Joining a lab

A fruitful marriage: Choosing a lab to join

A perfect rotation, if it ever happened, would meet all of the following criteria:

1. You get along well with both the professor and the other members of the lab. (They’re going to be your coworkers for the next few years!)

2. The lab has enough money from grants to confidently state that it can pay your tuition and stipend for the next several years.

3. The work is interesting and engaging, and you have a passion for the research focus.

4. Other graduate students in the lab are happy and are on track to graduate on time (2 years for Masters, 5-6 years for PhD)

5. Former graduate students from this lab have secured successful positions that pay well and use their degree.

6. The lab is geographically convenient and matches your schedule of work (early birds vs. night owls).

Good luck finding this. If you do, grab it right away - you’ve found a unicorn! Some professors are conscientious and will tell you plainly the answers to all of these questions, and many will even try and discuss it with you before accepting you for a rotation. But many labs won’t come out and say this - ­ you need to ask. Therefore, one of your most important jobs in a rotation is - even as you’re putting yourself on display and showcasing your hard work, determination, and drive - investigating the lab.

Ask the professor how they could financially support you through your thesis. Ask specific questions, and make sure that you have at least one full, frank discussion with the professor about funding. You wouldn’t take a job at a failing company, so why would you want a multi­year position at a lab that can’t afford to pay you?

Once rotations are over, your tuition and stipend need to come from somewhere. While you can work as a teaching assistant to support yourself, this will take time away from research. Some but not all students are awarded fellowships. Laboratory supplies are expensive. Think about how much certainty is in a laboratory's funding situation, and how you would feel if their uncertainties became your uncertainties. Four rotations may seem like a plethora of options, but choose wisely. Devote your time to laboratories you would be excited to join. Make these rotations a rich slice of life!

“I have(n't) found my lab! Now what?”

If you find a good match with a lab that has funding for you to do a research project, congratulations! If you’re completely sure that you’ve found the right fit for you, make sure to tell the professor, the other graduate students in the lab, and the office administrative staff. You may stay there for a second rotation, or join their lab permanently. However, if you find yourself in a rotation that is obviously not a good match, contact IGG's Co-Chairs, who may encourage you to move on to a new rotation early.

If you still have more rotations after choosing your lab, don’t give up on them! Think about using these rotations for more informational purposes, learning new skills and techniques that might complement your project. Other rotations also offer the possibility of having a second professor or working on a collaborative project between multiple labs, which offers great opportunities to explore new areas. Keep an open mind about what labs would be interesting. Graduate school is a time to broaden your interests and experience. Make the best use of this valuable time and learn passionately!

Finally, if you have heard of other labs with openings pass on this information to other grad students in your year! If another professor was also holding a spot for you, kindly let them know that you’ve elected to join a different lab, as another student might be interested in that spot as well.