Overview
Advertised postdoc posts, usually funded by a principal investigator's grant, are assessed mainly on skill fit: can you deliver the funded project? A tailored CV and a cover letter that connects your methods and publications to the project description matter most. Unadvertised posts often begin with outreach: a short, specific email to a PI whose work you know, asking whether they have or would support a position.
Fellowships are different. You propose your own project, usually with a host supervisor, and are evaluated on the quality of the research, your potential and the benefit of the host environment. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships, for example, are joint applications by a researcher and a host organization, with European fellowships of one to two years and Global fellowships that include a period outside Europe followed by a return phase. Eligibility includes a limit on years of research experience since the PhD and a mobility rule about recent residence in the host country.
We help with each route: feedback on CVs and letters for advertised posts, drafting and reviewing outreach emails, and structured support for fellowship proposals, including checking the current work programme and guide for applicants. You and your host remain the applicants and authors.
Who it’s for and the problems it solves
This is for you if you are…
- Final-year PhD candidates looking for a first postdoc
- Postdocs seeking a second position or an independent fellowship
- Researchers planning an MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship or a national fellowship with a host
- International researchers approaching labs in a new country
Common problems we help with
- You have emailed several PIs and received no replies
- You found a potential host but do not know how to propose a fellowship project together
- Your MSCA draft reads like a thesis chapter, not a fellowship proposal
- You are unsure whether you meet eligibility and mobility rules
- Your cover letter does not explain why you fit the funded project
What’s included — and what isn’t
Included
- Route assessment: advertised post, direct outreach or fellowship, based on your stage and goals
- CV and cover letter feedback for advertised postdoc positions
- Outreach email drafting and review, with a short research pitch and a specific question
- Fellowship proposal support: project concept, objectives, methodology, training plan and two-way knowledge transfer
- MSCA-specific structure: Excellence, Impact and Quality and efficiency of implementation, including career development and dissemination plans
- Eligibility and mobility checklist against the current call documents (you confirm with the funder and host)
- Host-fit narrative: why this host, this supervisor and this environment
- Review of reference requests and what to ask referees to emphasize
Not included
- Contacting PIs or hosts on your behalf
- Writing research content you have not developed, or presenting others' ideas as yours
- Official interpretations of funder rules; the funder's current documents and helpdesk prevail
- Promises of positions or funding
What you receive
- Route and target plan
- A short plan listing target labs, fellowships and deadlines, with notes on fit.
- Outreach email set
- A reviewed template plus tailored versions for your priority labs.
- Annotated proposal
- Section-by-section comments on your fellowship draft against the evaluation criteria, with a list of priority fixes.
- Application package check
- Consistency check of CV, letter or proposal, and supporting documents before submission.
How it works
Clarify goals
We discuss your field, timeline, preferred countries and whether you want an advertised post, an outreach approach or a fellowship.
Targets and eligibility
We shortlist opportunities and check deadlines and eligibility against current official information.
Draft and review
You draft emails, letters or proposal sections; we review and co-draft where appropriate.
Pre-submission check
Final read for evaluation criteria coverage, page limits and consistency.
Routes, schemes and documents
- Advertised grant-funded posts
- Matched to a specific project; evaluated on methods, outputs and ability to start on time.
- Direct outreach to PIs
- A short email: who you are, one or two sentences on your work, why their lab, what you are asking, and your CV attached.
- MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships
- European (one to two years) and Global (outgoing phase outside Europe plus a return phase) fellowships; joint application with the host via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Check the current guide for applicants for limits and deadlines.
- MSCA eligibility essentials
- PhD held by the deadline, a maximum of eight years of research experience since the PhD (with some breaks excluded), and a mobility rule on residence in the host country in the preceding 36 months.
- National and foundation fellowships
- Many countries and foundations run postdoctoral schemes with their own criteria. We work from the scheme's own documents.
- Reference strategy
- Briefing referees on the scheme's criteria so letters address what evaluators look for.
Emailing a lab: what gets a reply
PIs receive many generic emails. Replies are more likely when the subject line is specific, the first sentence connects your work to a recent paper or project of theirs, and the ask is clear: an open position, support for a fellowship, or a short call. Length should fit on one screen. We help you write a template you can tailor in minutes without sounding templated.
Writing a fellowship proposal with a host
Fellowship panels assess the project, the researcher and the host together. A common weakness is a project that simply extends the PhD. Stronger proposals show new skills and methods the fellow will gain, what the fellow brings to the host, and how the fellowship advances independence.
For MSCA, the proposal is organized around Excellence, Impact and Implementation. Evaluators look for a clear research objective, credible methodology, a career development plan, and dissemination and communication plans that go beyond listing conferences. Proposals scoring above the funding threshold but not funded may receive a Seal of Excellence, which some national schemes recognize.
- Agree the project framing with your host early
- Check page limits and templates in the current call
- Make the two-way transfer of knowledge concrete
What the work can look like
Illustrative example — fictional data
Illustrative outreach email review
A fictional materials science PhD candidate drafts an email to a PI: "Dear Professor, I am very interested in your lab and would like to join as a postdoc. Please find my CV attached."
Feedback
The PI cannot tell what you work on or why you chose them. Name your research area, one result, their recent work that connects, and a clear ask.
Revised structure
Subject: Postdoc interest — perovskite stability and your 2025 encapsulation work. Paragraph 1: I am finishing a PhD on degradation mechanisms in perovskite solar cells, recently published on moisture-induced phase changes. Paragraph 2: Your group's encapsulation studies connect directly to my in-situ characterization skills. Paragraph 3: Would you have or support a postdoc position, for example through an MSCA fellowship application next year? CV attached.
Illustrative example with an invented candidate and research details.
What you’ll need to provide
- Your CV and publication list
- Research interests and a short summary of a possible project
- Target labs, postings or fellowship calls
- For fellowships, input from your host supervisor and the current call documents
You don’t need everything ready to ask for a quote — tell us what you have and we’ll say what’s missing.
What affects price and turnaround
Price depends on
- Route: outreach emails and letters versus a full fellowship proposal
- Number of targets or proposal sections
- Number of review rounds
- Proximity of deadlines
Turnaround depends on
- Fellowship call deadlines and your host's internal deadlines
- How quickly your host can provide input on the environment and training plan
Every project is quoted individually. How we price our work.
Questions people ask before starting
Am I eligible for an MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship?
Broadly, you need a PhD by the deadline, no more than eight years of research experience since the PhD (certain breaks excluded) and to meet the mobility rule on recent residence in the host country. Rules are set in each call, so we check the current guide with you, and the official documents and helpdesk prevail.
Do I need a host before I apply?
For most fellowships, including MSCA, yes: the application is prepared jointly with the host. We can help you plan outreach to potential hosts well before the deadline.
Will you write my fellowship proposal?
We co-draft and edit with you. The research ideas, plans and claims must be yours and your host's; we help make them clear, structured and aligned with the evaluation criteria.
How early should I start?
For fellowships, several months before the deadline is sensible, because host agreement and institutional sign-off take time. For outreach, start well before your PhD ends.
Can you help me respond to a rejection or reapply?
Yes. Evaluation summary reports can guide a stronger resubmission. We help you interpret comments and revise.