Title says it all. I am in a lab that is known around the world in my field. Just having my advisor CCed on emails I send gets my foot through the door to so many opportunities. Honestly it has been a dream come true for me.
However my funding just got cut and my PI also lost a ton of NIH grants so my last paycheck is next month. I feel like if I follow my heart I will just stay in the lab as a volunteer until I find funding again (I have enough saved up to last 8 months until I would have to move in with my parents). This will be my best shot at getting a CNS paper out because that is basically standard in the lab.
Otherwise its most likely a teaching/lecturing gig which will basically put most of my research to halt. I guess part time is an option, just not seeing a lot of those. Wondering what others think or if ppl are in similar situations.
Comments
I think it depends on what you have to fall back on. Like even if you dont get funding again after 8 months are you completely fucked or can you rely on your parents or someone else to fall back on. Also depends on if you will be able to get the same teaching gig after 8 months if you tried.
Ok, that’s a tough one. So sorry that this happened. Also, disclaimer: I am in academia but not in science. If you have a good relationship with your PI, I would discuss it with them. As the situation is so new and quickly evolving, it might be worthwhile to hang around a bit. Questions I would ask, is the PI actively perusing alternative funding and are you included in their plan? Is your University working on bridge funding? Are there any grants you are eligible to apply on your own? Normally, I would say – no work without pay but this are not normal times, so your gut feeling might be right.
Ask the advisor if they are that in the know.
You might want to check if you can even be in a lab doing work without drawing some salary. things like insurance in case anything goes wrong might have the bean counters looking hard at your situation.
In my opinion it’s not a tough one. If your supervisor is that good he can get you a great next position now. There are many other good institutes. You are worth more than unpaid work.
Also on another note. Stop normalizing unpaid work in labs/ academia and paving this way for others.
I have found myself in very similar situations before.
First, if it were me, I would fight tooth and nail to keep my research going.
Second, it doesn’t have to be an either/or (eg EITHER I go broke keeping my research going, OR I have some income and security).
Some middle-ground options to consider:
if you get along well enough with your parents, consider moving in with them now/ for a six month duration so you don’t spend all your savings while researching for free. You could even sign a six month agreement with them or something
see if you can teach just one small online course or something very simple (ideally a course where you inherit slides and past exams from the previous instructor) and set an absolute hard limit on the number of hours you dedicate to it per week. Or try tutoring here and there on the side, on your own for or an agency.
seek out one-time money making opportunities in your school, your community, etc. for example, my department sometimes holds brief summer workshops I can get paid to help with. It’s a short commitment, topics that are very easy for me to talk about (not tons of prep time), I get a little cash, and it looks good on my cv. There are also many seasonal jobs around the holidays if you don’t mind working retail, doing some gift wrapping, etc etc. they won’t be high income but they’ll buy some groceries
If your PI is that much of a big name they should 1) be able to find funds to support you until you finish this paper 2) use connections to find others that have openings. You should not give away your time and work for free. We aren’t allowed to have volunteers in the lab – even if you never set foot in the lab space, we aren’t able to get free work from people.
How long have you been in this lab, and what is your advisor’s assessment of the situation? I think “finding funding again” may be challenging for the next little while. Consider whether it might be a good idea to secure a paying position and try to keep your research going as a side project. What are your long term plans and is your current position a postdoc, or what?