by guest » Fri Apr 15, 2016 4:37 pm
Phase0 wrote:Hello all,
I was lucky enough to be selected for a SMART award this year. However, after talking with my POC it seems like I am signing up for something without much information. I understand some of this stems from being unable to discuss projects outside of the lab.
However, during my phone interview my POC was unable to confirm the salary range given to me during my phone interview. How can I gauge the competitiveness of their offer?
During my internship I have to cover cost of travel and housing for 3 months which wont be cheap in a city. Finally, when asked what happens in the scenario of a paper work or security clearance problem before any funding is awarded my POC was unsure if I would accrue any debt in this scenario(technically a program "dismissal" before any funds are awarded).
I want to believe this would be a good thing but there are just so many things I do not know before signing up. Is this normal? Causes for concern? Other good/bad experiences? I just want to know what I am signing up for before anything concrete happens.
If you search the forums, you'll see lots of discussion about this. Get something IN WRITING stating your salary and such. Don't expect it to be super competitive, but remember to factor in the tuition and stipend you'll be getting now. Your internship is paid by SMART. BS was $1000/week, which is more than enough. If you haven't been given any money, you shouldn't owe anything. That's common sense. Also, if you expect a security clearance problem, maybe you should rethink if this is the right line of work for you.
[quote="Phase0"]Hello all,
I was lucky enough to be selected for a SMART award this year. However, after talking with my POC it seems like I am signing up for something without much information. I understand some of this stems from being unable to discuss projects outside of the lab.
However, during my phone interview my POC was unable to confirm the salary range given to me during my phone interview. How can I gauge the competitiveness of their offer?
During my internship I have to cover cost of travel and housing for 3 months which wont be cheap in a city. Finally, when asked what happens in the scenario of a paper work or security clearance problem before any funding is awarded my POC was unsure if I would accrue any debt in this scenario(technically a program "dismissal" before any funds are awarded).
I want to believe this would be a good thing but there are just so many things I do not know before signing up. Is this normal? Causes for concern? Other good/bad experiences? I just want to know what I am signing up for before anything concrete happens.[/quote]
If you search the forums, you'll see lots of discussion about this. Get something IN WRITING stating your salary and such. Don't expect it to be super competitive, but remember to factor in the tuition and stipend you'll be getting now. Your internship is paid by SMART. BS was $1000/week, which is more than enough. If you haven't been given any money, you shouldn't owe anything. That's common sense. Also, if you expect a security clearance problem, maybe you should rethink if this is the right line of work for you.