How did you get your phase II position?

[engineergirl]

Hi everyone! I am planning on graduating in May with a PhD in Chemical Engineering. I was wondering if anyone can share their experience on how they found their current position within their SF. My impression is that the SF will do all your paperwork and hire you, but don't assign you a specific lab or PI, or maybe this is more fluid, where if you find a lab you like, you can transfer within the agency.

My question is, is there any way to find out what kind of research (and who the PI is) is being done at your SF before you get there? Or it's just common to figure that part out after you get there. Just trying to be a little proactive since I see this as a post-doc opportunity and hoping to join a productive lab.

Also, anyone with SF in Aberdeen/edgewood, MD? Would greatly appreciate your experience and feedback

[larry]

If you read some of the prior posts on this forum, you'll see that the work varies greatly at a SF.

We use Ph.D. Chemical Engineers in Aberdeen, MD. In addition to
the ECBC facility (http://www.ecbc.army.mil/) up there that deals with chemical/biological compounds,
the Army Research Laboratory Weapons and Materials Research Directorate and
the US Army Medical Research Institute on Chemical Defense are also located
up in Aberdeen, MD. Both of whom by the nature of their work would make use
of chemical engineers.

You should go to Web of Knowledge and look for papers written by researchers at these locations.

Then you should contact them and go visit to decide for yourself.

ATB
Larry

[engineergirl]

Thanks Larry, I have been looking at publications through web of science but was intimidated to email the corresponding authors, since I have no idea if there are open positions in their group and some of the corresponding authors seem like they're pretty high up in the agency (from linkedin searches). I was hoping maybe others can share their experience of how they went about finding their labs, but if what you said is the process I can accept that too!

[Larry]

Thanks Larry, I have been looking at publications through web of science but was intimidated to email the corresponding authors, since I have no idea if there are open positions in their group and some of the corresponding authors seem like they're pretty high up in the agency (from linkedin searches). I was hoping maybe others can share their experience of how they went about finding their labs, but if what you said is the process I can accept that too!

I think you'll find them to receptive to your questions and interest in their work, and everyone knows that new graduates are looking for a position....

You might cross match your university and the government lab to see which (if any) have papers co-written by scientists. Armed with that you can use that Professor as both a quality check and an introduction.

Good hunting!
Larry

[engineergirl]

You might cross match your university and the government lab to see which (if any) have papers co-written by scientists. Armed with that you can use that Professor as both a quality check and an introduction.

That is a fantastic idea! Thank you!

[Fingers-Crossed]

My SF does a rotation (3-6 months in each applicable department) with all new hires so that we get a flavor for multiple roles/areas. Afterwards, leadership works with the employee to choose the permanent placement that best fits interests and abilities with needs.

[Matsci]

ARL's facility at APG is pretty sweet, and the guys at WMRD are cool. There's PLENTY of opportunity for ChemE's there, it's really the PhD hot spot for the Army. Like a vast majority of the scientists there are PhDs.

[Matsci]

To address your second question, I don't have much of an answer for you. I have had 3 internship summers with my SF now and from the get go I was working under their Chief Scientist, which makes perfect sense as a PhD student. So I will just keep doing the work I started doing there with the only change being that I am on the payroll lol and that I don't go back to school. I guess I am confused as to who your SF is if you don't already sort of have a home. All the facilities Larry mentioned are each different centers. I don't get to just pick where I get to end up, my SF chose me.

[engineergirl]

Hey matsci thanks for your reply, my situation is a little different than most recruits but I know there is at least one other person in the same situation as me from previous years that "floated" for a while before they found their home. Basically I have not done an internship at APG yet and I've been in SMART for quite some time already. I will look into ARL at APG and see if I can find some projects there. Really appreciate your feedback!

[Guest]

If you didn't have a Sponsoring Facility (e.g. AFRL, ARL, USACE, etc.) commit to hiring you after, you wouldn't be a SMART scholar. What is your SF? There's no way you don't know. That's the place you will go to work. If you don't already have an SF, you aren't a SMART scholar yet, and you may be asking where you might like to work.