- These notes are based on presentation by Professors Gerald Speitel and Mattew Bartos at UT Austin during a seminar in Feb. 21, 2024. Thank you!
1. What is negotiable?
- Startup funding usually comes with strict deadlines on spending. Negotiating the time limits can be useful.
- This time is the best chance to negotiate for lab space. Know the exact amount of area you’re looking for.
- Salary is usually difficult to negotiate.
- Personnel support – Students, postdocs, technicians
- Teaching load
- Computational resources
- Lab expenses and moving expenses
2. Preparation for negotiation
- Ask what are the basic needs for running your research? And then consider what other things would be nice to have.
- Formulate a specified budget list.
3. Tips
- It is likely to be a multi-step process. So have a clear proposal of what you need that includes costs and justification for your research goals.
- Ask your advisor about their offer and startup budget.
- Perform a inventory of your current lab as you’ll need similar equipment when you become a PI.
- If you have multiple offers, identify the key points of concern with the other university and negotiate on those.
- Understanding the stipulation of the contract is important. Make sure that the contract matches your needs and expectations.