Graduate Student Researcher Hiring

Baskin Engineering hires its Graduate Student Researchers on a quarterly basis. The BE Academic Payroll Team sends the hiring request call to faculty six to eight weeks before the start of each quarter.

Department GSR Salary

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

GSR Appointment Dates and Percentage

  • The BE Academic Payroll Team will check to see if the student has any employment that overlaps with the requested dates. Graduate students are limited to 50% employment during the academic quarter unless the Graduate Division approves an exception*. A request to hire a GSR with concurrent AY 50% ASE appointment is an exceptional request; such requests are typically denied at the divisional level and not forwarded to the Graduate Division.
    • *This exception does not apply to international students; please contact the BE Academic Payroll Team if you have any questions. 
  • Because the GSR percentage must be commensurate with the workload, the measurable workload should equate to whole hours per week, using a 40-hour workweek standard, e.g., 50% = 20 hours per week, 25% = 10 hours per week. Appointment % must be commensurate with effort. Generally, a GSR is hired at 50% unless the workload is less than half-time.

Position Details

  • Duties performed by a GSR shall be directly related to a research objective. Hiring a GSR to perform duties suited for a student assistant or staff position is not permissible. Consult with the BE Academic Payroll Team if you have questions.

Faculty PI Supervisors

  • Please discuss your preliminary GSR support decisions with your department's Graduate Advisor, Research Analyst, 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 future quarter hire request until that quarter's GSR hiring call.
  • Email summaries of submitted forms are sent to your @ucsc email. 
  • A list of the previous quarter's GSRs is available on the first page of the form and in the BE GSR Request Gshared Drive.
  • Direct your funding questions to your Research Administrator.
  • Students must accept the formal appointment offer and complete the required employment forms before working.

BE Research Administrators

  • 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

  • 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.