graduate student researcher job description

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Research Assistant/Associate Job Description

Minimum qualifications/requirements.

• Academic and/or work experience related to the field of research, as defined by the supervisor/lead researcher
• Experience with specialized software or datasets, as required by the supervisor
• Satisfactory academic progress, as defined by the supervisor

Research Assistants/Associates are Academic Student Employees (ASEs) hired by faculty to assist in carrying out a particular research agenda. The payroll title for such employees varies from Research Assistant, Research Associate 1 and Research Associate 2. The title/pay level is determined based upon the ASE’s current academic status. (More information on  titles and payrates .)

While a research assistant is expected to contribute in many ways to the research project, typical responsibilities include the following:

• Conduct literature reviews
• Collect and analyze data
• Prepare materials for submission to granting agencies and foundations
• Prepare materials for UW Human Subjects Committee review
• Prepare interview questions
• Recruit and/or interview subjects
• Maintain accurate records of interviews, safeguarding the confidentiality of subjects, as necessary
• Summarize interviews
• Provide ready access to all experimental data for the faculty researcher and/or supervisor
• Request or acquire equipment or supplies necessary for the project
• Manage and respond to project related email
• Prepare, maintain, and update website materials
• Supervise undergraduate students working on the research project (maintaining records on assignment completion, acting as liaison/mediator between the undergraduate students and the faculty researcher)
• Attend project meetings
• Attend area seminars and other meetings as necessary
• Summarize project results
• Prepare progress reports for the PI and funding agency
• Prepare other articles, reports, and presentations
• Monitor the project budget

Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned by individual researchers. Quarterly work requirements and schedules must be discussed with the Supervisor to ensure that the work priorities can be accomplished in the 220 work hours scheduled for the quarter (for a normal half-time appointment). Concerns about any additional responsibilities should be discussed first with the supervisor (faculty researcher), and then the Graduate Program Committee Chair or the Department Chair.

This position is subject to policies stated in the UW/UAW contract for Academic Student Employees (ASEs). The most recent information may be found at: https://hr.uw.edu/labor/academic-and-student-unions/uaw-ase/ase-contract

Policies on workload, vacation and paid leave are included in this contract. Vacation and paid leave must be approved by the supervisor. Documentation of leave approvals must be maintained per Department of Economics and UW Human Resources policy.

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Graduate Division

Promoting Graduate Education

Graduate Student Researcher (GSR)

General gsr employment information.

GSR’s are students who perform research related to the student's degree program in an academic department or research unit under the direction of a faculty member or authorized principal investigator.   Graduate students may be employed during the academic year on a part-time basis that does not to exceed 50% time.  These appointments are awarded by academic programs. 

Please be aware, the information below does not yet reflect the provisions outlined in the new UAW Collective Bargaining Agreement. We will be updating this webpage in the coming months.

Once appointed, students are expected to continue to adhere to the above requirements and to enroll in and complete 12 units of coursework or research. 

Graduate students may not be employed more than 50 percent time or 20 hours per week during the academic year in any combination of appointments. During quarter breaks and in the summer, GSRs may be employed full-time. 

Graduate Student Researcher (GSR)

What is a graduate student researcher (gsr).

Graduate Research assistants are appointed to the title Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) and are selected on the basis of scholastic achievement and promise as creative scholars. GSRs assist faculty with scholarly research under the direction and supervision of a faculty member.

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Ra job description.

In general, the duties for Research Assistant  appointments in Biology include designing, carrying out, and analyzing experiments in the field and laboratory; developing and testing theories; mentoring and collaborating with others; reading and critiquing scientific literature; attending scientific gatherings (e.g. seminars, meetings), and presenting the results of your research in seminars, posters, manuscripts, or other appropriate formats. RA assignments including the tasks, times, and locations related to your appointment, required training programs, procedures used for evaluation, and any additional details related to the duties required will be provided by your supervisor.

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Electrical and Computer Engineering

Graduate Student Researcher (GSR)

A Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) performs research related to the student’s degree program in an academic department or research unit under the direction of a faculty member or authorized Principal Investigator. GSR positions are awarded by the professor who is the holder of the research grant. ECE students are encouraged to read about our  faculty’s research  and contact faculty directly to inquire about GSR opportunities.

Most GSR positions are for work to be conducted 25 percent time (10 hours per week) to 49.99 percent time (20 hours per week). Appointments typically cover fees and tuition (if applicable), and include a salary. Positions are available throughout the academic year and summer months, depending on the terms of the grant.

NOTE: If domestic students do not establish residency by the end of their first year of study, Nonresident Supplemental tuition will not be covered under any circumstances. This means that even if a domestic student holds a Graduate Student Researcher position after their first year of study, the student will be responsible for paying the non-resident tuition supplement. 

Graduate Research Assistant Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the graduate research assistant job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights the major requirements you may be expected to fulfill to be hired for the graduate research assistant role by most recruiters/employers.

What Does a Graduate Research Assistant Do?

Graduate research assistants usually have some degree of responsibility for the conduct of particular research projects.

The graduate research assistant job description involves planning and carrying out a project, collecting data and performing statistical analysis, communicating research results to scientific meetings or to the press, and reporting on progress to investigators.

It also entails carrying out menial tasks like setting up equipment, cleaning up laboratory spaces, and obtaining materials; keeping track of inventory, preparing charts and graphs, and photocopying data and one’s own notes (which is particularly important).

They are also responsible for holding a master copy of experiments when in progress (e.g., fixing broken tubes or machines), maintaining the lab’s web site or other public record of their work.

Graduate research assistants generally do not serve as teaching assistants (TAs), but may be called upon to assist with some aspects of instruction within the laboratory, e.g. conducting experiments, serving as lab assistants, grading student exams, etc.

They are sometimes called upon to teach courses or act as adjunct faculty members in departments at some colleges and universities; these opportunities are usually unpaid.

Graduate research assistants make sure that all experiments are sterile and ensure that the lab space is clean by doing things like washing glassware and utensils, cleaning electron microscopes, autoclaves, etc.

Their duties also involve helping with the research by keeping computer records of experiments, data, and observations in a laboratory logbook.

Graduate research assistants are sometimes required to participate as informed volunteers in biomedical or behavioral studies.

They usually help with the instruction of undergraduate teaching assistants and volunteers.

The graduate research assistant work description also covers administrating laboratory financial accounts.

They maintain a current list of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in the laboratory and also need to keep up with details of new projects and research development.

Graduate research assistants communicate regularly with the supervisor and should have good communications skills, as well as being able to write clearly and concisely.

They should also have good interpersonal skills and be able to work well independently, as well as with others.

Graduate research assistants are in charge of maintaining lab equipment, keeping records of experiments, etc. and ensuring that all laboratory procedures are carefully followed.

They are sometimes called upon to participate in teaching seminars or workshops at undergraduate colleges and universities or clinics that offer courses related to their major field of study.

They also may be required to serve as artisans in labs that specialize in a specific type of experimental technique.

Graduate research assistants are also required to present in conferences and seminars, both locally and internationally.

They may be called upon to do their own teaching at undergraduate level labs in their universities.

Graduate research assistants are also given the responsibility of training new graduate students and undergraduates who wish to learn more about their field of study.

Graduate Research Assistant Job Description Sample/Example/Template

The graduate research assistant job description consists of the following duties, tasks, and responsibilities:

• Assist in research and clinical investigations
• Produce finished manuscript
• Conduct experiments
• Support and guide mentors in the process of graduate school application
• Work closely with faculty members to deliver high-quality papers or projects
• Help develop plans for future graduate studies or research in the same field of study
• Collect, organize, analyze and document all data that relates to research project to ensure reliability of data and details
• Assist in carrying out literature searches using databases and computerized sources such as PubMed Central, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Google Scholar
• Assist faculty member in grading written assignments and exams
• Assist in the preparation of reports, articles and manuscripts
• Provide guidance and help to students who are new to the laboratory
• Organize, arrange and prepare laboratory materials, instruments, supplies and equipment
• Attend relevant seminars or symposia as requested by the supervisor
• Read abstracts or papers published in conferences, journals and newspaper to keep up with current developments in the field of study.

Graduate Research Assistants Job Description for Resume

If you have worked as a graduate research assistant before or are presently working in that role and are making a new resume or CV, then you can make a very compelling Professional Experience section for your resume by applying the sample graduate research assistant job description provided above.

You can express the duties and responsibilities that you have performed or are presently performing as a graduate research assistant in your resume’s Professional Experience by utilizing the ones in the above graduate research assistant job description example.

This will convince the recruiter/employer that you have been effective performing the graduate research assistant job, which can greatly enhance your chances of being hired, especially if the new position that you are applying for requires someone with some graduate research assistant work experience.

Graduate Research Assistant Requirements: Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge for Career Success

Here are important requirements you may be expected to meet to be hired for the graduate research assistant position:

• Bachelor’s degree in related disciplines
• Ambitious and self-motivated individual with strong work ethic
• A cooperative, flexible and accommodating attitude to work with a team of different professionals in the laboratory
• Ability to read and write in English of proficient level
• Knowledge of computers is a plus (Microsoft Word or Excel)
• Good communication skills to effectively interact with different people, both oral and written
• Able to manage deadlines
• Detail oriented and multi-tasking skills
• Ability to work effectively under pressure as an individual or in a team
• Ability to communicate effectively in English with a diverse population to ensure effective progress in the lab
• Strong organizational skills and proactive personality
• To have excellent interpersonal, listening, and verbal skills is a plus

Graduate Research Assistant Salary

According to Glassdoor, the national average compensation for a graduate research assistant in the United States is $29,911 per year.

This post is beneficial to individuals interested in the graduate research assistant career. They will be able to learn all they need to know about what graduate research assistants do, to be able to decide correctly if that’s the career to take.

It is also useful to recruiters/employers in making a detailed job description for the graduate research assistant position in their organizations.

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Job Description

Graduate Research Student job description

Example graduate research student requirements on a job description.

• Bachelor's degree in relevant field
• Excellent writing and communication skills
• Ability to work in a team environment
• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines
• Knowledge of research methods and data analysis software
• Strong problem solving and critical thinking skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to multitask and prioritize
• Strong organizational skills
• Creative and innovative approach to research

Graduate Research Student job description example 1

Capgemini graduate research student job description, resources for employers posting graduate research student jobs.

Graduate Research Student job description FAQs

What are the most common skills on a job description for a graduate research student, what does a graduate research student do.

Updated March 14, 2024

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The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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Meet Cami Rezabek, the student choreographer for the School of Music’s spring opera, Fierce

Cami Rezabek is a fourth-year BFA student in the Department of Dance with minors in English and Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies, the undergrad research assistant for the UIDC, and the student-choreographer for Fierce, a new 21 st -century opera that follows four teenage girls through a journey of discovery as they write their college admissions essays. Fierce makes its Iowa debut on the Hancher stage April 26-27, 2024.   

Rezabek is originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Her mother, Carol, is a dancer, choreographer, dance teacher, and an alum of the University of Iowa with BFA degrees in Dance and Theatre Arts—so naturally, Cami began dance lessons by the time she was 3 years old. And the UI was a natural fit, too, when it came time for college.   

“The dance program here is so good,” she explains, “and my family has a history in this department, so it just made sense.”  

Cami started dancing at the UI in Fall 2020, amidst strict COVID pandemic restrictions—switching between Zoom ballet lessons and social-distanced rehearsals where students danced in six-by-six squares taped to the studio floor.   

“It was an interesting first year,” she says. “I feel like I got really close to the dancers I came in with but, because we weren’t in Halsey Hall, we didn’t have the opportunity to meet and mingle with the older students in the program.”   

Since then, Rezabek had been actively participating in UI dance performances, touring with the UIDC, and seeking out opportunities to choreograph.   

“I’ve always had a passion for choreography,” Rezabek describes her choreographic work. “For me, it’s all about creating or elevating a story, bringing meaning to movements. I like to build dances around a narrative or a message, and think about the way every step, every movement, and all these small moments can come together in the body.”  

“For musicals or pieces that have an existing story, I spend a lot of time analyzing the story,” she explains. “Choreography can add another layer to the piece, so it’s important to examine what’s there and find moments where a movement can bring something new and enlightening to a character or a scene.”   

During the fall semester, Rezabek flexed her interpretive skills in a different way, working as a research assistant with UIDC. For their 2023-2024 season, UIDC prepared an interactive program of dance and dialogue called Dances Described that put special emphasis on the use of Audio Description as a tool for making dance more accessible to audiences with blindness, low vision, and other visual impairment. While the company developed their new piece, “Winning,” led by UIDC Artistic Director and Assistant Professor of Dance Stephanie Miracle, Rezabek created the Audio Descriptions that are read aloud—live—during the dance performance.     

“Writing the Audio Description as we were creating the piece was a huge benefit,” says Rezabek. “Hearing how the dancers describe their own movements has really expanded the way I write about dance, and I can better communicate the visual into language. It’s helped me become a better choreographer and a better dancer.”  

Rezabek was also one of the 38 UI student dancers who performed Martha Graham’s Panorama during the GRAHAM100 concert at Hancher on March 29. In early January, Rezabek and the rest of the ensemble dancers were hard at work in Halsey Hall, learning the historic choreography and intense Graham Technique while snowstorms whirled outside.  

“It was really the opportunity of a lifetime to share the Hancher stage with professional dancers who perform at such a high level,” Rezabek explains. “When I graduate, I want to get a job with a dance company. Being part of the Martha Graham performance was a professional experience that I could have never imagined, and one that I am so grateful to have as I move into the next phase of my career.”   

Rezabek was still rehearsing for Panorama when she joined the creative team of Fierce . It was another remarkable opportunity, particularly for an undergraduate student.  

“Honestly,” Rezabek admits, “I didn’t think I was going to get the job, so I was really excited when I did.”  

Fierce was first commissioned by Cincinnati Opera and composed by UI assistant professor of Jazz Studies William Menefield, who wrote the music for the opera in collaboration with author and librettist Sheila Williams.   

“Once I read the description of the opera, I knew I wanted to be a part of the project,” Rezabek describes her initial interest in Fierce. “The story is very relatable and it’s also very modern with jazz, R&B, and Latin influences. It’s such a robust musical score so there is so much material I can pull from as a choreographer.”  

Her first task was to find four dancers to work with, which proved to be difficult since many of the dancers in the Department of Dance had packed schedules. “At one point I counted, and there were five dance shows that overlapped with the rehearsals for Fierce ,” Rezabek explains, “so I had to get a little creative.”   

Eventually, she found her four dancers: Fabiola Casteneda-Santiago (BA student in Biology), Chloe Schwab (BA in Theatre Arts), Joslyn Sheley (BA in Psychology, Political Science, Pre-Law), and Trinity Woody (MA in Dance Pedagogy and Instruction, Pre-Business). “They’ve been amazing,” Rezabek explains, “I don’t have to coach them on how to add style to their movement, so I can really focus on developing the choreography and the ideas that we’re trying to elevate through dance.”  

As part of her development process, Rezabek conducted extensive research on the various influences that Dr. Menefield has incorporated into his composition.   

“There is a lot I can derive from the music itself, but I wouldn’t want the movements to feel false,” she describes her research process. “I really watched a lot of videos, going back and forth between basic tutorials and more advanced performances because it’s important for me to learn and know the styles that my choreography is referencing. For example, I’m not as familiar with salsa. I had to spend some time with the style so that I could present something authentic.”  

During rehearsals, Rezabek arrives with her thoroughly marked-up script and, as the singers are practicing in the opera studio on the lower level of the Voxman Music Building, the dancers develop and work on their choreography upstairs. Then, she works with Dr. Menefield to incorporate the choreography into the blocking for the actors and other cast members.  

“I’ve felt really respected in the process,” says Rezabek. “I think it really helps that Dr. Menefield is both composer and director. Not only can I hear the feeling and intention in the music itself, but he’s also there to provide me with feedback. He’s always treated me like a professional, so he’ll tell me if something’s not working and, on the other hand, he’s not afraid to show enthusiasm when the choreography comes together.”    

“I’m so excited to see the evolution of this production,” Rezabek says, “and I can’t wait for audiences to see all the performers come into their character. We’re really going to turn it on and light up the Hancher stage.”