Jump to content

labdilemma

Members
  • Posts

    1
  • Joined

  • Last visited

labdilemma's Achievements

Decaf

Decaf (2/10)

0

Reputation

  1. Hi all, Long post inbound, throwaway for very obvious reasons. I am a PhD student about to begin his third year in a top 5 cell biology program in the US. When I joined my current lab last summer after rotations (I am one of three grad students that joined at the same time, we are all their first grad students they’ve mentored), I was brought in to set up a new line of research for the lab that I had significant experience in, but my PI didn’t. This line of research is incredibly expensive and difficult to perform, but returns very high impact results. Further, I had a project in mind that I really wanted to do, and this PI independently had the exact same idea. In short, it seemed like a perfect fit. I really like the PI as a person, and the two of us get along really well. My second year was mostly troubleshooting, but by the end of this year we finally got a pipeline set up in the lab, and we are now in position to start seriously collecting large amounts of good data. He has given me lots of positive feedback, let me take the drivers seat for my project, and been very supportive. I seriously cannot overstate how much I appreciate him as a mentor. There’s only one problem. My PI is new faculty going into his fourth year, and he has been unable to get any grants. His funding is rapidly dwindling, and he is getting very nervous about lab finances, trying to cut costs wherever possible. He recently told me that we were going to be out of start up funds by the end of the year, and he even told me he might have to switch me to his cheaper primary line of research in the lab if funding continues to be an issue, which I have absolutely zero interest in doing. This is also a major issue because the data collection I want to do this year will be incredibly expensive, though it will almost certainly result in multiple papers. I just won the GRFP so I don’t cost anything, which helps, but it still isn’t enough. On the other hand: a few months ago, a very high profile superstar PI (that my current PI knows well) just came to my institution with multiple NIH grants in hand and literally multiple millions in start up funds my institution gave them to lure them here. I started meeting with this new PI here, and within a short time, I was able to both get this high profile PI on my committee and I was even able to tentatively start up a collaboration with them using the methods I set up in my current lab, which this high profile PI also wants to get set up in their new lab here. Within the next few weeks we should have our first pilot data back. This PI is also looking for new PhD students here, and has a very strong record of placing people into faculty positions. Given the funding difficulties in the lab and the situation with this high profile PI, I have been strongly considering switching to this other lab, or ideally working out a co-mentorship arrangement that would allow me to work mostly from the other lab without these resource concerns. I feel bad about it given my strong rapport with my current PI and I don’t want to hurt them, but at the same time I do not want to go down with the ship if they cannot get money. Are my concerns off-base, or are they valid? Obviously, this situation is very delicate, and I do not know how to broach it without offending or alienating my current PI. Once I talk to the superstar PI about it, it will almost certainly get back to my current PI as well. Do you have any advice on what I should do, or how I should approach the situation? I really want to stay in academia, and I do not want this current dilemma to hamper my career or my standing in any way, and I really don’t want to burn any bridges. What would you do, or what would you recommend? TLDR: Love my current lab and PI dearly but it has funding problems. Superstar PI came in, and we seem to work well together. Considering switching labs but do not want to alienate current PI. What should I do?
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use