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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.

72 votes
3 answers
5k views

How do "scientific couples" (from different fields) find positions?

When two people in a couple are both in science, but specialised in different fields, how can they both find relevant positions but still be geographically reasonably proximate? Compromise and change ...
gerrit's user avatar
  • 42.9k
42 votes
3 answers
5k views

Applying for postdocs: mention two-body problem in cover letter?

My spouse and I are both finishing Ph.D's in math and applying for math postdocs in the US. We work in different areas of math, but there are many departments in which both are prominently represented....
user avatar
41 votes
3 answers
7k views

When during the application process should a candidate mention that their spouse is also looking for a job

When during the application process should a candidate say that their spouse is also looking for a job? The issue of academic spouses who want to find employment close enough to live together is ...
Oswald Veblen's user avatar
38 votes
6 answers
11k views

What is the long-term professional status of a spousal hire?

I have some questions about the process of spousal hires, particularly in US academia. As I understand it, the system is as follows: when two married academics Ann and Bob enter the job market, they ...
pedroelpanda's user avatar
  • 1,414
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 ...
Cameron Williams's user avatar
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 ...
tenureTrackCand's user avatar
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 ...
Clumsy cat's user avatar
  • 6,936
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 ...
The Person In Question's user avatar
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 ...
Timme's user avatar
  • 475
23 votes
8 answers
8k views

Having kids in the US with both parents doing a PhD

My wife and I are international students planning on applying for PhD programs in the US (at nearby universities, post-bachelor's, stat/AI/ML area). We would like to know how manageable it would be to ...
Yuprik Yuprik's user avatar
20 votes
7 answers
11k views

PhD advisor switching schools wants me to go with him

I'm a 4th year PhD Student in engineering in the US. I'm in school #19 (ranking). My advisor is moving to #4, and wants me to go with him (promises no delay on time to graduation.) There are no other ...
anon_eng's user avatar
  • 311
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 ...
PineTreeThree's user avatar
20 votes
3 answers
2k views

Husband and wife publishing together - Problem for tenure-track jobs?

My husband and I work in the same research area (of theoretical computer science). We were in the same PhD program and even had the same advisor. We are a great collaboration team, and really enjoy ...
user1231233278's user avatar
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 ...
BefuddledSpouse's user avatar
16 votes
4 answers
6k views

Should an applicant to an university mention that her spouse is currently a student in the same University, as part of her SOP?

While writing one's Statement of Purpose for applying to a grad program, should one mention that her spouse is also a grad student in the same university? What are the pro's and con's of that approach ...
TCSGrad's user avatar
  • 9,641

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