Mock Cover Letter for Job Application at IBN

Job Advertisement: Taken from http://www.ibn.a-star.edu.sg/careers_at_IBN_0.php?postype=research&grptype=Drug%20and%20Gene%20Delivery#Lab Officer/Senior Lab Officer (Biomaterials) :Drug and Gene Delivery

If you have a passion for innovation and the desire to be at the forefront of scientific research, send or email your curriculum vitae to the following address. Please include a cover letter and three references.

Professor Jackie Yi-Ru Ying
Executive Director
Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
31 Biopolis Way
The Nanos, #04-01
Singapore 138669

Please send your CV to recruit@ibn.a-star.edu.sg

Lab Officer/Senior Lab Officer (Biomaterials)
Reference No. IBN190510/R/MK

Responsibilities
• Conduct biomaterial research using polymeric materials for drug delivery and tissue engineering

Requirements
• BSc/Msc degree in materials/polymer science, bioengineering or a relevant scientific discipline.
• Passion for conducting novel biomaterial research in a team.

Cover letter

Mr. Chiah You Sheng

77 Amarantine Drive

Singapore 246810

1 September 2010

Professor Jackie Yi-Ru Ying
Executive Director
Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
31 Biopolis Way, The Nanos #04-01
Singapore 138669

Dear Prof. Ying,

I refer to the job application opportunity presented on the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) portal. I am currently a Year 4 chemistry undergraduate and I wish to apply for the position of a Lab Officer (Biomaterials) in the Drug and Gene Delivery group. I have deliberated at length, and I am certain that IBN is the organisation where I have both the desire and the ability to spearhead scientific innovations and technological breakthroughs, especially in the field of polymer chemistry and nanomaterials.

Foremost, I believe that in IBN I can contribute passionately to inter-disciplinary research that is more than mere fundamental curiousity, but one that has direct applications for commercial viability and the betterment of our society[1]. This desire has been cultivated since I was a youth, when I participated in co-curricular activities(CCAs) such as PRIMER[2], a Science Research Project in Temasek Junior College. In addition, my project in search on the genes responsible for myopia was awarded silver in the Singapore Youth Science Festival-Science for Enterprise 2004, which was jointly organized by (A*STAR) and the Bioinformatics Institute. I understand how IBN has consistently been spearheading research that bridges scientific discoveries to practical applications, such as the licensing of IBN’s Microkit to Dyamed Biotech Pte Ltd, and I eagerly anticipate the commercial products I can develop with the team of talented and passionate individuals at IBN.

Moreover, it is a well-established opinion that the working environment at IBN is a conducive, nurturing and vibrant environment for both budding and established research scientists. I have had the benefit of a first-hand working experience at IBN from a Youth Research Programme(YRP) stint in 2008 and I remember fondly the days of discussing research and learning valuable skills from my mentor Dr Khan[3]..He has been a great supervisor and this experience has bestowed me with a tenacious and diligent spirit for research, which allows me not to be easily discouraged even by the numerous experiments that go awry initially. In addition, the permanent, administrative staff and fellow interns are just as friendly, helpful and encouraging to me and many of us still keep in contact till today. Eventually, I was able to present a polymer with promising results(relatively high transfection efficiency) for gene delivery.

As a lab officer, I will do my best in research and support my superiors(the PIs) as well as other research staff in their research endeavours, bearing in mind how this warm and stimulating environment sustains productivity, which makes the numerous achievements and accolades of IBN possible. I will also encourage and share my expertise with the YRP interns.

I have also enclosed my resume for your perusal. Thank you for your careful consideration, as I await a positive reply.

Yours Sincerely,

Chiah You Sheng

Hp: 92980520

Email: cys86@nus.edu.sg

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[1] This is the main reason behind my decision of working for the Drug and Gene delivery team.

[2] Information on my project has been indexed on the google search engine and can be easily retrieved.

[3] Majad Khan, Drug and Gene delivery group