This autumn, Tallinn University will welcome nine new postdoctoral researchers to the School of Humanities through different funding schemes, including the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA PF) and the Estonian Research Council’s incoming postdoctoral programme. All of them participated in the training and proposal development initiative organised in summer 2025.
Seeing these researchers arrive in Tallinn is particularly rewarding because it reflects several years of work supporting postdoctoral applicants and supervisors throughout the application process. What started as a small initiative at the School of Humanities has gradually developed into a structured programme combining training, proposal development support, feedback and follow-up activities.
One of the main lessons I have learned is that successful applications do depend on many factors. Strong candidates, committed supervisors and excellent research ideas are all important, but they often need institutional support to come together effectively. Many applicants are highly qualified researchers who simply need guidance on how to present their project, career development plan and expected impact in a way that matches the logic of the MSCA PF evaluation process.
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with researchers from different countries and disciplines, helping them develop proposals, understand the evaluation criteria and navigate the application process. Not every proposal is funded, but even unsuccessful applications often lead to improved projects, new collaborations and future opportunities.
As competition for international talent continues to grow, institutions that want to attract postdoctoral researchers need to think beyond recruitment alone. Providing structured support before submission can make a significant difference, not only in funding outcomes but also in building long-term research capacity and international networks.
