About this template
The ATS Academic Formal template is built for researchers applying to large institutions where HR sits in front of every CV. Its Libre Caslon typography and navy accent mirror the register of academic search committees while staying readable by Workday, Greenhouse, Interfolio and AcademicJobsOnline used across R1 universities and Russell Group institutions.
Who is it for?
It suits candidates targeting NIH-funded research centres, USAJobs federal research positions, R1 tenure-track searches, NHS clinical academic posts, MRC and Wellcome programme leads, and large medical schools where corporate HR sits between you and the search committee. It also serves administrative research roles (research management, grants office, chair coordination) routed through institutional ATS.
How to use it
Organise the document in traditional blocks: Education, Research experience, Publications (with JCR quartile or Scimago ranking), Conference presentations, Service and committees. Diacritics are preserved in the PDF text layer — essential for institution names, journal titles in non-English languages and field-site locations. Avoid complex tables that can break parsing. For R1 tenure-track searches, attach a separate long CV alongside the two-page version.
Frequently asked questions
How does this differ from a regular academic CV?
It keeps the serif register search committees expect but strips any non-parseable graphic element: multi-column tables, decorative borders, icons. The layout stays linear with explicit section headers, which makes it readable by the ATS pipelines used at large research universities and medical schools without losing the typographic authority of the academic register.
How do I list grants and funding (NIH, NSF, ERC, Wellcome)?
Create a dedicated 'Funded research' section with the grant code, agency, amount (in USD or local currency), role (PI, co-PI, Co-I, WP leader) and dates. Example: 'NIH R01-AI123456 — $1.8M — PI — 2022-2027'. The ATS scans NIH, NSF, ERC, MRC, Wellcome, DFG as high-value keywords in academic and pharma R&D pipelines.
Does the template fit medical school faculty applications?
Yes. The linear structure suits NIH-funded research-focused tracks, NHS clinical academic posts and MD/PhD programme applications. Add a 'Clinical activity' section detailing patient-facing responsibilities, board certifications (ABMS, JCC) and procedural volumes. Structure publications by section conventions of your medical specialty and society.
