Should I apply for a fellowship while I’m still a graduate student, or wait until I’ve started my postdoc?
You should discuss this issue with your postdoctoral sponsor. If money is tight, your sponsor may suggest that you apply for a fellowship while you are still in graduate school so that you can activate (start) your fellowship as soon as you begin your postdoc, or shortly thereafter. Keep in mind, though, that your new research topic will not be as familiar to you as it will be later, after you’ve started the project, so the research plan that you describe may be naive or overambitious. Moreover, it will be easier to get help with your application from your new sponsor after you have started working in that person’s lab.
You should discuss this issue with your postdoctoral sponsor. If money is tight, your sponsor may suggest that you apply for a fellowship while you are still in graduate school so that you can activate (start) your fellowship as soon as you begin your postdoc, or shortly thereafter. Keep in mind, though, that your new research topic will not be as familiar to you as it will be later, after you’ve started the project, so the research plan that you describe may be naive or overambitious. Moreover, it will be easier to get help with your application from your new sponsor after you have started working in that person’s lab.
Related Questions
- Should I apply for a fellowship if the research that I’m doing as a postdoc is similar to the research that I did when I was a graduate student?
- I’m a transfer student. How can I get credit towards the Stanford English major for the classes I’ve already taken?
- Should I apply for a fellowship while I’m still a graduate student, or wait until I’ve started my postdoc?
