Too pushy/anxious?

[MedievalMadness]

I have a question for the group. 

 

A few weeks ago, a professor posted up on a listserv that he just received funding for a PhD studentship and was looking for interested candidates. This professor is big in my field, so I was eager to go ahead and apply. The application process was informal. He said that there was a quick turn-around time because he will need to submit his candidate to the Dean by March 10. So, he was just asking for a statement of interest, a CV, and transcripts. I submitted all these things to him and he told me that he would select a candidate shortly after February 20.

 

I did some research on the fellowship funding and found an instruction sheet online that suggested the candidate would need to put together a research project proposal to be submitted to the dean on March 10 along with the other paperwork. 

 

Erk. This professor has not mentioned the research proposal at all outside of saying in his email to the listserv that he intended for this candidate to work with him on his current digital humanities project and wished for the doctoral project to be align with his work and interests. 

 

I have not yet heard back from this professor, though I anticipate hearing from him by the end of the week or early next week given the quick turn-around on this. 

 

So, should I contact him to ask about whether I need to put together a project proposal? Or rather, whether I should be thinking about putting something together? Or do you guys think I should just wait it out? I'm torn between not wanting to be pushy and not wanting to be stuck with a last minute effort at putting something together. The proposal for my MA thesis took me a couple months of research and writing!

 

Maybe I'm just overthinking it? I mean, it's entirely likely I won't even be chosen as this guy's candidate. I've started poking around and doing a smidge of research, but I don't want to put too much work into it without knowing whether it's necessary right now.

[ArtHistoryandMuseum]

Is there a possibility that there is a first round (culling of applicants), and a following round (that requests a research proposal)?

[MedievalMadness]

Quite possibly, but it would be a very, very short period of time in which to do a proposal for consideration in a second round. This professor needs to select one candidate to submit to the Dean for approval, and that submission must be done on or before March 10. This professor's email to the listserv, which requested a statement of interest by February 20, was sent out on February 13. 

 

So, I'm very concerned about having to prepare a proposal by March 10 if I don't hear back from the professor until the end of February. 

 

Then again, I could be overthinking it. I'm just not sure. My gut tells me that I should just wait for contact from the professor.

[hashslinger]

You should wait for him to contact you. He's probably busy right now weeding through all the applicants. Unless this guy knows you personally or has reached out to you to let you know that you're on a short list, then no, let him do his thing. Don't call him, he'll call you, etc.

 

March 10 is still weeks away. If you don't hear from him by next Monday, then you might send a *very* polite, unassuming email inquiring about the status of your application. That is all.

 

Is there some special reason to assume that you've got this in the bag? Whenever I apply for things like this, I assume that I won't get it. Usually I don't. The fact that you haven't heard yet may mean that you haven't been selected. This is par for the course. Academia is so competitive that you won't get the vast majority of things you apply for--jobs, conferences, publications, fellowships, competitive seminars, etc. 

[MedievalMadness]

 

Is there some special reason to assume that you've got this in the bag? Whenever I apply for things like this, I assume that I won't get it. Usually I don't. The fact that you haven't heard yet may mean that you haven't been selected. This is par for the course. Academia is so competitive that you won't get the vast majority of things you apply for--jobs, conferences, publications, fellowships, competitive seminars, etc. 

 

Oh, no! Sorry. I didn't mean to imply that I believe I've got this in the bag. Not at all. I was just contemplating the dilemma of whether to ask about the proposal and whether I should consider thinking about it now even though I haven't heard from him.

 

I have no idea how many people have applied for this one funded position and I'm sure the competition will be fierce, but he did say he would contact me shortly after the 20th. So, I'm hopeful that I will at least get a timely rejection if that's the case.