Faculty Aide Program
Application Deadline: Rolling
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).
Payment to students in the Faculty Aide Program is split between URAF and the faculty member. URAF is able to fund the faculty member up to $3000 maximum towards student wages over the course of the fiscal year. The faculty member must match the amount of wages that URAF contributes with their own separate funding. URAF will determine the FAP award amount based on particular factors in the application itself (i.e. hours per week). FAP funding can be used for one project or split amongst multiple projects throughout the year. Likewise, FAP funding can be used for one student’s wages or split among several students. Any wages earned in excess of the approved amount will be charged back to the faculty member’s departmental budget through a journal entry in the University accounting system or billed to Harvard affiliates off-campus.
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.
- You may refer to the student employee wage ranges page to help determine the pay rate for your student aide.
- The estimated number of hours worked should be considered when determining the pay rate to ensure that payments in excess of the Faculty Aide award are not charged to the allowable restricted funds.
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 reviewed and a confirmation email is sent, URAF will hire the Faculty Aide(s) using the following costing data split:
- 50% on the SEO 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 bill 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.
- 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. A comprehensive job description will include three items: details on the nature of the project, student responsibilities, and the job duties themselves.
- As an undergraduate’s first priority is their academics, please apply to the FAP with a Research Assistant role that students can reasonably achieve within 8-12 hours per week.
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 doing research that week.