I am not going to sit and go through all of my Plan Bs right now, but some of them are looking a little more appealing. I got a denial from the grant I applied to for the third time that would have allowed me to focus on my research and not have to be a teaching assistant again. This is so frustrating.
I know that people do not get funding all the time, especially now, but still. It is making academia look less and less enticing. I actually enjoy writing grants and doing the reading and thinking of ideas and putting it all together. Not if I will never be able to get funding. I also know that a lot of researchers are getting funding from the private sector, but grad students are certainly not trained to do that either.
Luckily, right after I got the letter, I hung out with a friend who is a post-doc right now and is so amazingly gung-ho about science it is frightening. She said I can not let this rejection discourage me. Whatever.
8 comments:
:o( That sounds very disappointing. I'm sorry to hear it. And despite what your post-doc friend said, I think it's okay to be disappointed and upset for a while before you become all gung ho again.
My mom would suggest eating fresh vegetables and exercising to feel better, but I think that you do that already. But venting to friends who can lend a kind ear (and the blogosphere?) might be one of the best things you can do in the meantime!
Do rejection letters give you any feedback about why your application hasn't been accepted?
If this is something you want to do and love doing then this rejection is just something that has happened before you will succeed. Still sucks, but don't give up and you will achieve what you want.
Sorry about your grant. That SUCKS. And the idea of having to be self-funded forever totally weighs on me too (which is why I will not go that route). There's always industry. OR, you could keep hanging out with encouraging people like your post-doc friend.
Monday's a bitch, eh?
Molly, all gung-ho about what is the question. I am definitely trying your mom's suggestion. :) Golumkis would probably work too. ;) The feedback is not always helpful, just makes you more frustrated that reviewers do not really take time to think about or process what they read.
Ron, hopefully one of the other non-internal grant applications I submitted will come through! That would help my attitude.
Ern, Mondays are definitely overrated by whoever thinks they are great. The idea of my research shifting and changing with guaranteed financial backing from a company is looking soooooo good right now.
That bites. Clearly the people in charge have bad judgement, because if they knew what they were doing, they would have approved your funding request. Look, just give me their phone number and I'll call them for you. I'm sure I can get this whole thing sorted out in a jiffy, 'K?
Ugh. How discouraging.
I have so many thoughts running through my head with this that I can't seem to nail one down and communicate it. I think it is bedtime.
I don't know about science grants; if you get the money (as a student) do you have to stick exactly to the topic you said you would research? If so that can sometimes be limiting.
It sucks that you didn't get the money this time but, hopefully next grant, next time. When do you find out about the other grants?
It's good that you have a friend who can encourage you.
Also, the money would give you more time to study but TA'ing is also good for teaching experience. It IS nice to have the choice, financially of course. I hope you get some!
Spark, I would totally sic your Hello Kitty self on them. They should be scared!
Danielle, I don't know where to begin with it all either.
Aurora, that particular fellowship would be for my stipend, so lab supplies would still come from my advisor (i.e. the Cheap-O). Luckily I do love teaching, so although I'd like a year off, it is not the end of the world.
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