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[artsy_122]

Hi everyone!

In addition to applying for jobs I am also applying for a few humanities post docs.  Most of these are research focused where I would maybe teach only one class.  But the emphasis is on the research I would be doing during the usually two years there.

Of course the major, or a major project I would be working on would be developing my (groundbreaking! Wonderful!  The bees knees!) dissertation as a book.  Looking at the websites, this seems to be fairly common and expected of post docs in the arts and humanities.  So in the research statement I need to talk about this...  but I probably also need to talk about the next step I see my research going in.  I have ideas for this.

My question - how much weight to I give each of these things?  In a two year post doc would I spend year one working on the book and year two on new and exciting research project?  So do they go half and half in the statement?  Or what about journal articles?  I should probably work on those too...  on things related to the other two? 

I know it varies a lot...  but any ideas on 40% dissertation, 60% new project.  Should there be something besides one new project?  Something more long term?

[verbena]

Naturally it varies by discipline and institution, but your first draft should aim for 67%: 33%. You may adjust this ratio in subsequent drafts as you see fit, bearing in mind what your actual plans are, since in fact those actual plans are what the good folks you're writing to actually want you to write about.