Grad Assistant Request Electronic Form
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Research and graduate assistantships are intended to enhance the student learning experience while studying at Boston University, by providing them with an opportunity to work under the guidance of a BU full‐time faculty in the areas of teaching, research, scholarly, or departmental/program support activities. Assistantships are competitively awarded for one semester to outstanding degree candidates who may be newly entering students or continuing their program of study at BU, and may be renewable based on the recommendation of the supervising professor and available funds. Students selected for these roles must be MET graduate degree candidates in good academic standing. Full-time professorial faculty may request up to 20 hours per week of research assistance.
Submitting Requests:
Please use the App for any new requests:
Please note that this app is for research and departmental graduate assistants only. Requests for Teaching Assistants should be entered into the Teaching Assistant Request Electronic Form.
If you have any questions about your request, or would like to make any adjustments to an existing request, you can contact Lyn Ariyakulkan, Manager of Faculty Actions: lyna@bu.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I split my 20 hours per week up amongst more than one student?
Yes, you can split the hours between several students so long as they add up to no more than 20 hours per week. To preserve the integrity of the student’s academic and work experience, we generally recommend that no individual student is assigned fewer than 3-5 hours per week. When you’re submitting the form, please be sure to complete one entry per student that you are hiring, and indicate how many hours that student should be assigned.
Any requests that exceed 20 hours per week for a specific faculty supervisor will be considered alongside other ‘special project’ requests after our regular allocations have been assigned. Those special projects are reviewed competitively and only approved if funding is still available.
Has my request been received or processed? How do I check the status of a request?
You will receive email notifications to your BU email address once a GA/RA request has been submitted and as it moves through the approval process. These email notifications contain the latest status update on your request.
What do I need to know about working with domestic versus international students?
All students must be eligible to work in the United States and reside in the U.S. while working in this role. GA/RAs may not work remotely from a non-US location.
International students who are enrolled part-time must generally be in their final semester of study in order to be eligible to work.
When can my GA/RA start working?
GA/RAs may begin working only after the requests have been approved by the deans and the selected assistants have completed the necessary employment paperwork. For students who are working at BU for the first time, this means completing an I-9 form within the first three days of their start date. Please refer to the
Student Employment Office’s website for information on hiring policies and procedures.
My GA/RA has been approved! What’s next?
After your GA/RA has been approved, their information will be verified in the system and a contract will be sent to their BU email address. This contract outlines the duration of the position, final approved hours, and details on any next steps that the GA/RA will need to take depending on their employment status and visa status (if applicable).
Did my GA/RA get a contract?
All supervising faculty are copied on contracts sent to GA/RAs via Adobe Sign. Please be sure to check your BU email address.
My GA/RA is no longer available and I need to assign a new student. How do I update my request?
Please email Lyn Ariyakulkan (
lyna@bu.edu) with the replacement/new student’s information.
I don’t have access to the request form. Who do I contact?
If you continue to experience any difficulties in accessing the request form, please reach out to Lyn Ariyakulkan at
lyna@bu.edu.