Faculty Aide Program
Application Deadline: Tuesday, September 15, 2026, 11:59 PM ET
The Faculty Aide Program (FAP) is a valuable program for undergraduate students in the early stages of their research careers to work closely with a Harvard-affiliated faculty member as a Research Assistant. Faculty members benefit from cost-sharing the wages paid to the student with the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (URAF).
The Faculty Aide Program works with faculty members to create introductory research experiences, Research Assistantships, using a wage share model. Designed with beginning researchers in mind, the FAP supports faculty while also helping undergraduates acquire and strengthen research skills. Faculty members are asked to propose Research Assistant roles that engage students in a range of closely supervised research tasks, allowing them to develop foundational skills within the field. Ideally, students will gain sophistication and independence over the course of the project, preparing them to assume greater responsibility in future research.
Payments to students in the Faculty Aide Program are split evenly between URAF and the faculty member. A student may receive up to $6,000 in FAP wages during the academic year (Fall 2026, Spring 2027, and Summer 2027), with funding limits of up to $2,500 in the fall, $2,500 in the spring, and $6,000 in the summer. The $6,000 annual maximum applies across all three terms. URAF will determine the FAP award amount based on information submitted in the application itself (ex. hours per week). Any wages earned in excess of the approved amount will be charged to the faculty member. Each faculty member may hire up to two Research Assistants through the FAP each term (fall, spring, summer).
Fall 2026:
- Hours: 5-10 hours per week
- Timeline: Monday, 28 September – Friday, 4 December [10 weeks maximum]
- Payment band: $15-$23 per hour
The faculty member must have an active appointment within the University.
Determining a Pay Rate
There is no set pay rate for the Faculty Aide Program. Students must be paid no less than Massachusetts minimum wage of $15/hr. Please keep your hourly rate within the FAP wage band of $15-$23 per hour.
Time Entry
Students will be required to enter their time worked each week through PeopleSoft. Timecards will then automatically be sent to the faculty member and/or supervisor listed in the SEOS system for approval.
Harvard Faculty Members
Students on the Faculty Aide Program are hired and paid with URAF’s billing code and the faculty member’s department billing code on Harvard’s payroll system. Once an application has been approved for funding, URAF will hire the Faculty Aide(s) using the following costing data split:
- 50% on the URAF coding
- 50% on the department coding
Faculty at Harvard-Affiliated Hospitals
If your department does not have access to the Harvard payroll system or you are using personal funds, please complete the additional billing information on the FAP application form. URAF will cover 100% of students’ payroll up front and will invoice you at the end of the period of employment.
Students often become Faculty Aides by contacting professors or responding to Research Assistant job listings in the Student Employment Office (SEO) Jobs Database. Faculty members must list students they would like to hire on their application before it can be approved. Faculty Aide applications are accepted throughout the year, but posting your Research Assistant position early in the semester increases your chances of finding the right student.
URAF will hire all students through PeopleSoft. Students are required to complete onboarding documents including tax forms and the I-9 Form before they can begin work. URAF will notify students and faculty both when the student has been hired in PeopleSoft and when they are ready to begin work. Onboarding a student may take up to two weeks!
How do faculty apply for funding?
- Faculty members submit the FAP online application and will receive an e-mail confirmation upon review of their application. Faculty members must apply to FAP with a specific student in mind!
- The FAP cannot be used to pay the wages of a student who has also received a grant from the Harvard College Research Program (HCRP) or any other Harvard supported research award.
Please note: only Faculty members can access the system with their HarvardKey. If you are an administrator trying to apply on behalf of a faculty member, please email facultyaide@fas.harvard.edu with the faculty member’s HUID. This will allow us to add you to the application system as their proxy.
Application Tips
- As the FAP supports Research Assistants and students are paid with hourly wages, tasks should be clearly outlined and should be in support of the faculty’s current research project.
- When completing this application, please adhere to the time commitment (5-10 hours per week for 10 weeks maximum), wage band ($15-$23/hour), and answer each question in full.
Student Onboarding
- Students must complete all onboarding tasks including submission of the I-9 Form Sections 1 and 2 and tax forms so they can be hired properly in the Harvard Payroll system.
- Once a student is hired the faculty member and the student will receive an email with an electronic timesheet.
- The student will have to report time every week in PeopleSoft to get paid for their hours conducting research that week.