funding in your prospective program

[ucdguy88]

For all of those who are interviewing- is it a huge red flag if the PI's don't have NSF or NIH funding? I'm curious because the program I'm interviewing at is about 5 years old and these professors are new relatively.

[Neuro PolarBear]

Depends on how new the professors are. If they were recently hired (in the past 2-3 years) it's not uncommon for young PIs to not have their own R01 or equivalent grant yet, as they're probably still supported by their startup package and are in the process of actively applying for grants. Not everyone comes in with a K99 or NIH Early Independence, etc.

However, if you're concerned, that's certainly something you can inquire in more detail about if you get an acceptance and are trying to get a better sense of whether the PIs will have enough funding to support you / their research.

[ucdguy88]

Thanks for the insight! It takes a huge load off my chest.