Questions tagged [two-body-problem]
For questions about the "two-body problem" in academia, which refers to the challenges partners in a committed relationship (particularly those in academia) face in obtaining jobs at the same university or within a reasonable commuting distance from each other.
50
questions
24
votes
4
answers
4k
views
How should I approach job materials for a lateral move entirely for two-body reasons?
I am a tenure track assistant professor at a liberal arts college. I Iike my job quite a bit, but it is located in an impoverished, rural area. My partner works in the nearest large city, 2.5 hours ...
24
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Mention two-body-problem in PhD applications? If so, where?
My significant other and I finish our master degrees at the same time and thus we are applying for PhD programmes at the same time. One major factor of accepting a potential offer would be if we could ...
- 475
2
votes
1
answer
232
views
What would be different between two years of graduate admissions?
A bit of background to contextualize:
So I'm in a bit of a two-body problem with both me and my wife interested in applying for programs in the near future. Mine would be five-year-plus program and ...
- 30.8k
2
votes
0
answers
307
views
How do you think about volunteering helpers and two-body problem for PhD
I am an international student and I just got the offer of a very good D.Phil. program in an elite university in the UK. My only concern is the "two-body problem", i.e., I have to get involved into a ...
- 902
27
votes
2
answers
6k
views
How to politely inform potential PhD supervisor that I must wait before responding to an offer? (Two-body problem)
I am a physics student in the UK.
A university (university A) has made me a PhD offer. The email from admissions was very clear that there is a 30-day time limit on this offer. As it happens I am ...
- 6,936
38
votes
5
answers
5k
views
Fiancée has a position lined up, but none of the universities in the area are hiring. What else can I do to get an academic position in the area?
I find myself in an unfortunate two-body problem situation. My fiancée got two offers earlier this year, one a post doc and the other a tenure track position. She deferred the tenure track for a year ...
- 1,975
11
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Wife: advantage or drawback when asking for visiting student position?
My wife and I are both PhD candidate in major-but-not-elite French universities. We study in completely different fields.
She got a visiting student position in the US for 1 semester as of January ...
- 2,680
7
votes
2
answers
994
views
Applying early as a postdoc + two-body problem
A recent question asked about applying for tenure-track jobs before the end of a postdoc. I'm in a similar position, also in math, and would like to ask the same question with an additional twist.
I'...
- 71
10
votes
1
answer
848
views
Why and how to go to the US for a PhD-exchange semester?
Context: My wife and I are both PhD candidates in good-but-not-major eastern European universities, aiming to defend our theses in fall 2017 (i.e., in 15 months). She works in accounting, whereas my ...
- 2,680
4
votes
0
answers
3k
views
As an ambitious female PhD student, should I avoid dating people? [closed]
I am a female PhD student, studying computer science at a top school in the heart of Silicon Valley. I have a wonderful boyfriend who probably never wants to leave the Bay Area because he is (a) a ...
- 67
20
votes
3
answers
5k
views
How can I gracefully exit my current post-doc position for a new one?
I'm a post-doctoral research fellow and I've just been offered another post-doc position at another university. I still have a year and a half left on my original contract, but it's not going as well ...
- 203
8
votes
1
answer
993
views
How to approach the dean and/or provost about a years-old two-body problem?
Both my wife and I are scientists in the same field. Approximately 4 years ago she accepted a tenure-track position, and in what seemed like a good opportunity at the time, we both decided it was a ...
- 342
16
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Trailing spouse postdoc
My husband has accepted a postdoc position in a city in Australia with two great institutions where I think I'll have a good shot at securing a postdoc for myself. I have some great connections to ...
- 161
10
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How common is spousal hire (academic or non-academic) in the Australia/New Zealand system?
I am an academic with hoping for an offer at an Oceania university. I want to know how common in this system is it to ask the university to give my spouse a job? It is common and often successful in ...
- 2,135
32
votes
4
answers
6k
views
Is it OK to mention a two-body problem during a tenure-track interview, if getting the job would actually resolve the problem?
I'm having an upcoming phone interview for a tenure-track position and I expect that I will be asked the usual "Why would you want to work here?" question. Apart from reasons relating to the research ...
- 571