Hiring a Research Assistant
Please follow the instructions below to hire a casual, hourly research assistant. This would include, for example, a student working full-time in the summer and part-time during the academic year. If you intend to hire a research assistant to work consistently more than 24 hours per week for an extended period of time, please contact your grants administrator or the NBER Human Resources Office, hr@nber.org, to discuss the hiring process.
To put a Research Assistant on the NBER payroll, you need to complete a new hire packet. The packet contains several forms and all are available below.
IMPORTANT NOTES
Please make sure the student is eligible to work in the U.S.. By law, an I-9 form must be completed within 3 days of an individual's employment date. As the student's supervisor, you must complete and sign section 2 of the I-9 form. Additional information will be required to complete the form for students on F-1 or J-1 visas. Please contact Mui Cheung before completing the form.
Most students on F-1 or J-1 visas are considered "non-resident aliens" by the Internal Revenue Service. Instructions on how non-resident aliens need to complete a W-4 are included in the new hire packet. If the student wants more information, please direct him/her to IRS publication 519, "U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens, " on the IRS web site. You may also download a PDF version of that publication here: Download IRS Publication
If you do not know your NBER account number (grant number), please call Alison Oaxaca at (617)588-0339 or e-mail her at aoaxaca@nber.org
It is important that the completed packet be returned to the NBER BEFORE the Research Assistant begins work.
Download the entire New Hire Packet here.
Required
1. Personnel Action Form - Please have the new employee fill out this form completely, including the signature section. As the supervisor, please complete the "Employment Information" and "Grant Allocation" sections including, but not limited to, the date of hire, rate of pay, and NBER Project Number. The Project Director must sign the Authorization Section on the backside of the form.
2. Employment Eligibility (I-9) Form - Research Assistants must complete and sign the top portion of the form and produce appropriate and valid pieces of identification. Please photocopy these ID's and send copies to our office with the I-9 form. The project investigator should inspect the ID's and sign the bottom portion of the form.
3. 2013 W-4 Form - Please have the employee fill the form out completely. The total number of allowances should be written in line #5
4. State Income Tax Form - Please download the appropriate form below and have the employee fill the form out completely. Please note there is no state income tax in Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Texas, Tennessee, Washington, or Wyoming. There are no withholding forms for Pennsylvania, they withhold at a flat rate.
*Please note that these states utilize the W-4 form for state income tax purposes. Please complete a second W-4 form and mark it "For State Purposes" at the top.
5. Certification Form or Work Authorization Letter - The Certification Form must be filled out for non-US Citizens who are in the country on an F-1 visa. J-1 Visitors must provide a letter from their responsible officer that authorizes them to work as a Research Assistant. Please make a photocopy of the student's I-94 and I-20 form (for F-1 Students) or I-94 and IAP-66 (for J-1 Visitors) and send the copies to our office with either the certification form or the letter.
6. NSF Mandatory Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) - Students and postdoctoral researchers supported on NSF awards must complete the training as part of their new hire paperwork. They will not be paid until they complete the training. Please indicate the date the student completed the training course on the Personnel Action Form. While this training is mandatory only for those supported by NSF awards, we encourage you to implement this training broadly to cover all students and post-docs.
7. Time Report Form and Instructions - The employee should write his/her name and project allocation number on the form and make copies for future payrolls. Each time the report must be complete and signed by both the employee and the supervisor in order for the employee to be paid. Please write in each day worked and include starting and ending times as well as the total number of hours worked. Please read the attached instructions related to time sheet completion and limitations to hours worked. A schedule of payroll dates is below. Time sheets can be mailed to the payroll office or faxed to (617) 349-3955.
Optional
8. Tax-Deferred Annuity Plan (403(b) Plan) - Hourly employees are eligible to participate in the NBER's 403(b) Plan. Please complete the attached salary reduction form. Additional information about the Plan is included here.
9. Massachusetts Health Connector - For MA residents only - You may be eligible to purchase health insurance through the Massachusetts Health Connector using pre-tax dollars. Please review the plan memo and summary document to determine your eligibility. You may contact the NBER Human Resources department, hr@nber.org, for additional information.
10. Direct Deposit Form - Please complete the form for the appropriate type of bank account.