Research assistant resume examples from 2026
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How to write a research assistant resume
Craft a resume summary statement
A resume summary is your opening statement that highlights your strongest skills and top accomplishments. It is your chance to quickly let recruiters know who you are professionally - and why they should hire you for the research assistant role.
Step 1: Start with your professional title, or the one you aspire to.
Step 2: Detail your years of experience in research assistant-related roles and your industry experience.
Step 3: What are your biggest professional wins? Here is your opportunity to highlight your strongest accomplishments by placing them at the start of your resume.
Step 4: Don't forget, your goal is to summarize your experience. Keep it short and sweet, so it's easy for recruiters to quickly understand why you're a great hire.
These four steps should give you a strong elevator pitch and land you some research assistant interviews.Please upload your resume so Zippia’s job hunt AI can draft a summary statement for you.
List the right project manager skills
Use your Skills section to show you have the knowledge and technical ability to do the job. Here is how to make the most of your skills section and make sure you have the right keywords:
- Look at the job listing and skills listed. You need to include the exact keywords from the job description to get your resume in front of an actual human. Do you have those skills? Fantastic! Be sure to list them.
- Include as many relevant hard or technical research assistant skills as possible for each job you apply to.
- Be specific with the skills you have and be sure you are using the most up to date and accurate terms.
Here are example skills to include in your “Area of Expertise” on a research assistant resume:
- Patients
- Lab Equipment
- Data Collection
- Laboratory Equipment
- Research Projects
- Data Analysis
- R
- Cell Culture
- Literature Reviews
- SPSS
- Research Data
- C++
- IRB
- Research Study
- PowerPoint
- Analyze Data
- Statistical Analysis
- Chemistry
- PI
- Literature Searches
- Informed Consent
- Python
- Data Management
- DNA
- RT-PCR
- Animal Handling
- Synthesis
- Clinical Trials
- Research Findings
- Electrophoresis
Zippia’s AI can customize your resume for you.
How to structure your work experience
A work experience section is a vital part of your resume because it shows you have the experience to succeed in your next job.
- Put your most recent experience first. Prospective employers care about your most recent accomplishments the most.
- Put the job title, company name, city, and state on the left. Align dates in month and year format on the right-hand side.
- Include only recent, relevant jobs. This means if you're a fairly experienced worker, you might need to leave off that first internship or other positions in favor of highlighting more pertinent positions.
How to write research assistant experience bullet points
Your resume is not a list of responsibilities or a job description. Instead, it is your chance to show your accomplishments and show why you're good at what you do.
- Use the What, How, and Why format. Answering these questions turns a bland job description into an effective showcase of your abilities.
- What were your responsibilities or goals?
- How did you accomplish them?
- Why were your results important? (How did it impact your company? Can you quantify the results in numbers? )
Here are examples from great research assistant resumes:
Work history example #1
Junior Research Scientist
Science Applications International ...
- Adapted procedures to work with different cell lines and different concentrations of drugs.
- Used recombinant DNA technology to manipulate pieces of DNA into plasmids for yeast two-hybrid as well as sequencing experiments.
- Expressed, purified and characterized numerous recombinant GFP tagged proteins of interest.
- Ensured the continuity of the ADA program by transitioning operations to SwRI while still maintaining high quality data output.
- Cleaned, entered and analyzed data using Excel and SPSS.
Work history example #2
Research Assistant, Chemistry Department
University of Florida
- Gained valuable experience in Excel, MATLAB, C++, and python.
- Developed and built an optical tweezer microscopy system for measuring small forces between a particle and flat surface.
- Established a green methodology for aqua mediated synthesis of peptidyl benzothiazole.
- Interpreted statistical analysis of results of sensory evaluation testing using SAS program.
- Used optical microscopy, SEM, FTIR, TGA, and NMR for the characterization of the engineered particles.
Work history example #3
Research Assistant
Cal Performances
- Conducted research under PhD candidate in City and Regional Planning Department.
- Conducted cognitive tests on participants aged 8 18 to examine healthy brain development.
- Researched global resource bases and potential deployment of renewable energy for PhD modeling programs.
- Assisted with the administrative planning and execution for the Logan Symposium on International Reporting
- Developed a rigorous research agenda that addressed central questions of plant-microbe interactions using Arabidopsis and Hyaloperonospora as a model pathosystem.
Work history example #4
Research Assistant
University of California Press
- Carried out genotyping, qPCR, Western blot and DNA/RNA extractions.
- Executed both SDS-PAGE and ELISA assays for protein analysis.
- Performed electrical and optical studies at the micro-scale on artificial lipid bilayers, with an emphasis on optimizing bilayer formation rates.
- conducted research on mitochondrial DNA samples of Native Siberians (Eskimo, Chukchi, Yukagirs, Nganasans etc.).
- Performed trigeminal nerve lesion surgery in mice and analyze the resulting data.
Zippia’s AI can customize your resume for you.
Add an education section to your resume
Here is the best way to format your education section:
- Display your highest degree first.
- If you graduated over 5 years ago, put this section at the bottom of your resume. If you lack relevant work experience, the education section should go to the top.
- If you have a bachelor's or master's degree, do not list your high school education.
- If your graduation year is more than 15-20 years ago, it's better not to include dates in this section.
Here are some examples of good education entries for resumes:
Bachelor's Degree in biology
University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
2010 - 2013
Highlight your research assistant certifications on your resume
Certifications can be a crucial part of your resume. Many jobs have required certifications.
Include the full name of the certification, along with the name of the issuing organization and date of obtainment.
If you have any of these certifications, be sure to include them on your research assistant resume:
- Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA)
- Medical Assistant
- Clinical Research Assistant
- Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP)
- Professional Researcher Certification (PRC)
- Physician Assistant - Certified (PA-C)
- Dental Assistant (RDA)
- Certified Clinical Research Coordinator (CCRC)
- Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA)
- Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (NHA)