Overview
In the US and Canada, many graduate students, particularly doctoral students, are funded through teaching assistantships (TA), research assistantships (RA) or graduate assistantships (GA) that combine a stipend with tuition remission in return for part-time work. In the UK, Europe and Australia, the equivalent is often a funded studentship attached to a project, or a salaried doctoral position with an employment contract in countries such as the Netherlands, Germany or the Nordic countries.
Some of this funding is automatic with admission; some requires a separate application to the department, a principal investigator or a university office; and fellowships such as internal university fellowships or national graduate fellowships run their own competitions. Knowing which applies to each program changes what you write and when.
We help you map the funding model for each program, identify openings, tailor your CV and statements to show teaching or research readiness, and prepare for conversations with principal investigators or departmental committees.
Who it’s for and the problems it solves
This is for you if you are…
- PhD applicants who need a funded position to be able to study
- Master's applicants in the US looking for assistantships that reduce tuition
- Applicants to advertised funded PhD projects or salaried doctoral positions in Europe
- Current graduate students applying for internal or external fellowships
Common problems we help with
- You cannot tell whether a program funds all admitted students or only some
- An advertised position asks for a cover letter and research statement and you have never written one
- Your CV lists coursework but not the lab, teaching or technical skills a PI wants to see
- You have international teaching experience but are unsure how to present it for a TA role
- A fellowship asks for a research plan and personal statement with separate criteria
What’s included — and what isn’t
Included
- Mapping the funding model of each program: multi-year packages offered to all admitted students, competitive assistantships, studentships or salaried positions
- Finding advertised openings on university job boards, lab pages, national portals and project adverts
- CV tailoring to show research methods, lab or software skills, teaching and tutoring experience
- Feedback on cover letters for advertised positions and on statements for fellowships
- Guidance on presenting teaching readiness, including English-language requirements some TA roles set
- Preparation for PI calls, lab interviews or departmental conversations
- Understanding offer letters: stipend, tuition remission, work hours, duration and renewal conditions
- Timing funding applications alongside admission deadlines
Not included
- Negotiating offers or contacting departments on your behalf
- Writing cover letters, research statements or fellowship essays for you to submit as your own
- Employment, tax or visa advice about working hours or contracts — we point you to the university's official offices
- Promising a funded position, stipend level or fellowship
What you receive
- Funding map
- A table of your target programs showing how students are typically funded, which applications are needed and their deadlines, with official links.
- Opening list
- Current advertised positions or fellowships that fit your profile, with requirements and closing dates.
- Tailored CV feedback
- Comments and suggested restructuring so research, technical and teaching evidence is easy to find.
- Statement and cover letter feedback
- Annotated feedback on your drafts against the position description or fellowship criteria.
- Conversation preparation
- Likely questions from PIs or committees and a practice session to rehearse your answers.
How it works
Profile and targets
We review your CV, research interests and program list.
Funding map
We identify how each program funds students and which separate applications are needed.
Search and select
We find current openings and fellowships and agree which to pursue.
Document feedback
You draft and we give feedback on CVs, cover letters and statements, usually over two rounds.
Conversation practice
Mock PI or committee conversations before real calls or interviews.
Types of funded positions we cover
- Teaching assistantship (TA)
- Leading tutorials or labs, grading and holding office hours; applications emphasize subject knowledge and communication, and some universities assess spoken English for international TAs.
- Research assistantship (RA)
- Funded through a faculty member's grant; the PI's view of your skills and fit often decides it, so outreach and technical evidence matter.
- Graduate assistantship (GA)
- Roles in university offices or programs, common for some master's students; applications resemble job applications.
- Funded studentships and doctoral positions
- Project-based PhD funding in the UK and Australia, and salaried PhD posts in several European countries, applied for with a cover letter, CV and sometimes a research statement.
- Fellowships
- Internal university fellowships, often nominated by departments, and external graduate fellowships with their own criteria, research plans and references.
Reading a funding package
A 'funded' offer can mean very different things. We help you read the offer so you can compare options and ask the right questions, without giving employment or tax advice.
- Stipend amount and whether it is paid over nine or twelve months
- Tuition remission: full, partial, or excluding fees
- Expected weekly hours and what duties are included
- Years of committed funding and conditions for renewal
- Health insurance and whether it covers dependants
Showing research readiness to a principal investigator
A PI hiring for a grant-funded position wants to know that you can contribute to the project soon. Your CV and cover letter should put the relevant methods, instruments, software or datasets you have used near the top, with a sentence on what you did with them. We help you reorganize existing experience rather than inflate it, and to ask sensible questions about the project and supervision style.
Fellowships reward a clear research vision
Graduate fellowships usually assess intellectual merit, the feasibility of your research plan and broader impact or leadership. We help you plan a research statement that states a question, explains why it matters, and shows how you will approach it, with a personal statement that connects your path to that plan.
What the work can look like
Illustrative example — fictional data
Sample funding map excerpt
An invented applicant in chemical engineering is targeting three US PhD programs, one UK studentship and one salaried PhD position in the Netherlands. Details below are placeholders to illustrate the format.
US programs
Two programs state that admitted PhD students typically receive multi-year funding through a mix of TA and RA roles; no separate application needed. One program funds only some students: ask the graduate coordinator whether a separate assistantship form exists.
UK funded studentship
Project advertised by a named supervisor with a fixed closing date; apply with CV, cover letter and references. Check eligibility for international fee coverage in the advert.
Netherlands PhD position
Salaried employment contract advertised on the university jobs portal; application needs a motivation letter and CV focused on process-modeling skills. Interview likely by video with the PI and a committee member.
Illustrative example with invented details; always check each program's current funding information.
What you’ll need to provide
- Your CV and transcripts
- Research interests and the programs or positions you are targeting
- Any advertisements or fellowship calls you are responding to
- Draft cover letters, statements or research plans
- Evidence of teaching, tutoring or lab experience
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
- Number of programs or positions to map and search
- Number of documents to review and feedback rounds
- Whether conversation or interview practice is included
- Complexity of fellowship requirements such as research plans
Turnaround depends on
- Closing dates of advertised positions, which can be short
- How quickly you can supply drafts and position details
Every project is quoted individually. How we price our work.
Questions people ask before starting
Do I apply separately for an assistantship?
Sometimes. Many US PhD programs consider all admitted students for funding automatically, while some master's programs and certain departments require a separate application. We check each program's official funding page and help you ask the graduate coordinator if it is unclear.
Can international students get TA positions?
Often yes, though some universities require a spoken English assessment for international teaching assistants, and work-hour limits may apply under visa rules. Check with the university's graduate school and international office.
Will you help me negotiate my stipend?
We can help you understand an offer and prepare polite questions to ask, but you conduct any conversation with the department yourself.
Can you write my fellowship research statement?
No, but we coach you through planning it and give detailed feedback on your drafts, so the statement reflects your own research ideas and you can discuss it confidently.