How to join the lab

Are we a match?

Interested in joining the lab? The first and foremost thing we must determine is if we are a good match. Our goal is for the lab to be a relatively small group of people who work well together and support each other. This necessitates that we get along on a personal level and that we share the same principles and ethics. It also means that we will be able to provide the adequate support that each member needs to achieve their career goals.

Please read Open science and Authorship policy. These sections outline our core principles as scientists and it’s important that you are aware of and agree with these principles to a large extent. You should also read Expectations to make sure you are aware of what we expect from lab members and what they can expect from Leo. These are things in which we do not compromise.

What are we looking for?

Our research almost always involves a large amount of programming and numerical methods. This does not necessarily mean “software engineering” (though we do that too) but every project will involve some Python programming for data analysis and use of GitHub.

We are interested in members from any degree programme, though we find that people with prior experience in calculus, physics, and computer programming have an easier time adjusting to the type of research we do. Don’t worry if you don’t have this experience. We can teach you technical things like maths, programming, and the like. But we cannot provide you with the motivation to learn, grow, and execute your project. Therefore, the most important characteristic we’re looking for is curiosity and motivation to learn independently.

If this is you, then keep reading!

Start a conversation

If you feel like we would be a good match, the first thing to do is to contact Leo to see if he is able to take on more students and postdocs and to arrange for a meeting. We aim to foster a small and healthy research group, where everyone has the time and support they need to thrive. Unfortunately, this means that sometimes we cannot take on new members.

When writing to Leo to inquire about opportunities, please mention specific examples of things you’d like to work on. What are your interests? What about the group made you want to join? What are your career goals? You don’t need to have a concrete idea but it helps to demonstrate that you’ve looked at our research and have given this some thought.

Opportunities

There are many sources of scholarships available to students and postdocs at USP. This includes opportunities for both national and international applicants.

Undergraduate students

We welcome undergrads who want to undertake scientific initiation, outreach, and dissertation/graduation projects with the lab. The projects we can offer will vary and we are also open to ideas that you may have!

There are several opportunities for scientific initiation scholarships which we can pursue (PUB, PIBIC, FAPESP). In general, students first start working a small amount of hours on a volunteer basis to see if there is a good match with the lab before applying for a scholarship. This is because scholarships are a commitment that often must be fulfilled once accepted. We want to avoid a situation in which someone accepts a scholarship and then realises that they do not want to do the work for whatever reason.

Graduate students

Applications are handled by the Geophysics graduate program at IAG. However, please speak with Leo before applying if you’re interested in joining the lab. This is a requirement for PhD students and highly encouraged for MSc students. While MSc students can apply without having a supervisor, there is no guarantee that the lab will be able to accommodate you even if you are offered a place in the programme.

The programme has a good number of CAPES scholarships for both national and international students. There is no relocation funding so you’ll have to make your way to São Paulo using your own funds. We can also apply for FAPESP scholarships, which pay significantly more but are harder to get. If this is something you want to do, then please let Leo know and we should apply as soon as possible (even before you are officially accepted into the graduate programme).

Postdocs

FAPESP has the best scholarships for postdocs and accepts national and international applicants. Their scholarships are very generous and are usually tax-free in Brazil. There are other scholarships available from time to time so it’s good to check with Leo if there is anything that would suite you.

There is no entry requirements or selection process in the department for postdocs. So it’s mostly a matter of finding funding for a scholarship. That said, postdocs are expected to be independent researchers and bring their own project ideas.

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Credit and terms of reuse: This manual is based on the excellent Lab Carpentry blueprints, with material adapted from the Data Intensive Biology Lab and the Data Exploration Lab. The manual contents are available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.