by e_maxwell_outland » Fri Apr 10, 2026 4:07 pm
Like the other reply, I'm not exactly sure what the question was, but I'll bite. I guess I'd ask to meet more with your Sponsoring Facility if you're still unsure. If they aren't doing the kind of work that you feel is ethical and aligns with your beliefs, then you shouldn't accept SMART. However, my SF is doing work I'm proud to do, and I know everyone I've worked with there would 100% listen if anyone spoke up about not being comfortable with anything ethically. At the end of the day, change happens through people, and if the government we have isn't the one you want to represent you, then be the change you want to see (aka democracy). On the rest of it, you'll just have to see. If you get a PhD position (best of luck!), great! Otherwise, you can't accept SMART because you have no school to go to. I personally think the scholarship is great because then my tuition is covered, and I'm paid just to do research. So I have a lot of latitude that isn't just beholden to my PIs and their funding/grants, which is a rare find. The stipend is pretty great, although the healthcare pay amount is :/ (at least in Colorado), and a guaranteed stable job with government benefits (primarily good health insurance and a pension on retirement) in this economy? Bet.
Like the other reply, I'm not exactly sure what the question was, but I'll bite. I guess I'd ask to meet more with your Sponsoring Facility if you're still unsure. If they aren't doing the kind of work that you feel is ethical and aligns with your beliefs, then you shouldn't accept SMART. However, my SF is doing work I'm proud to do, and I know everyone I've worked with there would 100% listen if anyone spoke up about not being comfortable with anything ethically. At the end of the day, change happens through people, and if the government we have isn't the one you want to represent you, then be the change you want to see (aka democracy). On the rest of it, you'll just have to see. If you get a PhD position (best of luck!), great! Otherwise, you can't accept SMART because you have no school to go to. I personally think the scholarship is great because then my tuition is covered, and I'm paid just to do research. So I have a lot of latitude that isn't just beholden to my PIs and their funding/grants, which is a rare find. The stipend is pretty great, although the healthcare pay amount is :/ (at least in Colorado), and a guaranteed stable job with government benefits (primarily good health insurance and a pension on retirement) in this economy? Bet.