Future Work

Future work should feel like a professorial long-term plan, not a disconnected wish list. Present yourself as someone who already thinks and acts like faculty. Show continuity with your past work — that you have already taken the first steps — and then outline what comes next and why it matters. Impact beyond citations also belongs here: show how your work might shape tools, communities, understanding, industry, or society.

Some departments will compare you to everyone else in your subfield; others will ask whether your work constitutes a new direction they want to invest in. Interdisciplinary candidates should consider applying to multiple departments and tailoring statements to each audience.