How commonly is funding departmental rather than lab-specific?

[essequamvideri]

I've seen both situations, where you're either accepted to a department and can change POIs during your degree without affecting your funding, or you're accepted into a lab (which may be covering some of your funding) and it's quite difficult to change labs for this reason. Clearly the former situation is preferable (even if you really have a good feeling about your lab, 5 years is a long time and it's good to have a safety net), but is that situation the norm or the exception?

[TakeruK]

I think this really really depends on your field, what type of school it is, and what country you're in. 

 

For example, at Canadian public schools in physical science fields, your funding is usually divided between a specific prof/group/lab (can make up from 1/3 to 2/3 of your total funding) and the department (usually comes in the form of TAships). Sometimes having a fellowship (internal or external) can decrease the amount your prof has to contribute (and sometimes decreases your TA load). Either way, since a significant chunk of your stipend will be coming from your lab group, the second of two options you list is the "norm". However, since it's not 100% of your funding from a prof, it still not impossible to switch advisors if both your new and old advisors agree to it.

 

On the other hand, it seems like most US schools in the physical science fields operate at the "departmental" funding level at least for the first year. My current program will guarantee funding to all students for the length of the degree. The first year is departmental funding so that we can work with a few professors and pick an advisor. The second year is a mix of department and advisor funding, I think. The third year and beyond is advisor only and you should have a thesis advisor in place by that time. So it is very important to discuss whether or not the advisor has funding for you when starting a first year project with them. In my program, profs behave ethically and will only consider you for a first year project if they can potentially fund you later (i.e. they are not going to just take everyone on and only agree to fund a few).