Use Unofficial Offer to Negotiate Funding?

[wannabeaphd]

Is an unofficial offer of fuding from one school good enough to negotiate funding with another school?

I've got an unofficial offer for about 20K and renewal for multiple years (not specified) and I want to use it to negotiate my official offer of about 17K for 3 years. Would this work? Do you think it needs to be an official funding offer? The offer came from a POI who is also dept. chair -- and teh funding is specifically for projects with him which are already funded.

Thoughts? Thanks!

[coonskee]

I would ask your PI what he thinks first. You don't want to use his name without permission in negotiating and potentially get him in trouble.

Good luck!

[wannabeaphd]

Thanks coonskee!

For those of you who have successfully negotiated, was it with a written offer, or verbal? Did you just have to mention it or did you need to fax a copy?