Hi everyone,
I hope you’re doing well. I’m graduating this spring with a Ph.D. in Computer Science as an immigrant. Also, I am currently not planning to pursue a postdoc.
Recently, I received a tenure-track faculty offer from an R1 university in the southern U.S., ranked around 80–100 nationally, with a strong engineering program. While I’m grateful for the opportunity, I do have a few concerns and would greatly appreciate your insights or advice on the following:
- Student Recruitment: I plan to recruit 1–2 Ph.D. students to support my research. How much does the university’s overall ranking affect the quality or number of applicants for Ph.D. programs?
- Funding Landscape: I plan to seek funding from agencies like NSF or NIH. Given the current political and funding environment, I’m concerned about potential challenges—whether they are short-term disruptions or more prolonged difficulties, especially as they would impact the early years of my career.
- Future Mobility: If I consider moving to a higher-ranked R1 institution in the future (e.g., within the 40–60 range) before tenure, how feasible would that be? What are the main factors that influence such a transition—research funding, publication record, teaching evaluations, networking?
- Industry Engagement: I’ve noticed some faculty also engage in startups or serve as industry consultants. How common is this, and does it depend heavily on institutional ranking or one’s individual visibility in the field? Are these more exceptional cases or fairly attainable goals?
I truly appreciate any thoughts or experiences you’re willing to share. Thank you so much in advance!
Comments
You have many doubts. No one has the data you ask for (“how feasible is it for me to move to a higher ranking R1…”). If you are not excited about the offer and the place you got it from, given how uncertain things are, it might be better to take a pass and go into industry.