Sample R15 Biographical Sketch Personal Statement

This is an example of the Personal Statement in the Biographical Sketch that addresses the
R15-specific instructions, “The PD(s)/PI(s) should include a summary of his or her previous
and/or current experience supervising undergraduate and/or graduate students in research in
the Personal Statement.”
In the rest of the Biographical Sketch, applicants should address all of the Biographical Sketch
instructions in the Application Guide and the Funding Opportunity Announcement, including
“The PD(s)/PI(s) should indicate which peer-reviewed publications or other research products
involved undergraduate and/or graduate students under his or her supervision.”
This sample should be used in conjunction with the NIH-wide Biographical Sketch sample

A. Personal Statement
I have the expertise, leadership, training, and motivation necessary to successfully carry out the
proposed research project. I have a broad background in psychology, with specific training and
expertise in ethnographic and survey research and secondary data analysis on psychological
aspects of drug addiction. My research includes neuropsychological changes associated with
addiction. As PI or co-Investigator on several university- and NIH-funded grants, I laid the
groundwork for the proposed research by developing effective measures of disability,
depression, and other psychosocial factors relevant to the aging substance abuser. In addition,
I successfully administered the project (e.g. staffing, research protections, budget), collaborated
with other researchers, and produced several peer-reviewed publications. As a result of these
previous experiences, I am aware of the importance of frequent communication among project
members and of constructing a realistic research plan, timeline, and budget. The current
application builds logically on my prior work.
I have supervised eighteen undergraduate research students in my past, all of whom have
completed their bachelor’s degrees, including 3 who have successfully gone on to complete
their Ph.D. program, and an additional two students who have been awarded the prestigious
National Science Award and the Alar College Research Award. In the past, undergraduate
students have been very active in all aspects of my research program and I intend to continue
this during this proposed research program.
During 2005-2006 my career was disrupted due to family obligations. However, upon returning
to the field I immediately resumed my research projects and collaborations and successfully
competed for institutional support.