Advice regarding taking leave to go home

[u/Ambitious_Fudge_8662]

Hi, I was planning to visit home country for Christmas and New Year. I asked advisor for approval. He said he approves but saud that since my funding is from NSF and is linked to my productivity in lab, he said I have to decide accordingly. He mentioned that even when there are no classes for University, the labs remain open and researching is expected. So, basically it seems I can only go home when the university is officially closed. Our winter break is from Dec 24th to Dec 31st, and Spring semester begins 2nd week of Jan but offices open up Jan 2nd most likely, so this gives me hardly a week, my travel time is usually 20-25 hrs to reach home (without any layovers).

Location: USA, Field: Materials Science

My question to the people who receive funding/support from NSF? How do you guys take/plan vacations?

P.S: It has been over 2 years since I left home, didnt get a chance to visit yet, cuz I keep getting more projects :(

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[u/Rosevkiet]

God advisors are dicks. I’m assume since you haven’t been home in two years you haven’t taken large chunks of time off for a similar duration?

Everyone needs rest and vacation time. This might be a question for the ombudsman office to get a clarification of policy: do graduate students have a set number of vacation days? Does NSF funding stop if you are away from campus for 2 weeks?

I wouldn’t phrase it as my advisor is saying don’t go. Try to keep it informational that you want to understand policy before planning your visit.

My guess is that your advisor cannot directly tell you not to go, so he’s being oblique about it by issuing a “subtle” threat to your funding.

[u/Ambitious_Fudge_8662 → u/Rosevkiet]

Yeah I emailed our program coordinator, waiting for reply. Thanks. Im hoping for best.

[u/cvu_100]

I regularly took a month to visit family over Christmas. I just worked from home. My advisor didn’t care. Your advisor is being an asshole

[u/spectacledsussex]

Shouldn't your contract allow you a certain number of holiday days per year in addition to the days the university is fully closed? We also have an expectation of researching outside of the main academic terms, but we still get at least 12 days a year of holiday that we can choose when to use. Why can't you choose to use it for some days when the university isn't closed, attached to the same holiday, so you can travel longer? The NSF is not expecting you to work constantly, and most PhD students across the country are not.

[u/Ambitious_Fudge_8662 → u/spectacledsussex]

Yeah we do have 15 days leave for that, that is what I hoped to get for new year, but advisor just indirectly told, yeah I expect you to work. So, I emailed the office/coordinator, no reply yet.

[u/babylovebuckley]

I doubt a few days off is going to affect your productivity in lab to the point NSF would care, I feel like your advisor is just saying this to get you to not go? I have NIH funding which I think is similar in regards to taking time off but my advisor literally doesn't care and if I were you he would insist I go visit home.

[u/Ambitious_Fudge_8662 → u/babylovebuckley]

Yeah that's what I thought NSF wouldnt come here, walk around and make sure everyone is working. It does feel like he doesnt want me to go. Honestly your advisor sounds like a very decent human being.

[u/babylovebuckley → u/Ambitious_Fudge_8662]

Yes he's very kind. I would probably call his bluff like "ok you approve and a few days won't impact my lab productivity, we're good to go." But I'm in a generally privileged position so I get why that wouldn't be the best option in some cases. I hope you can work it out!

[u/OrderKey6330]

I hope you will find a way OP. Honestly if you haven't been home for 2 years , Ig you should just go even if it is for 2 days and super expensive 'cause that will ultimately help you feel better and boost your productivity!

[u/Ambitious_Fudge_8662 → u/OrderKey6330]

Yeah hope so, a week is simply a very short time frame for how far I live, lol. Thanks though.

[u/coolcumber211]

I'd be informing them I'm taking leave, not asking them.

[u/Mountain-Time-1010]

I don't think I would interpret your advisor's comment to mean that you can only travel during days that the university is closed. They may just be trying to explain that when you are a researcher and a PhD student, the expectations are more aligned with someone who is working professionally, as opposed to students who can just go on vacation whenever classes are not in session.

There are usually expectations about a certain number of vacation days per year, as for another employee, so you may need to track vacation days, and save them up if you want to take a long foreign vacation.

[u/spiritofthepnw]

Is there any analysis you could do at home? Sometimes ill do that and do lit review and that works.

[u/Ambitious_Fudge_8662 → u/spiritofthepnw]

Thats a good suggestion honestly, I told him that I will finish any pending work before I leave, but he just said the same thing again.

I can do analysis at home but I can finish it in few days and he knows this. Plus if Im holding back lots of data to analyze at home then the weeks prior to me going home, I have nothing to show at the group meetings. So its kinda tricky. But honestly a very good suggestion, wish I could use it to my advantage.

[u/DocTeeBee]

At my university, students on an academic year assistantship, whether funded externally or internally, cannot work during school breaks. There are reasons for this. I'd check subtly with your graduate school or similar body on campus to make sure that your PI isn't running afoul of these rules.

[u/This_Key4634]

I got my PhD in the USA an never had a faculty member talk like that. I’m so sorry.

I hope you can go see your family,

Also I’m skeptical that NSF is going to care if you take a few days off around Christmas. They’ll be taking time off too.

[u/Lygus_lineolaris]

You should look at your funding agreement and see exactly what it requires. Mine explicitly forbids tying my compensation to any kind of work measurement. My campus job, on the other hand, pays me to be there and do work, so if I'm not there, I have to either use paid leave balances or not get paid, same as every other job.

[u/VigilantJackalope]

If undergrads aren’t in class, I’m not working (with some exceptions)

[u/Curious_tea21]

I never had and problems taking time off. Define productivity. Clearly map what is expected and plan how to meet the expectations.

[u/Gloomy-Draw5517]

No, that means that you can go home and be unpaid. It also depends on your home country - for some of them you even can’t bring laptop with your research.

If you want to be paid - PI should switch the source of your money to universal one, not NSF/NIH/military contracts and so on

[u/Omnimaxus]

Why didn't you just stay home and go to school there? Perfectly good schools exist almost everywhere. Staying home would've been way more logistically easier. 

[u/Dogluvr2019 → u/Omnimaxus]

found the advisor lol

[u/Ambitious_Fudge_8662 → u/Omnimaxus]

Haha, I applied to a lot of places, but I had to choose the university based on the research that goes on, so I chose this one, it seemed a fairly logical move at that time. But you do bring a valid point. Appreciate it. Thanks.

[u/Omnimaxus → u/Ambitious_Fudge_8662]

Understood. Well, good luck.