How to stay in touch?

[theflash7269]

So I just got off the phone with a potential PI at a school I just interviewed at (they were not at the visitation weekend so I set up a phone interview). They mentioned that they are still waiting to hear back on funding which would determine whether or not they will be taking on a new student this coming fall. At the end of our conversation they mentioned to keep in touch over the next month as they figure out the funding issue. My question is how exactly should I go about this? I don't want to sound pesky and email them every other week asking if they got funding but I'm not sure how else I would keep in touch....perhaps ask a few more questions regarding their current research projects?? Any ideas/thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Langoustine]

That doesn't sound bad. I'd say around mid-March emailing about their research, maybe throw in a question about the program in general and at the end ask whether they have heard back about the funding situation. Good luck!

Edited March 2, 2011 by Langoustine

[phdsucceed]

That doesn't sound bad. I'd say around mid-March emailing about their research, maybe throw in a question about the program in general and at the end ask whether they have heard back about the funding situation. Good luck!

I think that emailing mid-March is a good idea.

I would be a little careful about joining the lab of a PI hiring at the limit of his or her financial resources. Does the PI have other grants? Would you be guaranteed five years of funding? Do you know how much you'd have to teach? If the PI would be your sole source of support, you might want to ask discreetly how much time is left on his/her various grants. Norms vary department by department, but in some of the rougher ones, grad students sometimes have to switch advisers, teach extra courses, or go unfunded for a year or more when their advisers don't get grants.

[mooseundsquirrel]

I'm sort of in the same boat - I have two almost-acceptances (one to the dream school), but each POI is still trying to ail down funding. Dream school guarantees five years of funding across the board to those they admit, so I figure I wouldn't need to worry much after the initial funds were tracked down. I'm just sitting on pins and needles for a while longer, I guess!