Richa Vinayak
Marie Curie Postdoctoral Researcher, Aalborg University · Former Assistant Professor, GNDU Amritsar
Speaks English and Hindi
Is this the right person for you?
Who should talk to Richa?
Every question below is one Richa has lived through — you can trace each of them to the record further down this page. If one or more of them is your question, this call is for you. If none of them is, Richa is probably not the right person, and it is better to know that now.
- ?What should an academic CV contain for a faculty or fellowship application?
- ?How do I prepare for a university faculty interview and the demo lecture?
- ?How do I write the first email to a prospective supervisor so that it gets a reply?
- ?Is a PhD in chemistry worth it, and what does it lead to besides more academia?
- ?I have an MSc and a lab job. How do I get onto a funded research track?
- ?How does an Assistant Professor post in India compare with a research fellowship in Europe?
- ?How do I put together a Marie Curie or similar postdoctoral fellowship application?
- ?What is the Indian academic job market like for a fresh PhD in the sciences?
- ?What does teaching as a university faculty member actually involve week to week?
- ?How do I turn my research into a first paper, and how much does the journal matter?
- ?How do I write the research statement a fellowship panel is actually reading?
- ?What are research work and everyday life in Denmark really like?
Richa did her PhD in Inorganic Chemistry at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad between 2014 and 2020, then spent two years as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, before winning a Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellowship and moving to AAU Energy at Aalborg University in Denmark in 2024. She has held the two positions most chemistry graduates are choosing between — an Indian faculty post and a funded research fellowship abroad — and can compare them from the inside rather than from a forum thread.
Why Richa
- Marie Curie Postdoctoral Researcher, Aalborg University, Denmark · AAU Energy · since Oct 2024
- Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar · 2022–2024
- PhD, Inorganic Chemistry, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad · 2014–2020
The academic path, compared honestly
Richa has held an Indian faculty position and a European research fellowship. This is the conversation for someone trying to choose between them, or unsure whether either is worth it.
- Compare pay, autonomy, teaching load and long-term security across the two routes
- Understand how competitive fellowships are judged, and what a strong application contains
- Plan the record — papers, collaborations, proposal — that makes you a credible candidate
- Decide whether to apply now or spend another year strengthening the profile first
What a 20-minute call covers
- Whether a PhD in chemistry is the right next step after an MSc or a few years in industry
- How an Indian Assistant Professor post compares with a funded research fellowship abroad
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie and similar fellowship applications: host fit, proposal, and the supporting record
- Finding a supervisor abroad and writing the first email that actually gets a reply
- What research, teaching and industry roles look like after a chemistry PhD
- Turning a research idea into a paper plan: scope, literature, methods, structure
One focused conversation, not a programme. If what you need is ongoing mentoring, say so on the call and Richa will tell you honestly whether Richa is the right person for it.
Other things you can bring
- Academic CV
- Faculty interview & demo
- Research statement
- PhD in chemistry
- Faculty post in India
- Marie Curie fellowship
- Postdoc applications
- Finding a supervisor
- Research proposals
- Academic job market
- Publishing
- Research careers abroad
- Teaching as a career
Advises on
- Postdoctoral researcher
- Assistant Professor
- Academia
- Chemistry research
- European research funding
- Fellowship applications
- Research proposals
- Publishing
- Academic job market
How it works
- Pay ₹1299 — the whole fee, with nothing charged later.
- Choose phone or WhatsApp video and confirm the number to use.
- We confirm a time within 48 hours or automatically refund the payment.
- 20 focused minutes to work through the decision you bring.
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