Am I Doing This the Right Way?

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ditritium monoxide

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Rising 3rd year student here, for the summer, I'm working in my research lab (I got trained in the fall and started on a project in the spring), but I was unable to get funding, and my P.I. typically pays undergrads once they're more advanced. As such, I'm doing it for course credit this summer, and supplementing income with my usual work at my school's tutoring center. I really like the project, and this research is the main thing I'm doing this summer, as I really like the project and was told I'd be an author on the paper eventually. I'd just like to get all the necessary data faster, but I'm concerned that not getting paid for the summer means I'm doing something wrong. At the same time, the work seems meaningful, as what I am doing in the lab is what the grad students are doing and am obtaining publishable yields. The P.I. only expects 10-15 hrs a week, but I'm doing 30-35 by choice and because I'd like to get enough data for a conference presentation if the paper has to be written and submitted much later.

I've applied for more grants for reserach in the fall, but I'm just wondering if I'm making the wrong move here. I have done plenty of shadowing and non-clinical volunteering (and will continue doing the latter when fall begins), and some clinical volunteering, so I may try to add on clinical volunteering.

Tl;dr trying to make my own luck with research. Hope I'm not trying too hard?

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Well, have you talked to your PI about funding? Is he/she someone who offers to pay or do people have to show initiative? Most undergrads don't get paid doing research. There is nothing wrong with not getting paid. 30-35 hours is not trying too hard; many people spend much more time in lab during summer.
 
Well, have you talked to your PI about funding? Is he/she someone who offers to pay or do people have to show initiative? Most undergrads don't get paid doing research. There is nothing wrong with not getting paid. 30-35 hours is not trying too hard; many people spend much more time in lab during summer.

I talked to my P.I. He said undergrads get paid at a typically more advanced stage. I'll probably be in a better position to ask again for pay in the fall if my grants don't pull through.

30-35 hrs a week is a rough estimate. It's mostly results oriented and based on ehat gets done during the day.
 
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I had to fight tooth and nail for my unpaid research position. With the amount of premed students and fierce competition you'll always find someone willing to do it just for the experience. Plus most beginner researchers are more of a burden than help until they figure out how everything works. You need experience now more than money.
 
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I talked to my P.I. He said undergrads get paid at a typically more advanced stage. I'll probably be in a better position to ask again for pay in the fall if my grants don't pull through.

30-35 hrs a week is a rough estimate. It's mostly results oriented and based on ehat gets done during the day.
Well I don't think you should interpret your PI's words negatively. "Advanced" undergrads are the ones that can function as a PhD student. There is no way you can do that after one fall of training.
 
I had to fight tooth and nail for my unpaid research position. With the amount of premed students and fierce competition you'll always find someone willing to do it just for the experience. Plus most beginner researchers are more of a burden than help until they figure out how everything works. You need experience now more than money.

Completely agree. I just see some people able to get money for 1-2 semesters at other schools, so that just made me think about doing this much work for an unpaid summer.
 
I had federal work study so I was paid because the PI only had to chip in like $1.50 to my wage

at 20 hrs/week I cost about $30/week so just to keep it in perspective

some of the paid undergrads it might be similar
 
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