| Research Staff Hiring Options |
| Updated March 30 2026 |
| **Per PA state law, background checks are required for all positions that have direct and regular interaction with minors. Employees may not begin working until they have received certification of clearance. |
| ** Faculty are encouraged to contact their grant/post-award administrator when considering their hiring options on grants or startup/IDC accounts. |
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Salary Range |
Fringe rate applicable? |
Tuition |
Recruitment process |
Hiring process |
Timeline |
Comments |
| Hourly Student Worker - undergraduate |
Usually $15/hr or more. For students w/work study, 75% is covered by work study, 25% by PI budget. |
Only during summer months |
None |
Optional. Post on Temple web site, announcement in classroom, word of mouth. |
Contact Research Administration office, Post Award staff. |
Almost immediate for hiring; student will need background check for work with children or gift card/cash handling, and will need to go to HR to certify eligibility to work. |
1) Students may be hired or continue in their job for one semester after graduation. 2) Work study benefits cannot be used on Federal funded grants. |
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| Graduate RA (Stipend and Tuition) |
Rates are determined by TUGSA. FY26 rate is $3,000/mo for full time (20 hrs/wk). Prorated for 5, 10, or 15 hr/wk appointments. |
Yes |
100% for FT appointments (20 hrs/wk Fall and Spring; 40 hrs/wk Summer); prorated for 5, 10, or 15 hr/wk appointments |
Optional. Post on Temple web site, other networks |
Contact Research Administration office, Post-Award. Appointment letters are generally issued prior to start of the semester. |
Almost immediate for hiring; student will need background check for work with children and will need to go to HR to certify eligibility to work. |
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| Postdoctoral Fellow |
NIH Guidelines, based on # years experience since PhD |
Yes, follows FT employee/faculty rate. |
N/A |
Optional. Post on Temple web site, other networks |
Contact Research Administration office, Post Award. Appointment letters are issued by the Graduate School |
Graduate School requires all documents at least one month prior to start date. |
Appointments are usually 1 or 2 years, with option to renew. |
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| Independent Contractor |
Varies, usually set by contractor |
N/A |
N/A |
Typically optional. |
Independent contractor forms. Contracts > $5K need to go through Temple approval process. |
1 - 3 months depending on the scope of work and the total amount. |
Certificate of professional liabiltiy insurance required, depending on scope of work. Waivers granted on a case by case basis, usually when there is no access to Temple systems, PII, or interaction with research participants. |
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| Employee, Full Time |
Temple salary ranges for similar positions. |
Varies year to year. Recent year range has been 22 % - 26% |
N/A |
Required. |
Human Resources. Job approval, posting, interviewing, selection, references, background check, and Affirmative Action form required. Facilitated by Research Administration / Post Award staff. |
2 - 3 months |
Union determination made by HR |
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| Employee, Part Time |
Temple salary ranges for similar positions. |
Varies year to year. Recent year range has been around 8% |
N/A |
Required. |
Human Resources. Job approval, posting, application, interview, selection, references, background check, and Affirmative Action form required. Facilitated by Research Administration / Post Award staff. |
2 - 3 months |
Union determination made by HR |
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| Employee, Temporary |
Temple salary ranges for similar positions. Position is paid on an hourly basis. |
Same as for PT employee |
N/A |
Optional |
Human Resources. Job approval, posting, application, references, background check required. Facilitated by Research Administration / Post Award staff. |
About one month. |
6-month maximum |
