Annoying research situation...

[G Bronson]

I wrote a long thing on this situation and it got deleted when my internet went out, so this is the lazy cliffnotes version. Also -- not 100% this is the right place for this so feel free to move yada yada

 

 

 

• Applied for paid research position over summer.
• Original head researcher I applied for hired two other people, sent me to work for her head researcher husband.
• He asked me to volunteer for two weeks to make sure I like it, then I get paid.
• Head researcher goes to India for two months on religious thing, I train during this time.
• He comes back, says there's no money to pay me, asks me to work for college credit.
• Maybe I get paid if grant goes through in a few months.

I just talked to my other boss about this and she was like "they can't do this to you this is exploitative rabble rabble." I emailed the head researcher to schedule a meeting to talk about this, not sure what to say.

 

I really like the people I work with, but really need to get paid eventually. Am worried I'm wasting my time, though I'm learning stuff (pcr, rna extraction, greenhouse)

 

Thanks for good suggestions.

[Arete]

Ahh the joys of exploitative science.

 

The reality of working in science on soft (i.e. grant) is that there is a fair bit of uncertainty, and whether deliberate or not, young vulnerable people often get the raw end of poor financial management and/or tight budgets.

 

As in all other forms of employment, if all you have is verbal promises, your recourse is very limited. Until you sign on the dotted line, consider all promises to be withdrawable - I've seen this happen up to an including the offer of tenured positions being cancelled after negotiations the day before a contract was to be signed. If you have signed a contract, the university should be able to enforce the terms on the PI. If not, you probably don't have much of an option other than to demand it, and quit if its not forthcoming.

 

Personally, if I had gone into a situation under the expectation I would be paid and had that re-negged on after I started in the lab, I would leave, as it doesn't bode well for future good will (like promises of authorship, etc). If you can't get another paid internship and would settle for a letter and experience, I would personally go to another lab and start over with all the expectations out in the open.

Edited December 18, 2013 by Arete

[Phi for All]

He asked me to volunteer for two weeks to make sure I like it, then I get paid

 

It sounds like the first offer was pretty firm about you getting paid. But that verbal contract got broken. What assurances do you have that the second offer,

 

Maybe I get paid if grant goes through in a few months.

 

which contains a "maybe", will be more trustworthy?

 

I would approach the head researcher, explain that you really appreciate the opportunity to train under his process, and feel you've done your work very well and would continue to grow professionally. Your situation, however, requires that you cover your expenses in a responsible manner. You've enjoyed the rapport that's been established but you have to turn down his nebulous offer and find a position that better suits your goals.

 

 

[G Bronson]

Personally, if I had gone into a situation under the expectation I would be paid and had that re-negged on after I started in the lab, I would leave, as it doesn't bode well for future good will (like promises of authorship, etc).

 

Hm... there was a promise of authorship...

[CharonY]

As it was implied, promise of authorship is not worth terribly much. For starters there are no guarantees that a work will ever yield publishable results and even if there is one and even if authorship is granted, it may be at best at limited usefulness.

 

Based on the available information there does not appear to be a good reason to stay, unless you are really considering joining the lab at some point. But then you should have more info on the likelihood of funding etc.

 

Personally, I would not have made any promises unless I have the money (and actually want someone to join). And if it is dependent on external factors such as funding I would make it very clear before taking anyone in for volunteering. Problem with grants is that there is no way of predicting success but promising something and going back on this promises is usually not indicative of a good work relationship.

[CaptainPanic]

I really like the people I work with, but really need to get paid eventually.

 

That is exactly what you should say. You want payment. You want a contract in which that is agreed on. That is the core of your problem. Stick to it. If they don't understand, or dodge the issue, get out.

 

I'll leave it to you how you dress this up into a polite conversation. I focussed only on the core-message. It's actually very simple.

[Arete]

 

Hm... there was a promise of authorship...

 

It's much better to get red flags at the start and avoid a bad situation than end up in one - e.g. having done all the data collection only to find yourself missing from the author list of the resultant publication. I know charonY and I (and most other people who have done postdocs I know) have a horror story of how either through bad circumstance or deliberate dishonesty we've been exploited by PI's. Unfortunately as an undergrad, without knowing what sort of institution you're at (R1 vs LAC vs undergrad only, etc) you're probably barely a blip on the PI's radar and they are unlikely to care much whether you hang around or leave.

 

If it sounds like the situation is starting poorly - which it definitely sounds like it is, you're probably better off getting out before you have much invested than sticking it out in the hope it turns out ok. At the very least I'd definitely advise you to have a look around the department and talk to a few other PI's about opportunities in other labs. As an undergrad volunteer, you are certainly replaceable, so try to make sure you have other options too.

 

All of the paid undergrad interns in our lab get paid by an internal university grant. If you haven't already, I would see if your institution offers something similar. Having your own independent cash is a game changer.