reverse_transcriptase Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 Hey I'm just a little curious as to what % do most profs supplement the NSERC usra? ... I'm still debating between 2 labs myself, one said the minimum 25% and I haven't talked to the other about it yet. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ysk1 Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 I'm just wondering, but does it matter whether you get more supplements or not? Does it make much of a difference on the quality of summer NSERC you do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athina021 Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Usually, most supplement by the minimum 25%. They might be willing to top you up a little more if you're an excellent candidate and if they're competing for you with another lab, but I`ve only really seen that at the graduate level. My advice (from someone who`s been there twice): choose the best lab for you, otherwise you might have a less than optimal experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquaman Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Choose the better prof. Past experience says they will only give you the minimum. Remember this isn't the private sector....the money is coming of your profs grants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ysk1 Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Is it possible to do NSERC two times, each with a different prof? This Summer I'm going to do NSERC with a prof who isn't that great. Before I applied for this year's NSERC I interviewed with one other prof. He was a much much better prof and seemed to have a much greater potential to be a mentor. Why I didn't choose to do NSERC with him this year was because he demanded that I first read some of his papers and then be able to express my interest in his research. I couldn't do this, because I didn't understand 99% of what's written on his papers. In contrast, the prof I'm going to do NSERC with this year didn't make me do such things when I asked him to be my supervisor. He just immediately agreed to do it, without any interview, probably because I've been volunteering in his lab for over 5 months, though I never saw him in the lab. I'm hoping to go back to the better prof next year and ask him to do NSERC with me. But wouldn't he not be willing to do it with me, because I've already done NSERC with another prof? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athina021 Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 ... he demanded that I first read some of his papers and then be able to express my interest in his research. I couldn't do this, because I didn't understand 99% of what's written on his papers. That's not uncommon. He wants to know that you're motivated and interested in what you'll be researching, because on days when nothing is working, he wants to know you won't give up and that you're worth the time and investment! ... probably because I've been volunteering in his lab for over 5 months, though I never saw him in the lab. You have to determine if that's your style or not. Personally, I like to know that my supervisor has some idea of what's going on in the lab. I'm hoping to go back to the better prof next year and ask him to do NSERC with me. But wouldn't he not be willing to do it with me, because I've already done NSERC with another prof? Not necessarily, unless you made a bad impression (sadly enough, he may not remember you next year!). If you do well in the other lab this summer and can explain why you are more interested in this guy's research and think his lab is a better fit for you, it might work! Good luck! (Have you be given the USRA already?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ysk1 Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 I'm hoping to go back to the better prof next year and ask him to do NSERC with me. But wouldn't he not be willing to do it with me, because I've already done NSERC with another prof? Not necessarily, unless you made a bad impression (sadly enough, he may not remember you next year!). If you do well in the other lab this summer and can explain why you are more interested in this guy's research and think his lab is a better fit for you, it might work! Good luck! (Have you be given the USRA already?) Thanks for your post, Athina021. Yes, I've been given the USRA already. (Here's my related thread: NSERC Starter http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24875) I'm very sure that I made at least a neutral impression. But even if you made a good impression, isn't it possible for him to forget you by next year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athina021 Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 Congrats on the USRA!!! Are you asking if it's possible for a supervisor to forget you in the span of a year even if you've made a good impression? This may sound cynical, but for sure! Supervisors come across so many people and so much administrative and research-related stuff, in my experience anyways, they tend to be forgetful (this may not apply to all supervisors, obviously). They're very busy and many get requests for interviews and positions all the time. My masters' supervisor would constantly forget what I was doing from day to day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.