What is a Graduate Student Researcher?
A graduate student researcher (GSR) is a graduate student who performs research related to his or her degree program under the guidance and oversight direction of a faculty member or an authorized principal investigator. These positions are typically supported through external funding agencies for specific research projects. GSR positions are especially valuable for graduate students pursuing research careers.
General GSR Qualifications
- Academic standing for employment eligibility: Each graduate student researcher (GSR) must be in good academic standing (i.e., must not be on academic probation or have had his or her degree candidacy lapse), have a minimum 3.0 grade-point average, and have no more than two Incomplete grades in upper-division and graduate courses on the transcript. For more information about employment eligibility, please click here.
- Registration and enrollment: Each appointee must be registered and enrolled in at least 12 units of course work.
- Graduate standing: Each appointee must be a UC graduate student.
Applying to be a GSR
Only UC graduate students are eligible to work as graduate student researchers for the UC. To obtain a research position, please inquire with individual faculty or research units.
Benefits for Graduate Student Researchers
As a GSR, you are entitled to receive the following benefits during the term that you are employed:
- Partial fee remissions - A partial fee remission is for TAs working 25 percent or more time, and GSRs working 24 percent or more time. This type of remission is equal to the amount assessed on your fee bill for tuition, the Student Services Fee and the Health Insurance Fee (if you have not had the health insurance requirement waived by University Health Services). A partial fee remission does not include campus-based fees (i.e. health services, transportation, student life, Graduate Student Association, recreation and Early Childhood Education Center). Currently, the non-resident supplemental tuition is covered for students if they are eligible for partial fee remissions.
- Childcare reimbursement
Last Updated: September 2020