<p>A few questions regarding the NIH SIP application...I got my application submitted tonight, a bit later than I was originally hoping for...how late am I in the process of applying for this program?</p>
<p>Also...I'm a bit intimidated by e-mailing many different PI's, especially because the PI's I've dealt with at my school have all been fairly laid back (and it's also been quite awhile since I've had to search for a lab position)...would this be a fairly good way to approach PI's via e-mail?</p>
<p>Dear PI,</p>
<p>My name is phonyreal98 and I am interested in applying for the NIH SIP through your lab. I am particularly interested in (discuss the topics the lab investigates/recent papers out of the lab). I am interested in these topics because (discuss how they relate back to my interests/experience/career aspirations). Therefore, I feel that I would be a particularly good fit for your lab and would like to direct you to my NIH SIP application if you have space in your lab this summer.</p>
<p>D2 submitted her application over winter break and began emailing PIs right after New Years. Her references have already submitted their LORs.</p>
<p>Your letter looks similar to the ones she sent out–albeit with some difference in details. </p>
<p>Hers went into detail about what kinds applicable of skills and experience she has for each lab she contacted. She also attached her CV to the email. You may want to consider adding that same kind of info to your basic letter. Remember you are trying top sell yourself to each PI.</p>
<p>BTW, she’s already received 4 rejections because the labs are either not taking any summer fellows this year or have already hired their summer students.</p>
<p>My son is a senior and he plans to take a year off between college and med school. He has also applied the NIH SIP. Since he plans to spend almost a year in NIH if possible, does he also need to send e-mails to research labs or the e-mailing is only necessary for summer internships?</p>
<p>Oh shoot, I had no idea the applications had to be turned in this early to actually receive consideration … do the recommendations have to be submitted at the same time? I am only waiting to turn in my application because I began some research recently and thought it might be best to wait a while before asking my PI for a recommendation …</p>
<p>I was accepted to NIH SIP two summers ago, and it’s really an amazing program.</p>
<p>If you submitted your application late or you’re getting rejections right now, don’t panic. When I applied as a freshman, I had JUST found out about the program in the middle of February, and I quickly got everything together and sent my application in a week before the deadline. I never e-mailed PI’s and I even started looking into other programs since I was sure I wasn’t going to get in. About a month later, my future PI called me and told me there was an opening in his lab! I learned so much, and I’m about to send in my application for this summer to do it again (took a summer off to study abroad). So all in all, you may get a call as late as April (or even later!) Best of luck!!</p>
<p>Also, I guess I’m a bit unclear as to how much detail I should go into when talking about a PI’s papers in order to get a job. Can I just say “I thought that Paper A, which found results X, Y, and Z, was particularly interesting, and could see myself involved in similar research down the road.”, or do I need to be more detailed than that?</p>