I’m a current freshman, and will take classes during the spring semester. Afterwards, though (during summer term), I’ll be researching in a lab full-time (40 hrs/week). My lab head recently gave me a list of organizations that provide funding (since the lab itself doesn’t have enough funds to support me), but it looks like it’s way too late to apply for them. Is there anywhere I can apply to or ask for funding? Is cold-calling random companies/ institutions a waste of time? Can I get funding from anywhere within the university itself?
It’s unfortunate that your PI has put you in this situation. Frankly, imo this is an issue that he/she should figure out if you’re being employed as a full-time research assistant. What field/department is this in?
It’s in the neurology department at the medical school. He wants to give me the experience, which I appreciate. Logistically, he just can’t employ me full-time since his lab is relatively new, and so has less funds. It would just be better if I could get some money at the same time. The only other option I see is to work part-time somewhere else on top of that…
It’s not unreasonable for you to expect him to provide some sort of funding even if you are gaining valuable experience. Is he having you work on a specific project? To my understanding, research projects in medical schools typically have individual project funds. I personally wouldn’t want to work part-time somewhere else while also serving as a research assistant.
There is absolutely no way a lab at U of M should be having you work full time without pay. You should only work the hours that s/he is able to pay you for or that you can comfortably afford to “volunteer” for.
We had a few volunteers on my project last summer but they only did about 10 hours/week or less and, really, the research was for their own projects and I just gave them the support that they needed.
There are emergency research funds the PI could apply to at the U but I know less about these. He should seek them out if he wants you in there.
@romanigypsyeyes late response on my part, but do you know anything more about these emergency research funds? I’ll just send my PI a link and ask him to apply to them.
Nope. I’m not a faculty member so I don’t have access to those links. If your PI wants you on the project, he can do the work for you.
For some reason my response does not show up here. I believe the emergency fund is for the faculties running out of grant money and need a support for a gap period. It may be not for getting extra money to hire additional person.
There are many different pots of emergency money, billscho. To keep and hire more students this summer on our project, my undergrads, PI, and myself applied for a mix of different funding sources from the U. I’ve never seen a funding source that says you can’t hire new people- even the gap funding.