Thread by @AWeinstock

Money money 🤑🤑🧵👇 How can you get more of it to start your lab? Interviewing season is almost here, so below are some negotiation tips, while the knowledge is fresh in my mind. This is based on my experience interviewing in US-based schools. 1/n
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1)First, congratulations🥳! Remember, if you are at the negotiation step it means you basically got the job. Most departments really want you to join and succeed, so ask for EVERYTHING you need

2)EVERYTHING is negotiable, so be creative! If you get a “no” about something, try to get another thing that has similar value. Example: Can I get 10K more in salary? No. Will it be possible to get daycare or school subsidies/ help with housing?

3)%Effort- how much of your own salary are you expected to cover and how quickly? Some institutions want 100% quickly, while others will cover most of your salary forever. This can make a HUGE difference!

4)The key is in the details! Make an itemized list📋 of absolutely everything you need, and it’s 💵 value, per year. The more details you have, the more justification for a larger start up fund. In 1 place I was able to increase my initial offer by 400K!

4a) Obvious thing to include in your 📋 (with examples)- Big equipment (freezer, centrifuge, scope), small equipment (gel station, pipette) salaries (for all personnel and you), 🖥️💻 (for personnel & equipment), reagents (antibodies, kits, serum) & consumables (tubes, plates)

5)Know the institution. Every place is unique and costs may differ widely. Know how much cores charge, student stipends, animal per diems, %benefits. Add everything to your itemized list

5a) With that in mind, less obvious but super important to include in your wish 📋- service contract for equipment, benefits for personnel, career development (courses, conferences for all personnel+ you), software (Adobe, Office, Prism), animal husbandry, core facility charges

6)Back to basics. Think of the most basic things you would need. Are they available, or do you need to buy it? Example- water (DDW), fume hood, chairs, drawers, autoclave, ice, vacuum, C02. If they are not available, ask for it (back to wish list)!

7)Many times departments are more amenable to buying equipment that several labs can share. This is why I suggest you also add (to your 📋) how much time you will be needing the equipment. This way, you can also justify buying equipment, rather than using a core facility

7a) Example: I use flow-cytometry a lot and wanted a fancy one ($250K), they said no. Then I estimated that I will use it 10hrs/wk and the core charges $70/hr, which is $36K/yr & $108K for 3 years of startup. If I shared with 2 other labs, this is a great deal for the department!

8)Moving expenses. Always ask, even if you’re staying in the same city. Ask them to cover your personal moving, as well as any lab equipment/ samples/ animals. Remember that this will be taxed (if not reimbursed), so ask for post-tax 💰

9)Signing bonus. Again, remember that this is taxed

10)Special benefits. Sometimes you can get extra, so always ask for what you need! Some examples- housing assistance, higher 403b contribution, dependents school tuition remission.

11)If you have a competing offer, use it! Example- “the other institution gave me $20K signing bonus, it will make my decision much easier if you match that”

12)Important note: get everything you negotiated for in your offer letter. Think what will happen if the people you negotiated with leave, and you now must deal with others that don’t support your research

13)Important note #2: Be gracious, whoever you’re negotiating with wants to help you (and if you don’t feel that way, maybe this is not the right job for you). Take time to think about every aspect of the offer

13a) I would always start by saying “thank you so much for the generous offer”. Every offer is generous, but you want to make it better and get what you need

14)Bonus tips for K99/R00 recipients: this grant gives you $249K/yr direct+ indirect costs, meaning that a lot of your grant 💰 goes to the university (the equation is 249-249/(institution indirect rate+1). Example- if the indirect rate is 70%, you will be losing ~$105K/yr

14a) Ask for those indirects back as more startup $. Some institutions just increased my offer by $300K

14b) Negotiate how much of your salary will be taken from the grant. The lower you can go, the more $$ you have to spend on the science (and the higher your effective startup is)

15)I hope this helps someone, and welcome other suggestions, tips and questions!
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