My PI is not offering any support or guidance on my PhD project, what should I do?

"If structure is something you need but your programme isn't built that way, it's important to create that structure yourself, Moss says. This might involve asking for feedback from your PI on specific aspects of your work or asking them to review experiments before you run them. It will be important and productive to go into these discussions with clear goals in mind, Moss says."

"Getting the support you need might also involve managing up: making sure your supervisor knows you need more from them, rather than suffering in silence. "At school and in life, one must ask for what one needs, especially if you aren't getting it," Moss says. "Asking does not imply being pushy, it is simply making polite requests. These requests may not be granted, but they certainly won't be granted if you don't ask.""

PhD programmes differ in the level of structure and supervisor involvement provided, so students must adapt to the model they are in. Students who need more structure should create it by requesting specific feedback, asking supervisors to review experiments before running them, and preparing concise reports that outline recent work, next steps and timelines to share before meetings. Managing up helps ensure supervisors understand required support. Students should ask directly for what they need in polite requests, recognizing that requests may be denied but cannot be granted if not made. Alternatives exist to finish a PhD without full PI support.

Read at Nature