Graduate Student Researchers

A GSR is a graduate student who is engaged in or assisting in research projects. GSRs perform research broadly related to their degree programs in an academic department or research unit under the direction of a faculty member or authorized Principal Investigator. GSRs may or may not collaborate in the publication of research as determined by the faculty member directing the work. GSRs may not be assigned teaching, administrative, or general assistance duties. This is not intended to exclude research-related duties such as quantitative analysis, bibliographic searches or summaries, text editing, lab projects, computer programming, and a reasonable amount of lab maintenance and cleaning.

Graduate Student Researchers are represented by a contract negotiated by the United Auto Workers union (UAW).
• The current contract for GSRs can be viewed here.

ERSO is the HR service unit assigned to the Department of Physics. The hiring process can differ for GSR appointments made outside of Physics. If a student is unsure of the GSR hiring process, please reach out to Physics GSAO Ariana Castro, arianap@berkeley.edu for assistance.

Once a Physics faculty member has decided to hire a graduate student as a GSR, the student initiates the hire through the ERSO service center. The student provides basic information about themselves and the PI/faculty member they wish to work for. The hire request is routed to the faculty member for approval and then ERSO handles the hiring process and paperwork. Students should make sure to review the information that they submit carefully: it’s important that correct information is submitted to ERSO so that their appointment is set up correctly.

If the student is a new employee or has had a break in service for more than one month, they need to register for an onboarding session with ERSO or the appropriate HR hiring unit.  ERSO will go over the process to have the student’s  I-9 documents verified and send then a docusign packet to complete. The student may start working once they finish the complete onboarding process or on the start date listed in their offer, whichever is later.

GSRs are automatically paid a fixed monthly salary based on their % time. The GSR’s paycheck will be deposited into the student’s designated direct deposit bank account, if they have signed up for direct deposit in UCPath at least 3 weeks prior to the payment. Their first paycheck may arrive as a paper check, but subsequent paychecks will be automatically deposited into their direct deposit bank account if they take the necessary steps to enroll.

Once the GSR appointment is active in UCPath, the student can set up direct deposit information in the  UCPath portal. Select “Employee Actions” on the left sidebar, “Income and Taxes,” and “Direct Deposit.” Please note that the student’s first paycheck may arrive as a paper check, as all direct deposit changes may take up to one month to reflect.

CalTime is the system of record to record leave taken. GSRs must log into CalTime monthly by the deadline to approve their own timecard even if no leave was taken for the month.

No, the GSR position is purely employment.

Fall: The start date for the Fall Semester through December 31
Spring: January 1 through the end date for the Spring Semester
Summer: The dates in between the end of Spring Semester and the beginning of Fall Semester.

Note that if the student is switching between a GSR and a GSI position from one semester to the next, the beginning and end dates for GSI positions are different so there may be an overlap of two weeks on each end. These are the standard dates we use, but exceptions may apply. See the Berkeley Academic Calendar for semester start/end dates.

Most GSRs are hired at 50% time, which equates to 20 hours per week. 

Graduate students in Physics are initially appointed as GSRs at Step 5 in their first year. Any GSR position a student accepts after their first summer is hired at Step 6.  Students should review the offer letter that ERSO sends to make sure the step is correct, and reach out to ERSO right away if there are concerns.

These documents are in the UCPath portal.

In 2025-26, the Department is bringing back summer lab/group rotations, which are structured as a 50%, 20-hr/week GSR role that allows first year PhD students to choose which PIs they would like to work with. The lab/group rotations are a good way to test out a research advisor before the formal advisor declaration is made. Students are encouraged to make their summer rotation commitments carefully to maximize the possibility of matching with an advisor by the start of their second summer. These summer lab rotations funded by the Department are only available for first year students. Rotations can consist of anything from attending group meetings with multiple groups to taking on a full project with one group – it’s up to the student and the faculty members they approach to decide.
Experimental research students can begin work in a research group as early as their first semester (this varies by science group) while theoretical research students are often required to complete a year of classes in their chosen specialty before it is possible for them to begin research. It is far more common for students to focus on coursework and prelims in their first year, and the summer rotation might be a student’s first contact with research. Using the summer rotation well, and starting research by the second summer allows students to stay on track to complete their degree in six years.

Step One: In Spring, as a student’s first summer approaches, it is a good idea to begin thinking about which group(s) to choose for rotations. These faculty have said they are taking new students in 25/26.

Step Two: Students should reach out to faculty to explore whether they might accept them into the faculty member’s group for the summer. Once there is agreement with faculty that a student can join their group for the summer, the student initiates the Summer Rotation Description of Duties form in Docusign.

Step Three: In mid March there will be an email announcement from the Department Administrative Director about submitting the GSR hire request to ERSO for the summer rotation. GSR hire requests, as shared above, are initiated by the student through a hiring system managed by ERSO, and is routed to the Head Graduate Advisor, Dan Kasen, for approval. Dan Kasen will also serve as the supervisor of record for 2025 summer rotations. If ERSO sends another Description of Duties form as part of their hiring process, it can be ignored as long as the Physics Department’s Summer Rotation Description of Duties form has already been completed.

Once a graduate student officially declares their research advisor, the intent is normally to work with that research advisor towards completion of the PhD within six years. Whether the research advisor can support their graduate students with GSR appointments is dependent on available funding so students should speak with their research advisor on a regular basis about the intention for funding as each new semester approaches. It is normally the case that research advisors will support their graduate students minimally each summer. Some students may need to seek a GSI appointment to cover their Fall and Spring semesters if faculty funding is not available.

As a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR), you may be eligible to apply for the Transitional Position Pilot Program, where selectees will receive up to one semester of a transitional position. The goal of the Program is to provide graduate student researchers, who have PI-funded appointments, a new transitional position in cases where there is an irreparable employment-related conflict in the supervisor-supervisee relationship and that the supervisor relationship is beyond repair for reasons outside of the graduate student researcher’s control, or that the graduate student researcher’s PI left the University. Berkeley has an overall FY24-25 budget of $70,000 for these positions which can be used collectively for up to six (6) transitional position(s) so opportunities to participate in this program are limited.

Graduate student researchers are eligible to apply for this Program who meet the following criteria:

1. Are in good employment standing, including conduct and performance.
2. Are dependent on their Principal Investigator (PI) for employment.
3. Have been with their Principal Investigator for at least two semesters (or the equivalent amount of time).
4. The graduate student researcher has made a clear argument, corroborated by the department, that there is an irreparable employment-related conflict in the supervisor-supervisee relationship and that the supervisor relationship is beyond repair for reasons outside of the graduate student researcher’s control, or that the graduate student researcher’s PI left the University.
5. Has not previously received a transitional position.

Additional Program details

• Graduate student researchers will be selected for a transitional position based on an application process established by the campus.
• Depending on the reason for and timing of the transition, the graduate student researcher’s original PI may ask the graduate student researcher to finish wrapping up work assignments even if the graduate student researcher has already transitioned to a new work assignment.
• In no case will a graduate student researcher who receives a transitional position be asked to continue work at their former lab/unit for longer than a period of two weeks.
• In no case will wrapping up work assignments cause a graduate student researcher to exceed their total allotted FTE per the Time and Effort article.
• For the duration of the pilot program, the University’s decisions on which applicants to award a Transitional Position are not subject to grievance and arbitration. The Union may grieve allegations of procedural violations up to Step 3 in accordance with the Grievance Articles of the BR/BX contracts. Only an allegation that funds are not allocated even though there are sufficient eligible applicants per term may be taken to arbitration.

The program will be implemented and will be open to all GSRs to apply beginning on March 6, 2025.

Here are the steps to take to apply:

1.To apply go to: https://apo.berkeley.edu/policies (website will be active by March 6, 2025)
2.Click on bullet point entitled: Graduate Student Researchers
3. Scroll down to FORMS
4. Click on GSR Transitional Position Pilot Program Application
5.Complete the Application

Resources available to you

• Summary of Program: https://apo.berkeley.edu/policies
• Questions? Contact the Academic Personnel Office at: appolicy@berkeley.edu and/or you can also reach out to the UAW at berkeley@uaw4811.org.