Grant P. Writer's thoughts on NIH Biosketch Personal Statement: First or third person?

Consistently, one of the most popular posts on this blog is this post from 2011 when the new Personal Statement was added to Section A. of the NIH biographical sketch (biosketch). When writing the personal statement for the first time, new researchers are often confused about whether to write in first or third person. While either is allowed, I recommend writing in the first person.

This week, I thought about the first vs. third person biosketch question for personal statements. A colleague was interviewing several candidates for an open position. One candidate stood out, but not for the best reason. The candidate consistently spoke about themself in the third person. Imagine that every time you ask Dr. Cool Guy a question, they respond with "Dr. Cool Guy has expertise in all of those techniques," or "The way Dr. Cool Guy sees it, this area of scientific inquiry is the wave of the future." It is both peculiar and annoying.

Perhaps this is something individuals are used to if they work with Hollywood celebrities or famous athletes. For example, Alice Cooper and LeBron James are examples of celebrities who are notorious for talking about themselves in the third person during interviews. However, this is not typical in academia, where coming across as too self-important may decrease your opportunities for collaboration. 

Many academics, particularly junior faculty, are fighting imposter syndrome. Others are comparing themselves to Nobel Prize winners and feeling less confident in their successes. In the era of team science, being the person with the biggest ego is not seen as a strength, and so at least in my experience, it is the collegial and humble scientist who is often the most revered. 

Now back to the job candidate situation. When interviewing for a job, would you speak about yourself in the third person? Do you routinely talk about yourself in third person during normal conversations? For most people, the answer would be no. It can be grating and poorly received. That said, the personal statement will be read by reviewers who are considering funding your research. Obviously, your Specific Aims and Research Strategy will have the most weight in your application score. However, why take a chance on turning off the reviewers if your personal statement seems too impersonal? Stick with the first person and tell them why you are the most qualified individual to lead your proposed project.