Are you looking to recruit an undergraduate or graduate student to assist with a current research project? The Center for Innovation in Social Science (CISS) aims to coordinate and enhance the research and mentorship activities of our affiliates and social scientists throughout BU. One service we can provide faculty, lecturer, postdoc, and graduate student researchers is assistance in identifying undergraduate or graduate research assistant candidates. Through our website, weekly digest, social media accounts, and targeted email lists, we can reach a large number of students who may be interested in applying for the research positions you have available. Below you will find resources to identify, fund, and hire graduate and undergraduate students. If you would like your research assistant position promoted by the Center, please email the position description to us at ciss@bu.edu.
We can assist with producing your job ad and provide information regarding pay rates, BU rules for employing undergraduate and graduate students, and lists of candidate attributes and job responsibilities that may be relevant to your position ad.
Finding a Graduate or Undergraduate Student
If you do not have a student to assist you, you can draft a research assistant job posting. Postings typically include (i) research project title, (ii) period of employment, (iii) estimated hours required per week and pay rate, (iii) project description, (iv) job responsibilities, (v) requirements and prerequisites, and (vi) instruction on how to apply (via a google form or by sending materials by email). We have created a google folder with sample job postings found here.
After you have drafted a job posting, you can advertise your research opportunity on various Boston University channels.
- CISS posts graduate opportunities and undergraduate opportunities on our website. We also send these opportunities to individuals on our mailing list every week. (To subscribe to our Weekly Digest, complete the form here
- Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) maintains a list of current research opportunities for students to apply to. Please see their opportunity submission form here if you are interested in advertising an opportunity.
- If your department has a professional academic advisor, graduate or undergraduate studies director, and a student newsletter, you can advertise your research opportunity there.
Research Assistant Funding
The Center offers a variety of research assistant funding opportunities, including our undergraduate research interns program. Learn more about the program here.
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) funds undergraduate students working with Boston University faculty. For UROP, students apply, and the faculty mentor must submit a letter of recommendation. UROP offers funding in the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. For more information on UROP, please consult their website here.
The Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future’s Graduate Summer Fellows Program. This program offers graduate students funding for intensive interdisciplinary research that aligns with the Center’s mission. For more information on this program, see their website here.
Rules, Regulations, and Eligibility Requirements
When hiring students (undergraduate and graduate; international and domestic), they must be eligible for payment through the student employment system. Please find information on the student employment eligibility criteria on their website here.
Undergraduate students: Undergraduate students cannot work more than 20 hours per week across all on-campus jobs during the academic year. Undergraduate students cannot work more than 39 hours per week across all on-campus employment during the summer. All positions must pay the Massachusetts minimum wage, which is currently $15.00 per hour (effective Jan 2023).
Graduate Students: If BU already funds a graduate student (e.g., a teaching fellowship), they may not work more than an additional 5 hours per week during the academic year. During the summer, graduate students cannot work more than 39 hours per week across all on-campus jobs. When hiring graduate students, you will be required to pay a fringe rate of 11.6%. All positions must pay the Massachusetts minimum wage, which is currently $15.00 per hour (effective Jan 2023). These GRS rules may change in 2025 per the terms of the graduate student strike resolution.