Email to a professor: free template for master's, PhD or postdoc
Get a first email to a professor, built on one of their recent papers.
Cold email to a professor: four samples, and why each works
PhD supervision, a research assistant role, a master's project and a scholarship-funded PhD.
Examples only: the professors, papers and students are invented.
PhD supervisionA master's graduate asking a professor to supervise a PhD.
Subject
Prospective PhD student: microplastics in urban rivers
Dear Professor Hartwell, My name is Aisha Bello, and I am hoping to start a PhD in environmental engineering in October 2027. I read your 2025 paper, "Microplastic transport in river sediments", and its use of sediment cores is close to the question I want to study. For my master's thesis, I sampled sediment at six sites on one river and counted microplastics by size. I would now like to study how storm events move these particles downstream. Are you taking on new PhD students for the next intake, and is there funding in your group I could apply for? I have attached my CV and a two-page research proposal. Thank you for your time. I would be glad to talk more if this is of interest. Kind regards, Aisha Bello
- It names one of the professor's papers and links it to her question.
- One real project with numbers, not a list of skills.
- Two clear questions, on students and funding, answerable in one line.
Research assistant positionA recent graduate asking about research assistant work in a lab.
Subject
Research assistant enquiry: antibiotic resistance in wastewater
Dear Dr Lindqvist, I am Rahul Menon, and I am looking for a research assistant role in environmental microbiology. Your 2024 paper, "Mapping antibiotic resistance genes in hospital wastewater", is close to the work I did in my final year. I hold a BSc in biotechnology, and for my dissertation I extracted DNA from river samples and ran the sequencing analysis in Python. I would like two years of lab experience before applying for a PhD. Do you have, or expect to have, a research assistant opening in your group? If nothing is open now, I would be grateful to know if something is planned. My CV is attached, with a link to my analysis code. Thank you for reading this. Best regards, Rahul Menon
- The subject gives the request and topic, easy to forward to a lab manager.
- He names skills the lab can use now, and shows them with code.
- Asking about later openings keeps the door open.
Master's research projectA current master's student looking for a thesis supervisor.
Subject
Master's thesis project: soft grippers for fruit picking
Dear Dr Fenwick, My name is Leila Haddad, and I am a first-year student on the MSc in robotics in your department. I read your 2025 paper, "Soft grippers for handling delicate produce", and I would like my thesis to build on that line of work. In my first term, I built a two-finger gripper from silicone for the design module and tested it on soft objects. I would like to test different finger shapes on real fruit, using the lab's force sensors. Would you be willing to supervise my master's thesis on this topic, starting in January? I have attached my CV and my design module report. Many thanks for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards, Leila Haddad
- It says first that she is already in the department.
- The project is small and practical enough for a master's thesis.
- A start date lets the professor answer yes or no in one reply.
Scholarship-funded PhDA student with a scholarship application that needs a supervisor.
Subject
Scholarship applicant: PhD on maternal health in rural clinics
Dear Professor Calloway, I am Sana Qureshi, and I am applying for my government's overseas PhD scholarship in public health. Your 2024 paper, "Antenatal visit patterns in rural primary care", is the reason I am contacting you, as it studies the setting I work in. I have worked for three years as a research officer on a maternal health project, where I managed survey data from 40 clinics. I would like to study why women miss their later antenatal visits. The scholarship needs a letter from a supervisor by 31 March. Would you be willing to supervise me if it is awarded? I have attached my CV and a short research proposal. Thank you for your time. I would be happy to arrange a short call. Kind regards, Sana Qureshi
- It says the funding is her own scholarship, often a professor's first question.
- The deadline is in the email, so the professor knows when to answer.
- Three years of field work make her research question believable.
From a name to a ready email.
Search by name and see their latest papers, free.
Your field, one real project and your goal. Written in your browser.
Three subject lines, a short email citing their paper, and a checklist.
Sign in and your Twin writes it in your voice. You send it yourself.
Professor's name
Type their full name or surname
Professor of computational biology
Imperial College London
Latest paper: Graph neural networks for protein design (2025)
How do I email a professor about a PhD?
Send a short email that could only go to that professor, with your topic in the subject line. In 150 to 200 words, say who you are, cite one of their recent papers, give one real project and ask if they take new students. Attach your CV.
No reply after one to two weeks? Follow up once. ApplyKite lists more than 820,000 professors with their papers.
The full guide: how to email a professor for a PhD →
Know why this professor.
Signed in, your Twin reads their papers beside your CV and shows what connects you.
Professor of computational biology
Imperial College London
Your enzyme stability project is close to their protein design work: both learn from small datasets.
- ▸Graph neural networks for protein design (2025)
- ▸Learning stability from few samples (2024)
Keep every conversation moving.
Save the professor to your tracker: emailed, second email, in contact.
Imperial College LondonIn contact
University of EdinburghSent email
ETH ZurichSent 2nd email
Write to the right professor, the right way.
Questions
What is the email to a professor tool?
The email to a professor tool helps you write your first enquiry for a master's, PhD or postdoc. Search a professor by name and see, free, their recent papers and a first email built on one of them, for you to edit and send yourself. Sign in and ApplyKite Twin drafts a personal email from your profile and their research.
How do I email a professor for a PhD?
Keep it short and specific: who you are, the one or two of their papers that connect to what you want to research, why you would fit their group, and a clear question, such as whether they are taking new students. Attach your CV and send it from your university address if you have one.
What subject line should I use?
Say what it is and why them, for example 'Prospective PhD student: graph learning for protein design'. Avoid a vague 'Request' or 'Hello', which is easy to skip in a full inbox.
How long should the email be?
Around 150 to 200 words, in three or four short paragraphs. A professor should be able to read it in under a minute and know what you want to research and what you are asking.
When should I follow up?
If there is no reply after one to two weeks, send one short, polite follow-up in the same thread. If there is still no reply, move on to the next professor: silence usually means a busy inbox, not a no.
Is the email template free?
Yes, with no sign-up. Sign in, free to start, for an email drafted from your own profile and the professor's research, which you review and send yourself.
Does ApplyKite send the email for me?
No. You always send it yourself, from your own email address. We help you find the right professor and write the first draft.
Read the guide: How to email a professor about a PhD →