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I am a Ph.D. student. I will submit my thesis and then I will have 6-7 months until my defense. I completed all my work and I still have funding.

I want to ask a professor whose research I admire to work in their lab for those 6 months. However, I will not have anything to study. I don't know if this is a polite, logical thing to ask. How can I ask them?

can't stop me now
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ramico
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    The “how do I ask him” question is already covered by the above link. However, asking whether such an arrangement seems like a good idea could be on topic. In this case, you should expand a bit about why you want to do this. – cag51 Apr 30 '23 at 03:53
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    Do you know each other personally? Is the professor at the same university you are doing your PhD? – Snijderfrey Apr 30 '23 at 07:14
  • @Snijderfrey same country, but a different university. We don't know each other. – ramico Apr 30 '23 at 18:02
  • @Sursula No, it doesn't. thank you. – ramico Apr 30 '23 at 18:03

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To add to the excellent answer by @can'tstopmenow, assuming that "working with him" does not include you moving countries or cities, I would make it clear in the letter that you are not looking to be paid, given supplies, help move (e.g. find a place to live, visas, etc.)

Not that this is the only criterion, but you have to answer the question from the professor's side, the "what's in it for me?" question. Not having a project to work on might be a good selling point, because you could offer to help with anything they need. So maybe your initial overture could start by asking how you can help them.

BTW, I think that the whole scheme is a great idea: you expand your network, and expose yourself to new ideas.

Cheery
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You can start by

  • Reading their recent papers, and try to come up with interesting questions or projects you would like to work on in their lab.

  • Meet their PhD students and postdocs in conferences and discuss what they are working on and what kind of open and interesting problems are there related to their work.

Then you can either meet them in person at a conference and ask for a brief discussion, or cold-email them with your CV and a brief note on the questions you would like to address with your work in their lab, and an invitation for a quick online call. The first option is more probable to yield an answer than the second one.

In the case you current advisor, or some professor you know has contacts with that PI, you can ask them to bring you in contact.

can't stop me now
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  • Great answer, but I wonder if 6-7 months is enough time to find a conference where members of the other research group will be in attendance. – Cheery Apr 30 '23 at 14:13
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    @cheery.beach7701 depends on your field, and on how active the lab of this PI is in participating in conferences. I would say if there is no upcoming conference participation from their lab within the next 1-2 months, it is better to contact them through e-mail. – can't stop me now May 01 '23 at 03:05