How do I go from volunteer to paid?
Title. I'm researching in a neuroscience/molecular bio lab this summer at my university, and will start my second week tomorrow. Right now I'm just an undergrad volunteer in the lab, working under a PhD candidate and helping her out with some rudimentary tasks (washing dishes, preparing buffers, nothing too special). I know the lab has decent funding, as the main prof. just received a gigantic grant from the uni. I've spoken to some other undergrads in the lab and they've briefly mentioned a small "stipend", but ya boi is obviously looking for something more regular to pay for bus and train fares. How long should I wait before asking about getting paid?
May 18, 2015
10 Comments • Newest first
Lol paid undergrad is more common than you think. Just briefly spoke to my PI about it and it's doable, especially since I've got work-study. However I still have a long ways before I can actually ask the main prof. for funds, seeing as I need legitimate reasons and/or my own project to get started. Thanks y'all.
@DragonBandit It isn't exactly easy to get paid internships as a freshman, especially when there's so many upperclassmen fiending for some experience around here. I sent a few apps here and there, but never got past a phone interview, so I settled on research. Looking to try again next summer for sure,
Well, if you actually intend to stick with the whole neuroscience plan then stay for the experience and work for some recommendations, after that maybe you can find a job that will pay you decent money.
@achyif: Yea it is common. That is exactly why he should look for a gig that pays. I dont see why you made your comment or did you not read mine? Why should he waste his time trying to convince them to pay him or to eventually get paid? There is no guarantee for pay. It is much easier to actually find something that pays.
when you become valuable to the lab. your PI can find anybody to do what you're doing at the moment so there's no reason to pay you for what many others would do for free. you'll want to be at least be taking a part in performing the experiments first of all, and second you should have accomplished enough that you can actually present findings...my school has a yearly poster day for people in labs to present their current research so you'll want at bare minimum a year in the lab before you even think about payment. especially since you're still and undergrad and they'll have to teach you a lot of things, payment probably means that you will be taking a large part in leading the experiment which you probably do not have the qualifications for yet.
@ people that aren't familiar with undergrad assistants in labs, people do get recruited from a volunteer position into an actual paid researcher. it's just that op is nowhere near close to the point that a PI can justify tossing very coveted lab funds to keep him. usually the position will be offered by the PI anyway, sometimes after the student graduate to ensure that the person will stay in the lab. it's a lot of work to train someone so there's an incentive there to pay to keep someone so that they don't have to train someone new and so they have someone that can lead.
[quote=DragonBandit]Its a volunteer gig. At no time should you ask for money or expect any. Its like me wanting to be a volunteer fire fighter and expecting pay eventually. Thats not how that works at all. You want to get paid look for a job or a paid internship. Good luck in your hunt for $$.[/quote]
idk what unfunded group you've based your experience off of, but paid undergrad researchers is a common thing.
I mean, if you think you're contributing and have been working a while then you may as well ask your grad student/PI or whatever. Mention travel costs/whatever, worst that could happen is they say no. Then you'll know what to expect. Also you should start thinking about long term projects you could do.
Its a volunteer gig. At no time should you ask for money or expect any. Its like me wanting to be a volunteer fire fighter and expecting pay eventually. Thats not how that works at all. You want to get paid look for a job or a paid internship. Good luck in your hunt for $$.
[quote=Collee]So entitled! some people's children... [/quote]
Care to explain?
6-12 months seems reasonable to me. I feel like after a year of volunteer, you should start gettin' some cash.
shouldn't it have been included in the contract? i know a lot of my friends who are just starting being lab assistant positions at their college are getting paid a few thousand dollars + housing over the summer.
but if you took the position fully aware of just being a volunteer, i don't think getting paid is a realistic option at this point.
So entitled! some people's children...