Switching fields in physics - statement of research interests

[steelmouse387]

Hi all. I'm currently looking for a postdoc in a new field. My Ph.D. is in plasma physics, and after a short stint doing fluid mechanics in an environmental science department, I'm ready to go back to a physics department. My expertise is really in computational physics as much as plasma physics, and so I'm looking broadly at physics postdocs in subfields that require computational expertise. This means that I'm tackling the problems encountered by someone who is switching fields.

I'm currently writing my statement of research interests, and my final section - the 'Future Research' section - is proving difficult. On the one hand, obviously I've read a paper or two in this new field and think it sounds interesting, or else I wouldn't be applying. On the other hand however, I'm in no position to write what would effectively be a short research proposal, since I haven't yet digested the literature of the new field to a sufficient degree.

How would you approach writing this section?

 

[R.Mesri]

Do you think it's better to focus on the kind of research I'm interested in, or more on the kind of research I want to do? Also, what kind of research topics are likely to be well-received by a hiring committee (given my background)? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!