Research fellowships as backup for PhD

[extrememildness]

Hi everyone,

 

I am currently planning to apply for a PhD starting in the fall of 2018. However, I've been increasingly looking into my options in case I don't get any decent offers this round (coming from Europe, I'm finding it extremely difficult to gauge my chances).

 

So I've been toying with the idea of applying to one or two year research fellowships as a potential way of strengthening my profile in case it doesn't quite cut it (and also allow me to make contacts within the US, which presumably have a lot more weight).

 

I'm referring to jobs like these: Research Assistant Positions not at the NBER

 

Does this seem like a reasonable fallback option? If so, does it make sense to apply to such positions before getting answers for grad school? I would be afraid to apply to a position only to say no later, potentially pissing off some very important people in the field. But on the other hand I'm not sure how long these applications usually stay open for (I see some deadlines have already passed, in fact).

 

Any advice is appreciated :shy:

[tm_member]

Without a US visa, you'd be at a significant disadvantage. They might be willing to sponsor a work visa but it likely is not economically efficient to do so.

[echoing2016]

I think it's generally a good idea if you think it's beneficial to delay your entry into a Ph.D. program and boost your profile/get some more research experience.

 

Not all of these positions sponsor visas but many do. When I worked as an RA at a top 5 institution, almost all of my peers are international, and many are from Europe.