Worried that I’m being overly ambitious and annoying my advisor

[didyouknow96]

Hi there.

So I began working in an Autism research lab this January. I applied for a summer research grant, which required collaboration with my PI. Then I asked her to mentor me for my senior thesis, which she happily did, helping me with my proposal and such. Now I really want to apply for a Fulbright for the 2019-2020 school year, and since I’m proposing research at another Autism research group, it would be foolish of me to not ask for her recommendation. But will she really want to write a recommendation for me when I haven’t even known her for a year or finished my thesis? Will she be annoyed by me and how I constantly need her attention? Can any PIs share their two cents?

Thanks!

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[futureapppsy2]

Just ask her if she would be willing to please write an excellent recommendation. If she doesn't want to/can't, she'll politely decline. It sounds like she would be a good recommender, though!

 

[smalltownpsych]

Not an academic so not a PI, but I am sure that this person would be happy to write a recommendation so long as they have been satisfied with your work to this point. When working as an adjunct in the past, I have written quite a few recommendations for students and it is quite typical to know them less than a year so I didn't bat an eye at that.

 

[EmotRegulation]

Remember that it will benefit the PI if you get the Fulbright, because she'll be able to talk about how she mentored a Fulbright student!! We faculty are totally used to requests for letters of recommendation, and bright eager students who are driven to find research opportunities and to apply for funding are less common than you'd think. So we do want to help them. DEFINITELY ask her!