Email With Questions About a PhD or Postdoc Offer: Sample and Template

When to use this

You have received an offer for a PhD position, doctoral contract or postdoc, and some details are missing or unclear: the exact salary, the contract length, the start date, relocation support or what happens if a visa takes longer than expected. This email asks for those details in writing before you accept.

It is normal to ask questions about an offer. Ask the employer directly and keep their written answers. The employer and, for visas, the official immigration authority of the country are the final word. 47 Fellows does not give advice on contracts, salaries or visas.

What to ask about (only what is unclear to you):

• Gross salary or stipend, and whether it is employment or a scholarship
• Contract length, probation period and renewal
• Start date, and whether it can move if your visa is delayed
• Relocation, travel or visa costs the employer covers, if any
• Health insurance and pension, if not stated
• The deadline for your reply

The sample

This sample is fictional. The applicant, the employer and the offer are invented. Write your own email in your own words.

Subject: PhD offer, [position title]: a few questions before I reply

Dear Dr [Surname],

Thank you very much for the offer of the PhD position in [project] and for your email of [date]. I am very happy to have been selected.

Before I reply formally, could you help me with a few details?

1. Could you confirm the gross monthly salary in the first year and whether it changes in later years?
2. Is the first contract for the full four years, or for an initial period followed by an evaluation?
3. The offer gives a start date of [date]. If my residence permit takes longer, would a later start be possible?
4. Does the university cover any relocation or visa costs, or is there an office I should contact about them?

I would be grateful to know by when you need my answer. Thank you again.

Kind regards,

Fatima Noor [email] | [phone]

Template you can fill in

Subject: [Position title] offer: a few questions before I reply

Dear [Dr / Professor / Ms / Mr] [Surname],

Thank you for the offer of [position] and for your email of [date]. [One sentence of thanks.]

Before I reply formally, could you help me with a few details?

1. [Question about salary or stipend]
2. [Question about contract length or renewal]
3. [Question about start date]
4. [Any other question]

Could you also let me know by when you need my answer? Thank you again.

Kind regards, [Name] [Contact details]

How to adapt this

• Ask only what the offer does not already answer. Read the offer letter and the advert first.
• Number your questions so the reply is easy to write.
• Stay polite and short. This is the start of a working relationship.
• Keep every answer in writing with the offer letter.

Common mistakes

• Accepting first and asking about salary later.
• Asking questions the offer letter already answers.
• Making demands rather than asking questions.
• Asking the employer to advise on your own visa case. For that, read the official immigration authority's own pages.

Related: Scholarship acceptance, decline and deferral emails and our list of funded PhD and postdoc positions.