Faculty Research Assistants

Faculty Research Assistants

Faculty Research Assistants are considered exempt status

Under this category, employees are:

  1. Offered subsidized health insurance
  2. Receive retirement (either State Retirement or Optional Retirement Plan)
  3. Receive leave accrual
  4. Will be assigned an email address
  5. Will be assigned keys
  6. Will receive a University ID
  7. Will appear on website

Faculty Research Assistant searches are typically conducted by the faculty/supervisor. The employment ad must be placed on the required sites and may be placed on any other web sites or publications desired. These positions are considered exempt for a specific term. Salary and FRA level should be determined through communications between the hiring faculty and the Associate Director to determine the appropriate level of salary based on education and work experience before an offer is made to the applicant.

All initial contract agreements must end at the end of the fiscal year following the start date of the agreement. (i.e. a contract beginning on 2/3/17 must have an end date of 6/30/17). These agreements are renewable for an unlimited number of times. Currently, a new agreement is not required every year. A positive annual review is accepted as the supervisor’s intent to extend the agreement until funding runs out, the position is terminated by the faculty/supervisor, or the employee resigns.

Once a candidate is selected for an FRA position, an offer letter must be drafted by the HR Coordinator (see attached sample) and signed by the Laboratory Director. The letter is then sent to the candidate to sign and return to the HRC. Once received, an agreement can be drafted and paperwork can be compiled for the new employee.

Refer to the Faculty section of the consolidated USM and UMCES Policies & Procedures on the UMCES intranet for more details and information. Promotion eligibility and requirements are included in the Policies and Procedures. The Laboratory Director’s office will notify the Business Office of any promotions and salary increases, if any. Note that promotions do require salary increases.