next »

[peppulus]

Dear all,
firstly I would like to apologize with natives for my primitive English. I'm in bad situation. I enjoyed a very prestigious US university as a visiting scholar. I have been here for 18 months and I've been founded by a fellowship from my country for the entire period. When I arrived my first aim was to understand how things were working in a famous university, since I was from a very poor European one.
When I arrived the scientist who hosted me, was not very collaborative and he didn't give me any specific project. He said just start doing something. After some hard time, I started working on something which gave interesting results somehow absolutely new. After sometime, the PI fired the other 2 member of the lab asking me to take care of all lab issues (for free). I did that. But still he was not collaborative on my project. Now my project is almost done, I have  a manuscript draft and, during some confidential presentation, it received good feedback. The PI ask me to stay in lab longer as a postdoc, but I don't want since his attitude. The result is that I'm under "threat of a black mail", because if I leave this work will be not published or maybe published by someone else in the future. Also the PI gave to somebody my results for a collaboration. It is worthy of note that this PI doesn't have specific records in this specific field, because the results brought us on a different line of research (still similar to his one).

I have several questions. Is it possible that my future is completely in hands and the mood of this person? As a visiting scholar I cannot be protected by any professional association? Is there some trick I can use to protect my data and to demonstrate I did those?

Thank you very much. Any helps is welcome.

[zharkov]

 When I arrived my first aim was to understand how things were working in a famous university.....

In other words, you are not familiar with the rules (written and unwritten) of US academic culture. 

In your case, you joined the PI's team and worked in the PI's lab, got to use the PI's facilities, and so on.  The PI has a rather hand's off style, which may be new to you, but it happens here; the opposite is finding a PI who is a micromanager.  Most supervisors are in-between, but that is a side issue.  But the good news is that the PI was impressed enough with your work to offer you a post doc.  So see that as a success on your part, whether you take the post doc or not.

So what about your research and paper in process?  You talk to the PI about options for publishing, looking for his/her blessing.  It is not something you go off and on your own.  Remember, you are on the PI's team and in the PI's lab.  Not your own, and don't be confused or misled by the PI's hand's off style.  Depending on your field, you may even find that you are second or third author in the paper, the PI being first author.  It happens, so don't be shocked.  Your goal is to get that paper out, not to fight about who is first author.  People in your field will know how the authorship works, so you being second or third author won't be considered second best.


 

[slownsteady]

peppulus,
               I understand your concerns. It sounds like you were NOT funded by this PI. Did you use facilities in his lab? or were you just in the department using general resources?
In any case it sounds like the PI is impressed by you and you have finished your PhD. As a scientist you have rights to publish your work. Start working on the manuscript NOW. You should be the first author (in most diciplines) and PI should be on the paper if you used the resources in his lab ( and also to not start a conflict). In my opinion, you get to decide the co-authors since it is YOUR work and your data - as long as the work was not funded by this PI and it was not exactly his line of research.
As I understand, you are not bound to the PI currently. You were visiting and your work yielded some good results. Publish it soon and take the postdoc offer if you like what he offers. Else make some excuse about wanting to relocate to a different part of the country and contact other PIs. Present this work at a conference as soon as you can- This will give you some visibility.
If you are a postdoc, you can start applying for tenure track jobs also while working with this PI. You must get a work visa like H1 and then you can move to another university if you still dislike the way the PI treats you. However it sounds like he is very impressed by you.
Good luck.