The purpose of the research statement is to help OISS understand the nature of your research and convey it in their sponsorship letter in support of your application to USCIS.
The research statement should be no more than 2 pages and should be divided into 3 sections as follows:
- Summary Statement:
- Simplify your scientific research in such a way that people without a scientific background can comprehend it. If appropriate, try to explain your work in terms of a general newspaper headline, such as ‘researcher discovers protein that could cure cancer’.
- Explain the final/main outcome of research in plain English–what is the result of your experiment and how can it be used for humanity? What is ground breaking about your work? Make a simple, logical flow of your discoveries: ‘once X is known then we can investigate Y which leads to an ABC outcome.’ Specific scientific/academic terms and procedures must be named and explained.
- Frame your work and achievements within your specific sub-specialty field. What distinguishes it from the work of others in your sub-specialty field? Has it led to key collaborations? Are other U.S. laboratories that use your procedures?
- Does your work have major government funding directly or indirectly from your PI’s grants?
- Do you have an approved patent? Just a patent application will not suffice or prove your meritocracy. However, if the Office of Cooperative Research (OCR) is pursuing your patent seriously, do let us know.
- Include submissions to protein data banks etc.
- Long-Term Impact
The long term impact of your research in your field and society at large. Does it lead to animal or human clinical trials? - Outstanding International Achievements
Explain how your work has been recognized as outstanding by international community? Has it revolutionized laboratory procedures in other countries? Has it lead to new collaborations with the international community?
