I'm a doctoral candidate at a big university and am teaching as an adjunct at a smaller university. I'll be graduating with my PhD in a few months and I'm hoping to get a tenure-track job at the smaller institution I'm teaching at in the next 1–3 years (skipping postdoc).

I'll be giving an oral presentation at an upcoming conference and am wondering how I should list my affiliation. My primary affiliation, the one in which I did the research I'll be presenting, is the bigger university where I am a student. My research is funded through this university. However, I do work for the second university and have already done some work for my project since being hired by them.

Should I add the smaller university, the one at which I am teaching, as a secondary affiliation?


I don't see this as a big deal, either way. Of course, the conference may not have a way for you to do this comfortably and might object (doubtful, but possible). You might have some contractual need to list the university at which you did the work (more likely, so check). But it is even more unlikely that they would require "exclusive" mention in affiliation.

But I doubt that listing the smaller university is going to make any difference in whether you get hired there. It might make it easier for people to find you there over the long run, provided that you do get hired, but harder if you don't.

Assuming that there are no obligations that force you to do things one way or another, I'd say is is just a coin-toss. Do it if it makes you feel good.

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