or her teaching style?
• How does one’s method of teaching take into account the various ways in which people learn?

The teaching statement should communicate a person’s vision for teaching and describe how and why the methods selected improve the teaching experience for people. This is a presentation of how the teaching methods of one person have influenced the teaching profession.

Both the teaching and research statements are created for the employer to determine what kind of teacher or researcher a person is and how he or she will fit into the organization. Especially in the academic role, one must be able to work within the policies of the institution and with the various philosophies of his or her co-workers. Tenure often depends on this.

When creating these statements, there are some guidelines applicable to both:

Focus on the how, not the what

This is not a laundry list of the research work or teaching that’s been done. It may be helpful to present a short list of topics to emphasize the focus or diversity. But the real purpose of these statements is to discuss why those classes were taught, or why that piece of research was done.

Back up statements with evidence

There is often the tendency to make positive, but very open-ended statements in teaching and research statements and CVs. Those get glossed over unless there is a statement of proof accompanying them. One might say “I create a safe learning environment for students,” but the real question is how is this done? Make sure to reword those statements as “I create a safe learning environment for students by…” which covers the obvious question.

Create good writing examples

These statements will give some insight into how well a person can write. They should serve not only as the tool for communicating teaching philosophy and work accomplishments, but as a piece of writing that demonstrates how one communicates through the written word. Do not ignore spelling and grammar checking. Even when making simple revisions, recheck spelling and grammar when done.

Express confidence, not omniscience

Do not let these statements sound as if one knows all there is to know about teaching and research. The tone should not present that mistakes never happened. It is more useful to talk about successes mixed in with some failures and how one learned from those times. Show how one continues to become a better professional by learning from mistakes.

Keep the focus external

These statements should express how the teaching and research efforts were done for the benefit of the students or other researchers. A tone of humility is preferred over a selfish one. This helps to emphasize the motivation for which these tasks were done. Both of these statements give insight into what drives the person and helps the employer see how he or she will work with the existing staff and in the organization.

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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:

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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 .

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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. 

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“By having students be active participants in the design and development of [student] technologies, the campus can ensure that what’s being made will actually help address student needs in their academic journey.” - Undergraduate UX Writer & Researcher Student Employee

The team’s undergraduate Student Assistant UX Writer & Researcher writes and researches student-centered copy and content for user interface components (i.e., buttons, menus), informational websites and other email communications (i.e. recruitment emails for studies, announcements for new services and tools). 

“My proudest accomplishment of being a UX professional in higher education is that I’m able to improve administrative digital tools for students, faculty and staff to foster a more empowering and student-centered experience. School is already stressful, we can help make it easier.” - Graduate UX Researcher Student Employee

The undergraduate Student Assistant UX/UI Designers work closely with the staff designers to design, iterate and then hand over the team’s work for implementation. This includes finding design inspiration for ideation sessions, turning research learnings into prototypes in Figma for usability testing, and ensuring accessibility, business and branding requirements are met.

"Students bring a user-centric perspective as the primary end-users [...]. Their real-time feedback is invaluable for identifying and addressing usability issues and guiding necessary improvements. Moreover, students bring fresh perspectives and enthusiasm, often pushing the platform to be more cutting-edge and aligned with current trends." - Graduate Student UX Researcher

The UXRD team shared this tip with One IT: 

Don’t just think about hiring students with technical backgrounds in your IT units. UX-minded student employees can provide value to any team that is customer or student-facing, like a call or help center or a communications or web team.

Written by Courtney Fell, Program Manager, CU Boulder User Experience Research & Design.

This article is part of the One IT Student Leadership Program’s 3rd Quarter Report featuring the impact of student teams in higher education.

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• Volume 79, Issue 4
• Diagnosis of cystic lung diseases: a position statement from the UK Cystic Lung Disease Rare Disease Collaborative Network
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• http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9837-2763 Simon R Johnson 1 ,
• Dominick E Shaw 1 ,
• Michael Avoseh 2 ,
• Irshad Soomro 3 ,
• Kate S Pointon 4 ,
• Maria Kokosi 5 ,
• Andrew G Nicholson 6 ,
• http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5237-3613 Sujal R Desai 7 ,
• http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1316-4891 Peter M George 8
• 1 Respiratory Medicine , University of Nottingham , Nottingham , UK
• 2 Respiratory Medicine , Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust , Nottingham , UK
• 3 Department of Cellular Pathology , Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust , Nottingham , UK
• 4 Department of Radiology , Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust , Nottingham , UK
• 5 Interstitial Lung Disease Unit, Department of Respiratory Medicine , Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust , London , UK
• 6 Royal Brompton Hospital , London , UK
• 7 Radiology , Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust , London , UK
• 8 Interstitial Lung Disease Unit , Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust , London , UK
• Correspondence to Professor Simon R Johnson, Respiratory Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK; simon.johnson{at}nottingham.ac.uk

Background Rare cystic lung diseases are increasingly recognised due the wider application of CT scanning making cystic lung disease management a growing part of respiratory care. Cystic lung diseases tend to have extrapulmonary features that can both be diagnostic but also require surveillance and treatment in their own right. As some of these diseases now have specific treatments, making a precise diagnosis is crucial. While Langerhans cell histiocytosis, Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome, lymphoid interstitial pneumonia and lymphangioleiomyomatosis are becoming relatively well-known diseases to respiratory physicians, a targeted and thorough workup improves diagnostic accuracy and may suggest other ultrarare diseases such as light chain deposition disease, cystic pulmonary amyloidosis, low-grade metastatic neoplasms or infections. In many cases, diagnostic information is overlooked leaving uncertainty over the disease course and treatments.

Aims This position statement from the Rare Disease Collaborative Network for cystic lung diseases will review how clinical, radiological and physiological features can be used to differentiate between these diseases.

Narrative We highlight that in many cases a multidisciplinary diagnosis can be made without the need for lung biopsy and discuss where tissue sampling is necessary when non-invasive methods leave diagnostic doubt. We suggest an initial workup focusing on points in the history which identify key disease features, underlying systemic and familial diseases and a clinical examination to search for connective tissue disease and features of genetic causes of lung cysts. All patients should have a CT of the thorax and abdomen to characterise the pattern and burden of lung cysts and extrapulmonary features and also spirometry, gas transfer and a 6 min walk test. Discussion with a rare cystic lung disease centre is suggested before a surgical biopsy is undertaken.

Conclusions We suggest that this focused workup should be performed in all people with multiple lung cysts and would streamline referral pathways, help guide early treatment, management decisions, improve patient experience and reduce overall care costs. It could also potentially catalyse a national research database to describe these less well-understood and unidentified diseases, categorise disease phenotypes and outcomes, potentially leading to better prognostic data and generating a stronger platform to understand specific disease biology.

• Rare lung diseases

https://doi.org/10.1136/thorax-2022-219738

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Introduction

Rare cystic lung diseases (RCLD) are complex disorders ranging from reasonably well-characterised entities to others which pose significant diagnostic and management challenges. Like most people affected by rare diseases, individuals with RCLD face diagnostic delays, high healthcare needs and the isolation that comes with a rare diagnosis. With little prognostic information available, poor access to specialist knowledge and services can result in anxiety and fragmented care. 1 The increasing use of CT for investigation of both pulmonary and extrapulmonary symptoms has led to increasing identification of RCLD and managing these patients is becoming part of respiratory care. Making the correct diagnosis matters, as some RCLDs have both specific treatments and important extrapulmonary features requiring targeted interventions, screening and surveillance. 2 To improve research, care and support for patients with rare diseases, NHS England and NHS Improvement established Rare Disease Collaborative Network (RDCN) comprising groups of providers to improve understanding of specific rare diseases and improve patient experience. The Cystic Lung Disease RDCN provides diagnostic assessment and management advice for patients with cystic lung diseases. This position statement will provide an overview of these diseases and how clinical, radiological and physiological features can be used to differentiate between them to improve diagnostic accuracy and referral pathways for RCLD. Like most rare diseases, RCLD care is supported by little evidence and these recommendations use what evidence does exist and expert opinion.

RCLD care: the current situation

Among the disparate group of RCLDs, Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome (BHD), lymphoid interstitial pneumonia (LIP) and lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) account for most referrals to RCLD services. Many features of their pathobiology and natural history are understood and for some, specific interventions are available, or moving towards clinical trials. 3–6 In contrast, ultrarare diseases such as light chain deposition disease (LCDD), cystic pulmonary amyloidosis (CPA), low-grade metastatic neoplasms and lung cysts in type 1 neurofibromatosis (NF-1) are not well understood and have no specific therapies or are treated empirically. 7 In some cases, even after specialist workup and lung biopsy, a diagnosis cannot be made. This is difficult for patients, leading to anxiety and uncertainty and only supportive care available at best. In some cases, patients with a small number of cysts and minimal symptoms are given an inappropriate diagnostic label associated with a poor prognosis resulting in unnecessary anxiety and lifestyle changes.

Specialised UK services for cystic lung diseases include the recently established Cystic Lung Disease, RDCN (Royal Brompton Hospital and Nottingham University Hospitals), which delivers care and research for cystic lung diseases. The National Centre for Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (Nottingham), funded by NHS England Highly Specialised Commissioning, and the Familial Pneumothorax RDCN (Cambridge and Glasgow), provide specialised care to specific disease groups. Patients with RCLD who do not fit the criteria for these services or have difficulty travelling receive their care through local interstitial lung disease (ILD) or other services.

Individual diseases

Pulmonary lch.

LCH affects around 1 in 100 000 adults, is most frequently diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40 years and is slightly more common in men, with the great majority of patients having a significant smoking history. 8 9 LCH most commonly presents with cough and dyspnoea; occasionally with coexistent fatigue, weight loss or sweats. A smaller proportion of patients present with pneumothorax, and increasingly following CT scanning for other symptoms. 10 Chest radiography may be normal but usually shows reticulonodular changes. High-resolution CT (HRCT) shows an evolutionary process of nodules, which cavitate to form irregular cysts, with disease more marked in the upper and mid, compared with the lower zones. In active disease, nodules and thick-walled cysts predominate, whereas in later disease, cysts with thinner walls become the dominant abnormality ( figure 1 ). 11 Ground-glass opacities due to coexistent smoking-related desquamative interstitial pneumonia and respiratory bronchiolitis ILD may also be present. 12

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Imaging features in Langerhans cell histiocytosis. (A) Cross section of the upper zones of a patient with active Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), showing irregular-shaped cysts with differing wall thicknesses and occasional nodules. (B) Section through the lower zones of the same patient showing a lower disease burden with fewer cysts and nodules, characteristic of LCH termed ‘basal sparing’.

Increasingly diagnosis is made from classical imaging features in younger smokers. 13 Where these features are not present, definitive diagnosis requires lung biopsy, especially if active treatment is considered. 13 Transbronchial biopsy is diagnostic in 30% of cases, 14 the remainder requiring surgical biopsy. Histology reveals loosely formed granulomas of CD1a and langerin (CD207) positive cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm within the distal bronchioles. 15 Other smoking-related pathologies often coexist with LCH including emphysema, respiratory bronchiolitis, intra-alveolar accumulation of pigmented macrophages or desquamative interstitial pneumonia. 12 LCH is one of a group of histiocytic disorders, characterised by tissue destruction by activated dendritic cell precursors. In children, the disease is frequently systemic, whereas it is predominantly lung restricted in adults, with bone, skin or pituitary involvement occurring in only 5–15% of adults. 13 16 Activating mutations in the oncogenic MAPK/ERK signalling pathways in up to 80% of patients including MAP2K1 and the now druggable BRAF V600E mutation suggest that LCH is a clonal, neoplastic disease and a target for precision medicine. 17

Survival is estimated at over 90% after 10 years. Although the incidence of respiratory failure and pulmonary hypertension is only around 5% at 10 years, the prevalence of malignancy is high with a 17-fold excess of lung cancer compared with a matched non-LCH population, 13 therefore careful investigation is required for new or worsening symptoms, and while no evidence supports CT surveillance at present, this may be considered. Smoking cessation is the mainstay of treatment and for many the only treatment required. 18 Evidence is weak for other therapies but for those with progressive disease, cladribine is the most used chemotherapeutic agent with cytotoxic activity against monocytes and monocyte-derived dendritic cells. 19 Bronchodilators, screening for and treating pulmonary hypertension, oxygen therapy and in some cases lung transplantation are also used. 10 Targeted MAPK inhibition with vemurafenib in BRAF V600E mutated patients is also being evaluated. 20

Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome

BHD is an autosomal dominant condition with a prevalence of around two cases per million, and an equal sex distribution. Described in 1977 by three Canadian dermatologists, BHD is characterised by any combination of benign skin hamartomas/fibrofolliculomas, lung cysts and an increased risk of renal cancer. 21 Fibrofolliculomas are the earliest and most common manifestation, appearing in early adulthood on the cheeks and nose as 1–4 mm round, white-grey papules. 22 Lung cysts are present in 70–80% of patients, are normally less than 1 cm in size, thin walled and vary in shape from round to lenticular or ‘cigar-shaped’ seen most commonly in the basilar medial regions of the lungs often against the mediastinal surfaces ( figure 2 ). 23 30% of patients experience pneumothorax which is often multiple and usually occurs before 40 years. 24–26 Renal tumours which can also be multiple occur in 15–30% of patients, mostly between the ages of 30 and 70. Different histological patterns are seen with chromophobe renal carcinoma and renal oncocytoma the most common. 27 28

Imaging features in Birt-Hogg-Dubé disease. (A) CT showing cysts in the lower zones tending to cluster around the heart and mediastinum. (B) Characteristic ovoid or lenticular-shaped cyst, thought to be the consequence of shearing forces. (C) CT at the level of the kidneys showing a malignant left renal oncocytoma (arrow).

BHD is caused by germline variants in the folliculin ( FLCN ) gene, located on chromosome 17p11.2. 29 FLCN protein functions in multiple signalling and metabolic pathways including regulating mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1, Wnt signalling and transcription factor E3, a protein governing expression of proliferation-related genes. Folliculin impacts multiple processes including autophagy, mitochondrial biogenesis, nutrient sensing and cell-cell adhesion. 30 31 Renal tumours arise due to loss of folliculin’s tumour suppressor function, while loss of folliculin function in the lung is hypothesised to disrupt cell-cell interactions and structural integrity, 32 leading to cyst formation particularly in the lower zones where mechanical stresses from breathing are greatest. 33

BHD should be considered in patients with pneumothorax (especially if recurrent), a family history of pneumothorax or early-onset renal tumours. Lung cysts combined with facial fibrofolliculomas are pathognomonic of the disease. BHD can be confirmed by sequence analysis of the folliculin gene in 85% of cases. Histology from skin lesions can also aid the diagnosis. Initial assessment should include lung function testing and cross-sectional imaging to detect renal tumours. Lung biopsy is not diagnostic showing punched-out cyst-like spaces with their ‘walls’ comprising compressed alveolar tissue without inflammation. However, lack of subpleural fibroelastotic scars and smoking-related changes may be useful in suggesting BHD over emphysema. 34

Despite the presence of lung cysts, BHD typically does not normally lead to progressive loss of respiratory function, 23 33 and prognosis is mainly dependent on the early identification of renal carcinoma. Deaths from renal cancer in patients with BHD undergoing surveillance are uncommon. There are no specific treatments to prevent lung cysts or renal tumours and the mainstay of treatment is prevention of recurrent pneumothorax where pleurodesis should be considered after the initial episode. 3 Genetic counselling should be given. Our practice is to perform annual/biennial pulmonary function tests to include forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ), forced vital capacity and DL CO . Lifelong surveillance for renal cancer is needed and annual screening by MRI is recommended. Active surveillance is recommended for tumours under 3 cm in diameter, and nephron-sparing surgery for larger tumours. 35 Less commonly, BHD is associated with other tumours, including lipomas, cutaneous cysts, colon cancer, melanoma, parotid, thyroid and parathyroid tumours.

Lymphoid interstitial pneumonia

LIP typically presents insidiously with exertional dyspnoea and cough with symptoms often pre-dating diagnosis by many years. 36 Depending on the underlying disease association ( box 1 ), systemic symptoms such as sweats, fatigue and weight loss can predominate but respiratory symptoms are generally the primary feature. 4 Typical examination findings include fine end inspiratory crackles, but in early disease the examination can be unremarkable.

Associations with lymphoid interstitial pneumonia

Sjögren’s syndrome. 40 106–110

Rheumatoid arthritis. 36 111

Systemic lupus erythematosus. 112

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. 113

Polymyositis. 36

Primary biliary cirrhosis. 111

Hypothyroidism. 36

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. 111

Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia. 114

HIV. 115–121

Epstein-Barr virus. 122

Chronic active hepatitis. 121

Castleman disease. 123 124

LIP was first recognised in 1966 by Carrington and Liebow, 37 is classified as an idiopathic interstitial pneumonia within the spectrum of reactive benign pulmonary lymphoproliferative disorders and characterised by a dense interstitial infiltrate of lymphocytes, plasma cells and histiocytes. 38 LIP is typically associated with either autoinflammatory or infectious triggers. Sjögren’s syndrome is the most common underlying cause occurring in approximately 25% of patients 39 ; other autoimmune conditions particularly rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus are also associated with LIP. Infections including HIV and Epstein-Barr virus are other associations ( box 1 ). 40 LIP is more common in women particularly where autoimmune conditions coexist. Idiopathic LIP is very rare and appears to have a male preponderance. 36

The CT appearance varies; one form often seen in Sjögren’s syndrome is a combination of diffuse ground-glass opacification, cysts and nodules adjacent to cysts or perilymphatic, typically aggregating along bronchovascular bundles, pleural surfaces and interlobular septa ( figure 3 ). 41 Although the nodules histologically correspond to follicular bronchiolitis, patients with Sjögren’s syndrome are at risk of pulmonary lymphoma and so if nodules are enlarging, lymphoma should be excluded in the correct clinical context. The thin-walled cysts are randomly distributed throughout the lungs including areas of ground-glass opacification. 42 Blood vessels in the outer perimeter of cysts are characteristic of LIP ( figure 3C , arrow). The combination of cysts with multiple irregular nodules should also raise the possibility of LIP with amyloidosis.

Lymphoid interstitial pneumonia. (A) CT of a patient with lymphoid interstitial pneumonia (LIP) secondary to lymphoma. Cysts of differing sizes occasionally containing vessels (arrow), interstitial changes are also present. (B) LIP in a patient with a rapidly progressive connective tissue disease with Raynaud’s phenomenon and sclerodactyly associated with anti-Ro 52 and La antibodies. Ground-glass changes are seen. (C) Patient with Sjögren’s syndrome and LIP, cysts have vessels in their walls (arrow), often seen in LIP.

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) can improve the diagnostic confidence and in the authors’ experience a cell differential of >30% lymphocytes can be expected in the setting of classical radiology and is unlikely in other RCLD. There is little value in transbronchial lung biopsy, and surgical lung biopsy is very rarely required but can be of value when the differential diagnosis includes pulmonary lymphoma. Differentiating LIP from lymphoma can be challenging but clues towards lymphoma include monoclonal gammopathy or hypogammaglobulinaemia, consolidation, larger nodules and pleural effusions on CT. 43 If there is concern, surgical biopsy is key to differentiate between the polyclonal expansion of lymphocytes in LIP and the monoclonality which typifies lymphoproliferative conditions.

The primary target of treatment is often the underlying disease. LIP itself is a steroid-sensitive condition which responds to immunomodulation. While there are no randomised controlled trials, initial treatment in most ILD centres is usually with oral prednisolone, tapered with the introduction of a steroid sparing agent such as mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine with consideration of any underlying immunosuppression. The aberrant immune function of patients with LIP renders them at increased risk of infection, and prophylactic antibiotics with, for example, doxycycline once per day or azithromycin three times per week should be considered if the patient experiences recurrent infections. In patients with advanced disease at diagnosis, intravenous methylprednisolone can be considered, and for those with refractory disease cyclophosphamide or rituximab. 44

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis

LAM is a multisystem disease almost exclusively affecting women, occurring in a sporadic form in around 9/million women and in up to 60% of women with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). 45 While a small number of men with TSC can develop LAM, it seldom progresses to cause disability. The most easily recognised presentations are with dyspnoea or pneumothorax in the mid-30s, but increasingly LAM is identified by CT screening in women with TSC 46 and in patients with few or no symptoms undergoing CT for other indications. 47 The disease is associated with the benign tumour angiomyolipoma in half of cases, and in around a third lymphatic abnormalities including lymphadenopathy, chylous pleural and abdominal effusions and cystic lymphatic masses termed lymphangioleiomyomas which may also be the presenting features. 5

Lung damage and lymphatic damage occur due to infiltration of LAM cells. LAM cells have mutations in TSC1 or more commonly TSC2 resulting in unregulated activation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling node causing clonal expansion of LAM cells and metabolic changes favouring their survival. 5 In the lungs, LAM cells form nodules, also comprising fibroblasts, 48 lymphatic endothelial cells 49 and inflammatory cells. 50–52 Similar to a tumour stroma, these cell-cell interactions contribute to LAM cell survival, immune evasion 53 and disease progression. 54 It is thought LAM nodules produce collagen and elastin degrading metalloproteases and cathepsin K which cause cystic lung damage. 55

Diagnosis is suspected by finding rounded, thin-walled cysts, of broadly similar size and uniformly distributed within normal lung parenchyma ( figure 4 ). A definitive diagnosis can be made only by the coexistence of lung cysts with angiomyolipoma, lymphatic mass or chylous effusion, TSC or a serum vascular endothelial growth factor-D (VEGF-D) greater than 800 pg/mL. 56 57 Where these features are not present, and for patients in whom a definitive diagnosis is needed to target lifestyle advice or mTOR inhibitor therapy, a lung biopsy can be performed. Immunostaining for smooth muscle actin, glycoprotein 100 (using the HMB45 antibody) and oestrogen and progesterone receptors identifies LAM cells in half of transbronchial and all video assisted thorascopic biopsies. 56 58 Baseline assessment should include a careful examination for signs of TSC; CT or MRI of the abdomen and pelvis should be performed to identify angiomyolipoma or lymphatic disease. 59 60

Imaging features of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). (A) CT scan showing moderate LAM, multiple thin-walled cysts are seen distributed throughout normal lung parenchyma. (B) Large right-sided renal angiomyolipoma (arrow) dark areas are characteristic fat within the tumour. (C) Patient with advanced LAM and respiratory failure showing very little remaining parenchyma. (D) Low-power lung biopsy of a LAM cyst immunostained with anti-smooth muscle actin. Cysts are visible throughout the sample with smooth muscle actin-positive ‘LAM nodules’ (arrow) in the walls of lung cysts.

The clinical course of LAM varies from asymptomatic disease to progressive loss of lung function, and in 70% of patients, pneumothorax. 61 62 Around 20% have worsening symptoms during their menses, and during pregnancy the majority develop pneumothorax and may lose lung function. 63 64 Regular lung function and, where present, imaging of angiomyolipomas are recommended, with nephron sparing treatments for tumours at risk of haemorrhage. 60 Patients are advised to refrain from the oestrogen-based contraceptive pill and hormone replacement therapy. The mTOR inhibitor sirolimus reduces loss of lung function and is licensed for treatment of LAM with current guidelines recommending its use with an FEV 1 of <70% predicted or a rate of FEV 1 decline of >90 mL/year. 59 mTOR inhibitors are also effective for lymphatic disease, angiomyolipoma and other features of TSC. 65–68

Less common diseases

NF-1 is an autosomal dominant neurocutaneous disorder with multisystem manifestations. Lung involvement has been reported in 10–20% of patients. 69 Lung cysts, generally affecting the upper zones, typically occur in the third to fourth decades with basal reticulation also reported. 70 The largest case series shows a mean age of 50 at diagnosis and a male predominance with dyspnoea the most reported symptom. 70 Smoking has been shown to increase the severity of the lung damage with progressive diffuse cystic lung changes in advanced disease leading to respiratory failure, pneumothorax and pulmonary hypertension. 70 Management is aimed at early diagnosis and smoking cessation.

LCDD is caused by monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition most often secondary to lymphoproliferative disease. 71 It commonly affects the kidneys, heart and liver. Lung involvement is rare, affects women more than men and can range from asymptomatic to an aggressive disease. 72 Light chain deposition in alveolar walls results in small airway dilatation 71 and multiple cystic lesions with vessels often present in the walls and lung nodules without zonal predominance. 73 Monoclonal light chains can be detected in serum in <10% of cases. Lung cysts in the presence of myeloma, Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinaemia or lymphoma is suggestive of LCDD although in rare cases, light chain production is entirely lung restricted. 74 Lung biopsy is often needed to confirm diagnosis. Histologically, the features are morphologically identical to amyloidosis but the acellular eosinophilic material does not stain positively with Congo red. Background plasma cells often show clonality and the workup should include the exclusion of underlying haematological malignancy. LCDD is a progressive disease with management aimed at treating underlying haematological disease while lung transplantation can be considered in advanced disease.

CPA is most often associated with Sjögren’s syndrome but also seen in non-Hodgkin’s pulmonary lymphomas of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue origin. Amyloid infiltration is thought to cause small airway stenosis, air trapping, alveolar expansion and eventual cyst formation. 72 Small, often calcified nodules may be present. 75 Calcification may distinguish CPA from other diseases with nodulocystic appearance like LIP and LCH and the presence of amyloidosis can be differentiated from LCDD using Congo red staining. Patients are often asymptomatic with incidental radiological abnormalities and prognosis depends on treatment of associated disorder.

Small airway disease-related cystic lung disease . Chronic cellular or constrictive bronchiolitis of various aetiologies including cigarette smoking, Sjögren’s syndrome, hypersensitivity pneumonitis 76 77 and sickle cell disease 78 can be associated with lung cysts. 79 80 It is thought that bronchiolitis-induced airway narrowing results in a ‘check-valve’ effect leading to distal airspace dilation and cyst formation. 81 Management of underlying disease process and smoking cessation may halt progressive lung damage.

Metastatic disease including cystic sarcoma . Metastatic tumours presenting with multifocal cysts are rare, but well described. Cystic secondary lung tumours result most often from low-grade mesenchymal tumours such as endometrial stomal cell sarcoma, 82 cellular fibrous histiocytomas 83 and benign metastasising leiomyoma, 84 but have also been rarely reported in adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and metastatic epithelial head and neck tumours. 85 Cysts result from cavitation of nodules which can be chemotherapy induced 86 or by tumour infiltration into air spaces. Cysts due to metastatic disease tend to be of different sizes with a basal predominance and may coexist with more solid lesions. A thorough medical history should be undertaken as patients often do not initially report removal of skin lesions or even hysterectomy.

SARS-CoV-2 . A small number of cases have reported cysts within ground-glass opacities following severe COVID-19 pneumonia, sometimes complicated by pneumothorax. 87 88 Similarly, early-onset acute LIP has been described in COVID-19 infection. 89

Other rare causes of lung cysts . An increasing number of rare disorders have been associated with lung cysts including Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, 90 Marfan’s syndrome and Proteus syndrome. Infectious diseases may also be associated with cysts including the fungal infections coccidioidomycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis and Pneumocystis jirovecii . 86

Diagnostic workup of RCLD

While there are diagnostic guidelines for LAM 59 60 and recommended diagnostic criteria for BHD, 3 23 the approach to most patients with RCLD is not standardised. Failure to make a comprehensive assessment can result in diagnostic delays and significant disease features may be missed, sometimes resulting in irreversible organ damage. For example, BHD-associated malignant renal tumours are curable only if identified early by a renal surveillance programme. 91 The mean diagnostic delay for LAM is over 4 years, 61 and failure to treat active disease over this period would result in a preventable 17% loss of lung function. 92 93

Despite similarities, individual RCLDs may have characteristic clinical, physiological and imaging features which can be used to suggest diagnostic investigations or confirm the diagnosis ideally after a multidisciplinary assessment ( table 1 ). 75 94–97 To address diagnostic delays and the failure to recognise key disease features, a minimal series of clinical examination points and investigations to be performed before referral should be specified. We suggest the initial workup should focus on points in the history which identify key disease features, underlying systemic and familial diseases and a focused clinical examination to search for connective tissue disease (CTD) and skin features of genetic diseases including TSC, BHD and NF-1. All patients should have CT of the thorax to characterise the pattern and burden of lung cysts, CT abdomen to detect extrapulmonary features, spirometry, gas transfer and a 6 min walk test. Dependent on these findings, disease-specific confirmatory tests can be performed ( table 1 ). Referral to a cystic lung disease centre would allow a formal multidisciplinary diagnostic assessment, an evaluation of the need for lung biopsy, prognostic estimations, treatment advice and onward management plan, either performed solely by the patient’s local team or in conjunction with the RCLD centre. General management of RCLD includes an advice on pneumothorax, personalised advice on flying and scuba diving, pulmonary rehabilitation and, where appropriate, supplemental oxygen. 98

• View inline

Features of the four most commonly encountered cystic lung diseases

Lung function

The degree and pattern of physiological impairment is helpful in assessing the need for treatment and for diagnosis. FEV 1 , carbon monoxide transfer factor (TL CO ), bronchodilator response and a 6 min walk test should be performed. Impaired gas transfer is generally common in LAM and LIP, yet less common in BHD. Airflow obstruction occurs progressively in LAM, LCH and small airway dysfunction, whereas LIP, like other ILDs, is characterised by restrictive spirometry, although airflow limitation may occur in the presence of coexisting follicular bronchiolitis. Disproportionately low TL CO values should prompt investigations for pulmonary hypertension particularly in LCH. Exertional hypoxaemia is common in LAM and LIP, whereas lung function is generally better preserved in BHD.

Radiological evaluation

HRCT, ideally volumetric HRCT acquisition of patients with cystic lung disease, requires a systematic approach focusing on: (a) the distribution of cysts (eg, upper vs lower zone vs bronchocentric; regions of sparing); (b) cyst morphology (ie, mostly rounded, oval/cigar shaped or bizarre outlines); (c) cyst size (uniform vs variable); and (d) the profusion of cysts (eg, one or two isolated cysts vs innumerable). Additionally, the presence or absence of ancillary features including ground-glass opacification, nodules (with or without cavitation or calcification), pleural effusions and pneumothoraces may permit a reasonably confident radiological diagnosis, obviating more invasive investigations ( figure 5 ). For example, in a patient with multiple upper/mid-zone, variably sized and bizarre-shaped cysts that spare the tips of the middle lobe/lingula and the extreme lung bases, the most likely diagnosis is LCH. Similarly, the presence of a few thin-walled cysts of roughly uniform size coupled with irregular nodules (±calcification) suggests LIP and an HRCT with a profusion of cysts, of uniform size without zonal predilection, in woman of childbearing age are likely to be LAM. However, the cases posing the greatest diagnostic challenge are usually those with a few isolated cysts that may have been identified incidentally, without ancillary HRCT signs. Here, a confident diagnosis may not be possible even after specialist multidisciplinary team (MDT) discussion. 75 94–97 In all cases, interpreting the CT findings in the context of the clinical picture is essential in making the correct diagnosis. Abdominopelvic CT is recommended in all cases of RCLD to detect extrapulmonary features.

Differential imaging features of cystic lung diseases. (A) Morphological features of lung cysts. Round cysts characteristically seen in lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). Lenticular cysts are often present in Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome (BHD). Cysts in histiocytosis arise from cavitating nodules and tend to be bizarre shaped. Septated cysts are often seen in lymphoid interstitial pneumonia (LIP). Wall thickness helps differentiate Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) which has thicker walls in active disease compared with other diseases such as LAM. (B) Normal lung parenchyma is usual in sporadic LAM and can be seen in LIP and small airway disease-related cysts. Interstitial ground glass or reticulation may be seen in LIP. Nodules are a feature of LCH as in this example but may also be seen in amyloidosis. Soft or ground-glass nodules (arrows) representing multifocal micronodular pneumocyte hyperplasia may coexist with cysts in tuberous sclerosis-related LAM. abn, abnormalities.

Serological and genetic tests

Serum markers and genetic analysis may be diagnostic in the correct clinical context. A serum VEGF-D of >800 pg/mL is diagnostic of LAM, and appropriate autoantibody profiles can confirm LIP in Sjögren’s syndrome or other CTDs. Genetic analysis will reveal germline mutations in the majority of patients with TSC-LAM ( TSC1 , TSC2 ), BHD ( Folliculin ), NF-1 ( Neurofibromin ), Marfan’s syndrome ( FBN1 ) and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (multiple genes).

BAL and lung biopsy

Lung biopsy can be associated with morbidity and rarely mortality and it is important to both ensure that the diagnosis cannot be made non-invasively and that the result will improve management. For this reason, it is our recommendation that decisions regarding surgical lung biopsy are made after review at an RCLD centre. For example, in up to 75% of women with sporadic LAM and almost all with TSC-LAM, a firm diagnosis can be made without lung biopsy. 99 BHD can be confirmed by genetic analysis or skin biopsy 91 and systemic amyloidosis may be more easily identified in sites other than the lung.

BAL is helpful in the diagnosis of some RCLD. In suspected LIP, the finding of a lymphocyte count >30% of BAL cells is consistent with this diagnosis. Lymphocytosis is also seen in hypersensitivity pneumonitis where it may be associated with elevated neutrophils and eosinophils. LCH shows increased cellularity with macrophage predominance. 100 Greater than 5% CD1a positive BAL cells are specific for LCH although the sensitivity is low and the assay is not widely available.Langerhans cells are also CD68 and langerin positive and electron microscopy may show the characteristic Birbeck granules. 101 If the diagnosis remains uncertain despite these investigations, then tissue sampling may be considered, including transbronchial biopsy, cryobiopsy or surgical lung biopsy. Involvement of a respiratory pathologist is essential to ensure the appropriate processing and analysis with protocols for biopsy handling available through national pathology societies. 102

Patients without diagnosis

Patients with a minimal cyst burden and no respiratory symptoms should have a standard RCLD workup as described here ( figure 6 ). If no firm diagnosis is made, where lung function is normal, these patients can usually safely be monitored clinically with serial lung function as they may not be at risk of progressive disease. It is important to encourage such individuals to remain active and not to attach an arbitrary disease label, particularly one which can be associated with a poor prognosis, which may generate significant misplaced anxiety.

Flow chart for the workup of rare cystic lung diseases. Flow chart shows required history and investigations, diagnostic points and follow-up focused investigations required where multiple lung cysts are seen on CT scanning. ANA, antinuclear antibody; BAL, bronchoalveolar lavage; BHD, Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome; CK, creatine kinase; CTD, connective tissue disease; dsDNA, double-stranded DNA; ENA, extractable nuclear antigen; FEV 1 , forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FLCN, folliculin; LAM, lymphangioleiomyomatosis; LCH, Langerhans cell histiocytosis; LIP, lymphoid interstitial pneumonia; RCLD, rare cystic lung disease; TL CO , carbon monoxide transfer factor; TSC, tuberous sclerosis complex; VEGF-D, vascular endothelial growth factor D.

There are a significant number of patients in whom a definitive diagnosis cannot be reached despite extensive investigation either due to an unrecognised disease phenotype or a contraindication or unwillingness to undergo a lung biopsy. These subjects, and indeed all with significant disease, should receive supportive management including pulmonary rehabilitation, and influenza, pneumococcal and COVID-19 vaccinations. 56 60 103 Bronchodilators improve symptoms for those with airflow obstruction 104 105 and ambulatory oxygen is helpful for those with exertional hypoxaemia.

Conclusions to improve RCLD diagnosis and care

Establishing a standard workup prior to tertiary referral would streamline referral pathways, help guide early treatment and management decisions and reduce overall care costs. It could also potentially catalyse a national research database to describe the poorly understood and unidentified diseases, categorise phenotypes and outcomes, leading to better prognostic data, and generate a stronger platform to understand specific disease biology.

The plan of investigations shown in figure 6 should allow a diagnosis to be made in the majority of patients without the need for a surgical lung biopsy. Expert RCLD centres should be available to determine if the burden of cysts is clinically significant, and guide the diagnostic process including deciding if a lung biopsy would assist further management, developing a treatment plan and signposting patient support, ideally performed through a specialist MDT.

Ethics statements

Patient consent for publication.

Not applicable.

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Twitter @DrPeteGeorge

SRD and PMG contributed equally.

Contributors SRJ, DES, MA, IS, KSP, MK, AGN, SRD and PMG cowrote the manuscript and approved the final draft.

Funding National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre.

Competing interests AGN reports fees from Galapagos, Medical Quantitative Image Analysis, Roche, Boehringer Ingelheim in relation to interstitial lung disease and lecture fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, UpToDate. PMG reports grants and consulting fees from Boehringer Ingelheim; speaker fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca and Cipla; meeting support from Boehringer Ingelheim and Roche Pharmaceuticals; and stock options in Brainomix. SRJ reports grants from the Medical Research Council, NIHR, LAM Action and the LAM Foundation, and educational fees from Boehringer Ingelheim. SRD reports educational fees from Boehringer Ingelheim and advisory fees from GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca.

Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

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