Graduate Assistants at the University of Iowa are represented by the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), Local 896 – COGS. The COGS agreement regarding graduate assistantships is available at COGS Agreement.

A. Research Assistantship (RA)

Research assistantship activities are intended to give the student direct and continuing experience in the actual research process from formulation of the study through collection and analysis of data and preparation of a scholarly report. These activities also are intended to facilitate the research progress and productivity of the faculty member with whom the student is working. The time involvement will vary substantially during the year. Research assistantship activities are distinct from academic work for credit. Assistantship activities are to be distinguished from work on the MSN project, or on the PhD dissertation, even though in many cases these activities are closely related.

B. Selection and Assignment of Students to RA Positions

1. RAs are offered in coordination with the Office of Nursing Research and Scholarship (ONRS). Assignments for the upcoming academic year are made toward the end of the spring semester prior to the upcoming fall. No formal time records are maintained; the student is expected to see that the commitment to the specified research activity is satisfied.
2. RAs may be hired directly by an investigator with assistance from the College of Nursing HR Department. In this case, the RA could be hired at an hourly rate or a salaried position depending on the nature of the grant. In most cases, formal time records are maintained; the student is expected to fill out the necessary time records.

C. Orientation of Students to RA Positions

Orientation for all RAs is conducted yearly. This includes (1) an orientation session with the Associate Dean of Research to review benefits and expectations of RAs and (2) additional training sessions throughout the semester on topics relevant to work as a research assistant.

D. Renewals and Terminations of Assistantships

1.  Renewals (Reappointments for ONRS RA appointments)
   • Appointments to assistantships or traineeships are for a fixed period, usually one academic year. Renewal of an appointment for a subsequent period depends on the collective judgment of the faculty concerning the student’s performance, progress, and professional conduct. It is to be emphasized that all renewals are contingent on the continued availability of state, federal, and project funds for student support.
   • Renewals for RAs hired directly by an investigator are dictated by the terms of the grant, and the hiring investigator will discuss these terms with the student.
2. Terminations During the Term of an Appointment (See Section III-12.4 of the University Operations Manual)
   • A graduate student on an assistantship, fellowship, or traineeship may be dismissed during the term of that appointment because of loss of student status.
   • A graduate student also may be dismissed from an assistantship or traineeship appointment during the term of the appointment, without necessarily losing student status, for (1) any reason sufficient to dismiss a faculty member during the term of an appointment (see the University Operations Manual) or (2) failure to follow or implement properly and adequately reasonable instructions of the supervisor when such instructions are within the proper scope of the supervisor’s duties.

E. General Expectations for all Research Assistants in the College of Nursing

Research Assistants (RAs) and the faculty they are assigned to or hired by should meet at the beginning of the semester to review and negotiate activities and performance expectations. The RA assignment may include expectations as outlined below. Note that not every activity is relevant to all cases; expectations should be tailored, in negotiation with faculty, to fit a given assignment. Faculty have similar written expectations that guide faculty in negotiating workload with RAs in the College of Nursing. If you have any concerns with your assignment, please contact Dr. Stephanie White, Director of the PhD Program.

1. Research activities:
   • Literature review and synthesis
     NOTE: The RA should not pay for photocopying. Discuss use of the faculty’s area copier number with the faculty member.
   • Instrument development
   • Subject identification, selection, and/or recruitment
   • Data collection
   • Data entry
   • Data analysis
   • Preparing/writing:
     1. Portions of grant applications
     2. IRB application
     3. Research protocols
     4. Portions of manuscripts
     5. Presentations
2. Weekly (or other regularly scheduled) planning meetings: RA and faculty should meet routinely to
   plan evolving research activities.
3. Attendance at and participation in research team meetings
4.  Attendance at Office of Nursing Research Luncheon Research Colloquia, local/regional/national conference (note level of participation and sources of support).
5. Time investment: RAs should discuss with faculty expectations regarding the RA’s time investment. For a 25% RA appointment, RAs are expected to invest 10 hours per week averaged over the period of their appointment; for a 37.5% RA appointment, the expectation is an average of 15 hours per week; and for a 50% RA appointment, the expected number of hours averages 20 per week. (See the COGS Agreement.)
6. Authorship issues and possibilities
7. Ethical issues and human subjects training: Information on required training is available at the Human Subjects Office website; click on the “CITI Program” logo along the left side of the page.
8. On-Campus Expectations: For an academic year appointment, Graduate RAs are expected to report to work 3 days before the beginning of the semester and stay on campus until the last day of the semester. This does not apply to winter or summer sessions.

F. RA Evaluations

For RAs appointed in collaboration with the ONRS, the PhD Program Administrator sends evaluations to the RAs and the faculty supervisors each year.