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Narrative CV
The three federal research funding agencies — CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC — are gradually transitioning from the Canadian Common CV and other competition-specific CVs to a harmonized, narrative-style Tri-agency CV (TCV). The TCV is designed to better recognize the diverse contributions, experiences and impacts of researchers.
The TCV is being introduced across funding opportunities over time. Applicants should always check the requirements for the specific competition to determine which CV format to use.
What is in the Tri-Agency CV?
The TCV uses a common template organized into three sections:
- Personal statement
- Most significant contributions and experience
- Supervisory and mentorship activities
Compared with traditional academic CVs, the narrative format gives researchers more opportunity to provide context for their contributions, explain their role and significance, and describe a broader range of research outputs, experiences and impacts.
Because this is a significant change in how research contributions are presented and assessed, the resources below provide practical support for identifying your contributions, developing your narrative and writing your TCV.
Narrative CVs and responsible research assessment
Mount Royal University is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and is committed to responsible approaches to research assessment.
The Tri-agency CV is consistent with this shift toward broader, more qualitative assessment. Rather than relying primarily on publication counts, journal-based metrics or other quantitative indicators, narrative CVs allow researchers to provide context and evidence for a wider range of contributions and impacts.
DORA describes narrative CVs as one approach to recognizing varied experiences and giving researchers greater opportunity to explain the significance of their contributions and the story of their research careers.
Start Here
- Tri-agency CV: Official requirements, template and instructions
- TCV Guide: University of Calgary. Comprehensive practical guidance and tools for drafting your TCV
Writing your Narrative CV
- DORA - Building Blocks for Impact: A one-page framework for thinking broadly about research contributions, audiences and types of impact.
- Researcher Impact Framework: Building Audience-Focused Evidence-Based Impact Narrative: Trinity College Dublin. Helps researchers identify scholarly activities, audiences, outcomes and evidence, and use these to build evidence-based impact narratives.
- Writing and Evaluating Narrative CVs: Fasoli et al. Research-informed tips on language, agency and how narrative CVs may be perceived by reviewers. [UK-based; preliminary research]
- Plain Language Checklist: BC Government
More Resources
- Qualitative Assessment & Narrative CV: MRU Library. Responsible assessment, qualitative assessment, narrative CVs and related approaches
- Narrative CVs: Research Impact Canada. A growing list of Canadian-focused Narrative CV resources.
- From Lists to Stories: Preparing for Narrative CVs: Mount Royal University. (Recording, May 2026)
- Writing a Successful Narrative CV. University Affairs: (English, Nov 2025) (French, April 2026) -- with templates