A Graduate Student Researcher is a registered graduate student who performs research under the direction of a faculty member.

GSR with No Remission

Job Code 003266 is always used during the period 7/1 - 9/30 and during the academic year for students not eligible for the GSR tuition-and-fee (GSRTF) remission program.

GSR with Fee Remission

Job codes 003262, 003263, 003264, 003284, 003285, 003286, or 003287 are used during the academic year when a graduate student is eligible for the GSR tuition-and-fee remission (GSRTF) program.

A student eligible for GSRTF must be appointed to the job code (GSRTF Pool) associated with their academic home department/program (where the student is pursuing a degree) as follows:

• 003262 - CSE (Computer Science & Engineering)

• 003263 - MAE (Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering)/CENG/NENG 

• 003264 - SE (Structural Engineering)

• 003284 - General (all other departments and programs)*

• 003285 - ECE (Electrical & Computer Engineering)

• 003286 – Physics

• 003287 - SIO (Scripps Institution of Oceanography)

For the Materials Science interdisciplinary graduate program, the job code should be that of the primary department of the student's advisor.

GSR + Other Graduate Academic Employment

Any student who is employed in a graduate academic title*, or combination of graduate academic titles*, totaling 25% or more for a quarter during the academic year, is eligible for a fee remission; and should be appointed to a GSRTF Job Code. (*Grad academic title: GSR, Associate, TA, Reader, Tutor)

Example: 10% GSR + 25.00% TA; student is eligible for a fee remission and GSR appointment should be on Job Code 003284 (or other applicable GSRTF Job Code).

A student whose total employment is less than 25% for a quarter is not eligible for a fee remission. 

Students appointed to this job code must meet the graduate student academic eligibility criteria listed in Chapter 1. 

Appointment Percentage

GSRs may be appointed up to 50% during the academic months and up to 100% during the summer with the home department’s approval.  

Pay Rate

Refer to the Student Academic Title Rates sheet for current rates.

Effective Winter 2023 hiring departments may hire graduate students into graduate academic titles using the salary point set by the hiring department, provided that the minimum experience-based salary point is met, as provided in the GSR/BR collective bargaining agreement.  

For a list of academic department/programs with their GSR step level(s), please see Appendix: Graduate Student Researcher Step Levels by Department. 

Pay Schedule

GSRs are paid monthly.

Position Begin and End Dates

GSR appointment dates should align with the quarterly pay periods when possible.  Job code 003266, when appointed to less than 25% during the academic year, can have flexible begin and end dates.  However, in order to maintain eligibility for GSRTF, the full quarter pay periods must be entered into UCPath. 

Summer Employment Dates

GSRs may be appointed up to 100% during the Summer with the home department's approval. The Summer period is defined as the day after Spring Quarter ends through the day before Fall Quarter begins. Since Summer dates vary from year to year, please refer to the Academic and Administrative Calendar for the applicable year. Effective, the first day Fall Quarter begins, the student will need to drop back to 50%. 

Effective October 1, 2023, Graduate Student Researchers with:

• University teaching experience at UC San Diego

  • During Fiscal Year terms (October 1 - September 30)

    • Fall: 10/1 - 12/31

    • Winter: 1/1 - 3/31

    • Spring: 4/1 - 6/30

    • Summer: 7/1 - 9/30

• Appointment at 25% FTE or more - only a maximum of one experience count can be earned per quarter

• 3 quarters of experience shall be placed at Salary Point 2

• 6 quarters of experience shall be placed at Salary Point 3

Placement on the Salary Scale

see Research Fellows & Trainees