Crafting a well-polished research statement — something that PhD students do when preparing for talks, when writing grant and fellowship proposals, or when putting together a job talk — is a skill that has essential ramifications for professional development.

And now it's a skill that can lend itself to an application for Harvard Horizons, the new initiative of Dean Xiao-Li Meng to showcase (in a campus-wide symposium and in accompanying videos) the intellectual contributions of PhD students.

Cynthia Verba, the GSAS director of fellowships, says that when she counsels talented students who are preparing their proposals, she emphasizes the critical importance a strong opening paragraph or two. These paragraphs might easily serve as the basis of the synopsis that students must submit to the Harvard Horizons competition, Verba says.

"Mastering the art of a strong presentation on dissertation research, whether written or oral, is a skill that will play an essential role at almost every critical juncture of professional development: crafting a fellowship proposal, a job application letter, a job talk, a publication proposal to an editor, and a postdoctoral application," says Verba. She urges students who have already worked hard on their proposal writing to give serious thought to applying to Harvard Horizons, which she calls "an outstanding opportunity for polishing your oral presentation skills."
 

Read about Harvard Horizons here; see competition details and criteria here.

Apply by February 8!