The Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) is a flexible narrative CV template. It’s designed to help you, or your team, evidence a wider range of skills and experience than a traditional academic CV when applying for UKRI funding opportunities.
When you should use the R4RI format
The ‘Applicant and team capability to deliver’ section of the funding opportunity will specify whether you should use it and who you should include. If you have questions use the contact details from the funding opportunity.
If you’re part of a team
You should only submit one R4RI for the whole team, even if team members are in different organisations.
You can use the template if you feel it’s helpful to collate information across your entire team, for example if you have multiple collaborators.
What you should include
Your R4RI should focus on evidencing your ability and potential to carry out the project.
You can highlight individual achievements where appropriate, but the contributions should demonstrate the appropriateness of the overall team. Different team members may demonstrate complementary skills.
You can get support with the narrative CV format through the Peer Exchange Platform on Narrative CVs.
You need to structure your answer into the four module headings. The word count is specified in the funding opportunity.
Module one
Explain your contributions to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies or knowledge. For example, you could include:
- how you communicated your ideas and results
- key outputs, such as data sets, software, research and policy publications
- skills acquired from past research projects
Module two
Explain your contributions to the development of others and maintenance of effective working relationships. For example, you could include:
- expertise you provided that was critical to the team’s success
- teaching activities, workshops and mentoring
- your leadership in shaping the direction of a team
Module three
Explain your contributions to the wider research and innovation community. Examples of what you could include are:
- positions of responsibility
- commitments such as reviewing, editing and committee work
- your strategic leadership in influencing a research agenda
Module four
Explain your contributions to broader research or innovation users and audiences and towards wider societal benefit. Examples of what you could include are:
- how you’ve engaged with the public sector, clients and the wider public
- research which has contributed to public understanding
- research which has contributed to policy development
Additional information
This section is optional and is used to give context for the rest of your R4RI.
Examples of what you could include if needed are:
- career breaks
- secondments
- voluntary work
This will be seen by the panel and reviewers even if it references a sensitive issue. Focus on how the issue has affected your career, rather than expanding on the issue itself.
Do not use this section to describe additional skills, experiences or outputs, as this information will not be assessed.
How assessors use your R4RI
Assessors use R4RI to inform the assessment of the application overall. They will not view it in isolation. They will never be asked to score individual modules.
The specific guidance for the funding opportunity will have information on how the R4RI will be used in decision making. For example, for some opportunities it may be used to establish eligibility of the team.
Your completed R4RI will be seen by both reviewers and panel members and won’t be anonymised. It will be treated in the same way as traditional CVs and shared with UKRI colleagues for evaluation purposes.
Give feedback on R4RI
If you are an applicant or assessor who has used R4RI before, we invite you to provide feedback on R4RI through this survey.
Last updated: 3 April 2025