Things to look out when applying for a research graduate lab

While the research and the reputation of the lab is one of the things students often look for when applying to a research supervisor, there are other factors that are crucial in getting the best of out your post-graduate years.

Here are the things people listed out when we asked current and already graduated post-graduate students, and why that's the case :

Research

• Their papers and who they have written

• How often do they publish research papers

• PI's mentorship style

Environment

• Work-life balance (ie. whether or not people have to come during the weekends to the lab)

• Current members vibe and opinion (whether they are overworked or not)

• Condition and the state of the lab (whether it is a health hazard or not)

• How your supervisor reacts to mistakes

Why?

Since you will be spending most of your day in the lab for years, the people that you surround yourself with are important.

While smaller labs can have less drama and offer more chances to publish, they can also feel isolating. It all depends on what environment fits you best.

Real life scenario:

Great lab members and high reputable lab, however the supervision that was given was very limited and the member had to figure it out mostly by themselves. This in turn got very stressful since there was no guidance and results were not up to the "standards". Despite receiving lots of support and help from other members, experiments had to be repeated for weeks.

The lab size was quite small, there were no labs nearby, and no cross-lab collaborations either. So more often than not, the lab was empty and isolating.

Moral of the story:

Even if your lab members are wonderful, poor supervision or mentoring from your PI can make the experience difficult. Your PI largely determines the quality of your work, your growth, and your stress levels. Some PIs guide you closely, while others expect you to be completely independent.

When choosing a lab, don’t rely solely on your interview impression! Talk to current or former lab members. Some may hesitate to share honest feedback on the spot, so try speaking privately in a relaxed setting. Unfleeting provides lab ratings so you can have a better idea and ask targeted questions!

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out either anonymously or with your signed user! We would to be happy to provide additional details!