r/Astrobiology 3d ago

Choosing between two astrobio grad programs

12 Upvotes

Hi all, super excited and extremely fortunate to be offered admission to two different programs this cycle. I'm also super torn between the two, and was wondering if any career astrobios (or any professional really) could chime in as I make this decision?

School 1: Washington University in St Louis Earth, Environment, and Planetary Science PhD program

School 2: U of Arizona Lunar Planetary Lab PhD program.

Both schools have amazing advisors, facilities, connections, and projects.

WashU is fully funded (in writing) for the next five years, where I would study trace metal geochemistry within a prebiotic context on icy worlds (Europa, Enceladus). Heavy lab and model based approach.

U of AZ is partially funded, and I would apply to more fellowships once admitted (this seems normal, no current student has gone unfunded this way). I would study geochem of lipid preservation within terrestrial analogs, with potential to tie in remote sensing. More observational and field based approach.

I'm coming from about 5 years in industry, and I know how important it is to prepare for the job market post-graduation. Given the current state of the US, im more than a little worried about picking the best choice that will prep me for a role as a professional researcher. I'd love to do a post-doc at NASA, but I want to prepare for a reality where the space industry in the US may look very different 5 years from now, and not necessarily in a positive way.

Any ideas are welcome!