Joining Research Groups
Joining a Research Group
First-year graduate students cannot formally join a research group before the official join date—November 15. Students must join a group by the end of the Spring Quarter to remain in good standing. Prior to the join date, students are required to attend faculty research presentations and follow up with individual meetings with faculty and their research groups. Students must meet with at least three faculty members. The meetings will be verified on a departmental signature form, and individual faculty are free to decide what is needed for a signature (such as one-on-one discussions, group meeting attendance, etc.). Once a professor and student reach a mutual decision on research group choice, both sign an agreement statement on the signature form. This statement cannot be signed and submitted to the Department before the join date (November 15). Students that are joint between two advisors will require two faculty signatures. Students who are pro forma will require both advisor signatures as well.
Petitioning for a Research Sponsor Outside the Department of Chemistry (Pro Forma)
In order to obtain approval to work with a Research Sponsor outside of the Department of Chemistry, the following items must be provided to the Executive Officer to be presented at a faculty meeting:
- The student will write a brief proposal describing the research that will be performed, and indicate why they wish to work under the supervision of an advisor whose appointment is outside the Department of Chemistry.
- The Research Sponsor will write a brief proposal describing the research that the student will perform, and will state that they will financially support the student. The Research Sponsor will also obtain the approval, via signature, of their department Chairman.
- The student will provide the name of a Chemistry faculty member who has agreed to serve as pro forma advisor for the student.
The Chemistry pro forma advisor must serve on the student’s candidacy exam, and on all committees involving the academic progress of the advisee, to include the thesis defense committee. The pro forma advisor must have an annual meeting with the student to evaluate the student’s progress. The pro forma advisor is to provide a brief written summary of the student’s progress to the Department Chairman and Executive Officer by the end of January. It is the responsibility of the student to schedule a meeting with their pro forma advisor during the month of January each year. Along with the student’s advisor, the pro forma advisor will also sign the student’s yearly Academic Progress Report.
Joint Mentorship
The following applies to official joint mentorship where both faculty are members of the Department of Chemistry:
- The two faculty members will agree to the order in which their names will be listed as the advisors for the student.
- The student will register for the research course of the advisor whose name is listed first and the two faculty members will agree on what quarterly grade the student will receive.
- The two faculty will agree as to funding responsibility for the student.
- Neither of the two faculty can serve on the student’s candidacy committee. Both faculty members must sign the student’s yearly progress report.
- The student’s thesis defense committee must be comprised of 4 faculty members – where at least three members of the committee must be faculty members in the Department of Chemistry at The University of Chicago.
Switching Research Groups
There are instances when an initial research group selection is not optimal. Graduate students may switch groups if the new research advisor agrees to accept and support the new student. The student should submit a new signed Student-Advisor agreement on the Group Selection Form to the Director of Academic Programs, and a pro forma petition if necessary. During the transition, the student remains responsible for bringing their current work to a satisfactory close, i.e. leaving notebooks, transferring samples, cleaning their lab space, etc.).