SAFE Labs

Anonymous lab:

I am always happy to serve as reference for past and present members of the lab. When asking for a letter of reference, please reach out at least three weeks before the reference is due. Writing a letter under a shorter timeline may be possible, but the quality may not be as high.

To help me write the strongest possible letter, please provide the following when you reach out:

• A current CV.
• A description of the position or opportunity you are applying for, including any specific criteria or competencies that will be evaluated.
• Any aspects of your time in the lab or your broader experience that you would like me to emphasise.
• The submission deadline and any instructions for how the letter should be submitted.

MindaLab_2026:

For all trainees: I will act as a professional / academic reference for you. This could be in the form of letters of reference for employment, for training opportunities, graduate school, grants, and awards. If you are seeking a letter of reference, please notify me as soon as possible and as far in advance as possible (several weeks or months). Please provide me with as much information as possible, including your CV, reference forms, reminders, etc. It can help to provide me with a list of things you would like me to mention in the letter. The more information I have, the better letter I can write for you. Please bear in mind that I may have several (many) other letters to write, including those for students outside the lab. As a rule, I will write your letter personally and ensure it arrives when and where it needs to.

CNIDevoLab_2025:

Reference letters will be provided to lab members at request. We disapprove of “recycling” of letters, and provide tailored letters upon request.

OttLab_2025:

The PI committs to providing recommendation letters at each lab member’s request (requested with at least 2 week’s notice).

ReinhardLab_2025:

Reference letters are important for job applications and for some summer school and travel grant applications. Lab members will receive a reference letter from the PI, unless the PI feels that it isn’t possible to write a positive letter (this will be openly communicated). Especially the first letter for a new lab member requires a lot of time to write. Hence, these are the general rules for requesting reference letters: At least 4 weeks in advance for first letter, at least 2 weeks in advance for any subsequent letters. Requests need to be made in writing and contain the following information: (a) type of position or event, (b) link to website, (c) deadline for reference letter, (d) any information about format of the letter, (e) how the letter has to be uploaded/sent, (f) any specific qualities or achievements you want me to highlight. Send a reminder 4-6 days before the deadline. A short notice from the PI can be expected when the letter has been submitted. If such a confirmation has not been received by the day before the deadline, it is the lab member’s duty to check in with the PI.

INSIGHTLab_2026:

Lab members may request reference letters from their supervisor/line manager/PI at least 2 weeks in advance of the deadline. In principle, supervisors should comply with such requests - time permitting. Lab members should expect fair but honest evaluation of their performance and skills in the reference letters provided.

LifespanCognitiveDynamicsLab_2026:

In general I am happy to provide you with a reference, so do not hesitate to ask (or to send reminders!). It helps if you can be quite detailed about the format, the deadline and where/how to send it. Needless to say, I can only provide references for the skills and abilities I have had exposure to. If you know in advance of your stay you will be needing certain skills or experience, let me know at an early stage so we can integrate that into your training.

CoenLab_2025:

To guarantee that Pip provides your letter, you must give at least 2 weeks notice.

Mistakes do happen, and if you do not give 2 weeks notice, Pip will of course try to accommodate your needs. However, this cannot be guaranteed—particularly if it is the first letter you are asking for—and it is your responsibility to monitor deadlines and notify Pip in advance.

For his part, Pip will write, and personalize all reference letters. When appropriate (e.g. for a Masters project where the student works closely with a postdoc) Pip may write the letter in collaboration with a lab member, and co-sign the letter with them.

MetaLab_2026:

If you need a letter of reference, or other more substantial feedback (eg on a grant application), please give a heads-up a few weeks in advance (e.g. as soon as you know that you’re applying for something). Steve can then block off time to go over your work and give timely feedback.

AeryJonesLab_2026:

Please inform me as far in advance as possible of deadlines for reference letters. I need two week’s notice if I’m writing a new or significantly revised reference letter or one week’s notice for a reference letter I’ve already drafted. Please send me your updated CV, any application materials you have drafted, and a list of any items you’d like to me highlight when requesting the letter.

AllisonAdolescentResearchLab_2026:

I will provide letters of recommendation with sufficient advance notice and updated personal statement and/or CV as appropriate (two weeks for a first-time letter, one week for subsequent letters). While I will make every effort under short notice, I ask that such requests remain the exception.

AlyLab_2026:

Letters of recommendation are extremely important for getting new positions and grants. You can count on Mariam to write you a letter if you have been in the lab at least 6 months (it’s hard to really know someone if they have only been around for a couple of months). Exceptions can be made if students or post-docs are applying for fellowships shortly after starting in the lab.

If you need a letter, notify Mariam as soon as possible with the deadline (see Deadlines for guidance), your CV, and relevant instructions for the content of the letter. If the letter is for a grant, also include your specific aims. If the letter is for a faculty position, also include your research and teaching statements.

BIRDLab_2026:

To request one, follow these guidelines:

1. Reach out 1–2 months ahead of the due date if possible. Last-minute requests can sometimes be accommodated, but Christina schedules work monthly, so give as much notice as you can.
2. Send an email that includes:

• What the letter is for, including links.
• The criteria that matter for the opportunity, so the letter can be framed around them to strengthen your package.
• Any specific formatting requests (font size, page length, etc.).
• Undergraduates only: attach your current transcript and résumé.

BurnsLab_2026:

I am happy to provide letters of recommendation to my trainees, students, and advisees when appropriate. Please provide me with your current CV/resume, information on the opportunities you are applying for (include pertinent dates and any important talking points I should bring up in my letter), the format my letter should take, and where my letter should ultimately be sent. For the most timely response, I require at least three weeks notice before new letters are due.

CarpenterSinghLab_2026:

We can provide letters of reference that reflect your performance, skills, and interaction with the rest of the group, within two weeks.

ChoryLab_2026:

Letters of recommendation: Most fellowships require multiple letters of recommendation. As a professor, writing a strong, personalized, and heartfelt letter of recommendation is one of the most important things we do for our students. We take this responsibility seriously and want to ensure we do justice to each student’s individuality and character. Therefore, it’s crucial to communicate your intention to apply for a fellowship at least one month in advance (if not more) to all your letter writers, including Dr. Chory. This allows us the time and space to craft thoughtful letters that capture the essence of who you are as a person and a scientist, and why you deserve the opportunities that the fellowship can provide.

CobeyLab_2026:

Remember that writing letters is part of the job for senior academics. That said, it’s important to show respect for their time.

• Ask for the letter at least six weeks in advance, if possible, especially if this is a letter for a faculty position.
• Say you’d include the research statement/proposal synopsis/relevant material by X date, where X is ideally at least three weeks before the deadline, and ask them if they would like any material sooner.
• In the follow-up email, give the writer a suggested list of points to highlight in their letter. This is your opportunity to ask them to emphasize aspects of your training or goals that are particularly valuable or nuanced, e.g., you made the key insight for a research project, the proposed research is especially novel, you were delayed in publishing because of a health problem but are otherwise fast, etc.
• At the deadline, thank them for writing. Follow up with the writer when you learn the outcome of the competition, thanking them again for their support.

DiffenbaughClimateLab_2026:

For the first letter request at a given career stage (e.g., graduate fellowship, postdoctoral fellowship, faculty position), it would be ideal to have 4 weeks notice (but definitely ask if something arises on a shorter timeline). For subsequent requests at a respective career stage, one week notice is sufficient (although more is appreciated).

GlobalCommunityWellnessLab_2026:

Jordan is very happy to write letters of recommendation for lab members. You will want to make sure that Jordan can write you a strong, well-detailed letter, so ask Jordan ahead of time about this in a one-on-one meeting. Make sure to remember that I appreciate as much time as possible

If Jordan agrees, Jordan will provide you with a qualtrics link to upload your CV and answer some questions. Though this form is long, Jordan does it so that he make sure he knows the important details of your work for what you are applying for and that he can write you the best letter possible.

The more organized you are, the better. Jordan writes a good number of recommendation letters. He wants to make sure that he does a good job of this, and so feel free to follow up with him.

GNlab_2026:

Applications for predoc jobs and masters degrees can generate a large volume of emails to those writing reference letters. Send letter of recommendation requests to ganong_recs@uchicago.edu.

Create google folder titled “Last name, first name YYYY – Letter of Recommendation”.

In that folder please include

• a google sheet where each row is a school/job. Columns you upload: school name, application deadline. Be sure to provide edit privileges to Crystall. After Crystall uploads the letter she will capture this in the spreadsheet.
• up-to-date transcript
• up-to-date CV
• google doc with 1-2 paragraphs describing the work you are most proud of that Peter is familiar with from your time in lab or in class

Once the folder is complete, share it with me and Crystall Dooley (dooleyc@uchicago.edu) and email them to let them know that it is complete.

If, after finishing the folder, you have additional requests for uploads, please email Crystall and add a row to the spreadsheet.

HealthPolicyDataScienceLab_2026:

It essential that you ask Dr. Rose if she can write you a recommendation letter before submitting her name as a recommender. It may be the case that a letter from someone else will be more beneficial for you or that the deadline is too soon for her to accommodate your request.

In general, please give Dr. Rose at least 4 weeks notice when requesting a letter, and more time than that when possible. If the deadline is sooner than 4 weeks, she may not be able to write the letter, particularly during times of the year when she receives a high volume of letter requests.

Job candidates should request access to the Lab job tracking template, make a copy, fill in details specific to your search, and invite Dr. Rose to the document.

LaskowskiLab_2026:

• All letters must be requested at least 3 weeks prior to the due date. Ask Kate (and if appropriate, your supervising grad student/postdoc/tech) whether she thinks she can provide a strong letter. If you give less than 3 weeks lead time then Kate will try to fulfill the request but cannot guarantee that she’ll have time.
• If Kate agrees to write a letter, then write her an email that includes what the letter is for, provide instructions on where to send the letter, include your CV/application materials and highlight any details you think might be especially important to mention.
• Follow up with Kate about a week before the letter is due to remind her, if she hasn’t already told you that she has submitted the letter

McDermottLab_2026:

One of my jobs is to write letters of reference. I am always happy to do it. I just ask that you try to give me a few weeks advance notice, and remind me one week, two days, and one day before it is due, to make sure I don’t forget. If you forget to give me much advance notice, it is still fine to ask for a letter. I will do my best to get it done, and if I have already written you a letter previously it may not take much time to adapt it.

MemoLab_2026:

Letters of recommendation are one of the many benefits of working in a research lab. I will write a letter for any student or lab member who has spent at least one year in the lab. Letters will be provided for shorter-term lab members in some circumstances (e.g., new graduate students or postdocs applying for fellowships). I maintain this policy because I do not think that I can adequately evaluate someone who has been around for less than a year.

MoreauLab_2026:

To request a letter of recommendation please ask me as far in advance as possible. For letters of recommendation it is helpful to me to have links to the opportunity, your updated CV, the proposal or at least a brief description of what you are proposing if I have not provided feedback on the proposal, the deadline my letter is to be submitted, and any important information about you or your abilities you would like me to amplify.

MsEELab_2026:

Lab members should never shy away from requesting a recommendation letter. Pablo will communicate openly about what he is able to write and any difficulties in the timeline to submission, but supporting lab members’ career opportunities is a key part of his role as an advisor and leader of MsEE Lab. Ideally, requests for reference letters should be made at least two weeks in advance of the deadline. Lab members should expect fair but honest evaluation of their performance and skills in the reference letters provided. Reference letters will only include statements and opinions that the lab member is already aware of, and Pablo will be candid about the contents of the letter. Lab members should provide Pablo with an up-to-date CV, information about the purpose of the letter and its intended audience, and any suggestions on content they may want to highlight. As a rule, any additional supervisors (for example, a postdoctoral researcher who has supervised a student) of the lab member will be invited to contribute and sign the requested reference letter.

NicholGroup_2026:

At some point, you will likely ask me to write a letter of recommendation as you transition to your next position. I am happy to do this, because it is essential for your career development, and it is part of my job. Please follow the guidelines below. (If you do not, I will probably still write you a letter, but I will be grumpy about it, which is not something you want in your letter writer.)  Required o Ask me for the letter at least one month before the due date. o Provide me with a list of places and deadlines in a document. A checklist is very helpful. The emails I receive from the schools you are applying to get lost instantly in my inbox. o If you want me to read some of your application material, please send me your material at least two weeks before the deadline.  Optional, but helpful o Provide reminders 2 weeks, 1 week, and 1 day before the deadline.

POISLab_2026:

To request a letter of recommendation, please complete an LOR request form. I generally encourage asking me if I’m willing to write you a letter before completing the form (partly as a courtesy and partly so you’ll know I have agreed to write you a letter before you spend time on the form), but if that is not feasible, you can complete the form directly.

RaredonLab_2026:

If you need a letter of recommendation, ask the PI. Ask early: at least several months before any deadline, with the deadlines stated clearly at the time of asking. Do not assume the PI knows what you need or when you need it by. Tell them directly, in writing, with specific dates.

Think ahead. Fellowship applications, residency programs, faculty searches, and industry positions all have deadlines that arrive faster than expected. Build in time for the PI to write something strong, which requires time to reflect on your work. Last-minute requests produce last-minute letters. You deserve better than that, and so does the person reading the letter.

RichardsonLab_2026:

I will write you the best letter of reference that I can, but it is up to you to make my job easy by being productive and conducting high-quality work; I will not say you are “exceptional” or “fantastic” unless you have earned such praise. I close all my letters of reference by saying “I certify that I am the sole and true author of this letter” and I will not ask you to draft the letter for me (though I will ask if there are specific things you think I should highlight in my letter, and I will do my best to convey those thoughts, using my own words, in my letter).

SalzmanLab_2026:

You can expect me to write letters of recommendation for you, given advance notice. If it’s a sort of letter I’ve never written before or the first time I’ve written a letter for you at all, please give me three weeks lead time because I need to find a 6-8 hour block of time to write you a good letter. After I have written you a letter for a particular type of application or scholarship, a week’s lead time is sufficient to ask me to send another (I will tailor the letter I already wrote).

UofSCExerciseOncologyLab_2026:

Fill out the link below as soon as you know you are applying for a position. This will give me a hard prompt to start working on this.

Rec Letter Form

https://forms.gle/h7WKdY2ddacYT2y5A

I have worked hard to build my reputation and that of our lab over the years. In this manner, I take my word seriously. In the rare instances where I don’t feel comfortable writing a recommendation letter for you, I will email you ASAP and set up a meeting to discuss my concerns and devise a plan to move forward.

VuraWeisLab_2026:

Students should give Josh two weeks notice before a letter of recommendation is due, should not be shy about reminding him as the deadline approaches..

Weecology_2026:

Provide us plenty of time, ideally at least two weeks (but don’t not ask for a letter if it has to happen at the last minute, we’ll figure out how to get it done). This is particularly important if it is the first time that we are writing this type of letter for you.

• Send a message that includes:
  • A link to the job/fellowship/award description
  • The date the letter is due
  • Details on how to submit the letters (typically either a link or an email address)
  • Anything you think is particularly important about the ad and/or that you’d like us to highlight.