Graduate Student Researcher Hiring

Overview

  • Baskin Engineering hires its Graduate Student Researchers quarterly. 

  • The BE Academic Payroll Team sends the hiring request call to faculty six to eight weeks before the start of each quarter.

  • GSRs can begin working after the appointment is formally offered and accepted and after they complete all necessary employment paperwork.

  • The GSR will be hired in accordance with the hiring department’s established GSR salary program. 

  • Graduate students are limited to 50% employment during the academic quarter unless the Graduate Division approves an exception. This exception does not apply to international students. A request to hire a GSR with concurrent AY 50% ASE appointment is exceptional; such requests are typically denied at the divisional level and not forwarded to the Graduate Division.

  • The GSR appointment percentage must be commensurate with the workload. Generally, a GSR is hired at 50% unless the workload is less than half-time.

  • The measurable workload must be expressed in whole hours per week, using a 40-hour workweek standard: 50% = 20 hours per week, 25% = 10 hours per week.

  • The BE Academic Payroll Team monitors for other employment that overlaps with the requested GSR dates and percentages and will reach out if there are concurrent job conflicts.

Position Descriptions

Graduate Student Researcher (GSR): A Graduate Student Researcher is a registered graduate student who performs research as a condition of receiving financial remuneration from funding generated by the University in an academic department or research unit, provided that the graduate student is performing this funded research under the control of the University and under the specific direction of a faculty member or authorized Principal Investigator.

GSR Trainee: When a registered graduate student meets the terms identified [under the Graduate Student Researcher definition] and the funding source from which they receive remuneration deems that the money provided cannot be characterized as wages, the graduate student shall be appointed as a GSR Trainee as an employee of the University.

GSR Fellow: When a registered graduate student who (i) obtains an individual fellowship(s) where receipt of the fellowship funding requires the performance of a service for the University; and (ii) performs research in an academic department or research unit, provided that the graduate student is performing this fellowship research under the control of the University and under the specific direction of a faculty member or authorized Principal Investigator, the graduate student shall be appointed as a GSR Fellow as an employee of the University.

Qualifications

All graduate student researchers are expected to have the following qualifications: Current enrollment in a graduate program; experience in the subject matter of the research project; oral/written communication skills to discuss and document research progress; the ability to work independently, accurately, and to problem solve technical and methodological issues that arise during the course of the research; the ability to apply sound research techniques, methodology, and logical critical analysis; and strong organization and interpersonal skills.

Job Responsibilities

Under supervision and operating in accordance with University policies, a Graduate Student Researcher is responsible for assisting in a variety of research tasks that are under the control of the University and are assigned by a faculty member or PI. These tasks may include preparing resources, equipment, and materials for the research, documenting results, writing and archiving, and performing other efforts supporting the research activities. This position is intended to provide the opportunity to develop knowledge of proper research procedures and techniques.

Graduate Student Academic Responsibilities

A Graduate Student Researcher's employee position should not in any way be construed as imposing a limit on the amount of academic effort necessary for a graduate student to make satisfactory academic progress toward their degree.

Faculty PI Supervisor's Responsibilities

  • Please discuss your preliminary GSR support decisions with your department's Graduate Advisor, Research Administrator, and students as needed.

  • Submit the BE GSR Hiring Request Form for GSRs you will directly supervise (requires CruzID and Gold password credentials).

  • These forms are quarter-specific. Please do not submit a hire request for a future quarter until that quarter's GSR hiring call.

  • Email summaries of submitted forms are sent to your @ucsc email. 

  • The previous quarter's GSRs are available on the first page of the GSR request form and in the BE GSR Request Gshared Drive.

  • Direct your funding questions to your Research Administrator.

BE Research Administrator's Responsibilities

  • Review your PI's GSR request(s) on the centralized responses sheet, consult with them as needed, and complete the Tier 2 budget approval.

BE Academic Payroll's Responsibilities

  • Facilitates the GSR hiring call, monitors GSR request form responses, and ensures requests are complete and comply with policy and the GSR UAW contract.

  • Generates the GSR appointment notice letter 30 calendar days before the start of the appointment or, when a GSR hire request is late, as soon as possible.

  • Initiates the student onboarding and ensures completion of the required employment paperwork and compliance with State and Federal laws.

  • Completes the UCPath hire and funding entry transactions when the student completes their employment documents.

  • Monitors and audits leave reporting timesheets.