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Research Affiliate Program
The Research Affiliate Program (RAP) is designed specifically to recruit post-secondary students on a part-time basis throughout the year. It is for students who require experience in research related to their degree program. RAP students give you the opportunity to bring new energy and a new perspective to your research project.
RAP matches a student's specific research interests with ongoing projects being conducted by federal organizations. Under RAP, the research project to which the student is assigned must be related to his or her current degree program and must help the student develop specific knowledge and research skills, including design, execution and evaluation.
To hire students through the RAP, please follow these steps:
- Complete a RAP Job Posting Request and submit it to the PSC by e-mail at RAP-PAR@psc-cfp.gc.ca.
- The PSC will review the request, create a draft advertisement for your approval and post it on the jobs.gc.ca Web site for five working days.
- The PSC will refer all of the applicants to you for further assessment; on completion of the assessment, you make the appointment.
Related links
- Overview
- Student eligibility
- Rates of pay
- Re-employment information
- Hiring process
- Frequently Asked Questions
Overview
Organizations within the broad public service, including separate agencies, those organizations that are not governed by the Public Service Employment Act, may use the Research Affiliate Program (RAP) to hire students. Regardless of where they live, qualified students who have indicated a willingness to work in the specified job location are eligible to apply.
The research project to which a student is assigned must be related to the student's current degree program and must help the student develop specific knowledge and research skills. Normally, students are placed with ongoing research operations in federal government facilities.
RAP students can only work part-time and must be paid a stipend, an hourly rate of pay or a bursary. However, if their academic course loads permit, students who are studying at the masters or PhD level and have fulfilled their academic requirements are allowed to work full-time until graduation.
To re-employ a student after the initial period for which the student was hired has been completed, managers must fill in the RAP Request for Re-employment form.
RAP students can be re-employed into another RAP position or into an FSWEP position.
Student eligibility
The Research Affiliate Program (RAP) is available to post-secondary students whose academic program includes supervised laboratory or field research. Students must satisfy the definition of a student, as defined in the Student Employment Policy – Appendix A.
To be considered for RAP positions, students must:
- Be registered full-time in an accredited post-secondary institution; AND
- Be the minimum age to work in the province or territory where the job exists.
Area of selection
The RAP uses a national area of selection; therefore, any qualified student who has indicated a willingness to work in the given job location is eligible to apply.
Citizenship
In keeping with section 39(1)(c) of the Public Service Employment Act, preference must be given to Canadian citizens. Accordingly, a work term must be offered to a Canadian who meets the student requirements before the position can be offered to a non-Canadian student.
Rates of pay
RAP students are to be paid a stipend, bursary or hourly rate of pay consistent with those of other paid student employment programs.
For more information about student rates of pay, refer to the Terms and Conditions of Employment for Students or send an e-mail to student.etudiant@tbs-sct.gc.ca.
Re-employment information
The process for re-employment into another RAP position is as follows:
- Complete a RAP Request for Re-employment and submit it to the PSC.
- The PSC identifies the student(s) to be re-employed and sends back a confirmation message or letter.
- Contact the referred student(s).
- Determine the student's rate of pay based on the Terms and Conditions of Employment for Students.
- Verify that the student meets the eligibility criteria.
- Make the offer of employment.
- Complete the Referral Results Form (sent together with the confirmation), indicating the student(s) re-employed, and submit it to the PSC.
The process for re-employment into a Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) position is the following:
- Complete an FSWEP Request for Re-employment and submit it to the PSC by e-mail.
- The PSC searches the FSWEP inventory to identify the student(s) to be re-employed. To be eligible for re-employment, students must have submitted an active FSWEP application prior to the re-employment request. The PSC then refers the identified student(s) to the hiring organization.
- Contact the referred student(s).
- Verify that the student meets the eligibility criteria.
- Determine the student's rate of pay based on the Terms and Conditions of Employment for Students.
- Make the offer of employment.
- Complete the Referral Results Form (sent together with the confirmation), indicating the student(s) re-employed, and submit it to the PSC.
Hiring process
Complete a RAP Job Posting Request and submit it to the PSC by e-mail at RAP-PAR@psc-cfp.gc.ca.
*Forms are available in alternate formats upon request.
Hiring managers are responsible for upholding the staffing values and principles when submitting requests for referrals. The PSC will not approve named referrals, or the hiring of a specific person.
- With the PSC, develop a RAP advertisement based on organizational requirements (e.g. year/level of education, field of study). The research opportunity is posted on the PSC's jobs.gc.ca Web site.
- All students who apply and meet the basic requirements (e.g. education, mobility) are referred to the organization.
- Conduct a values-based screening, selection and assessment process for each student who was referred.
- Request proof of the student's full-time status and initiate an agreement with the student's academic institution.
- Determine the student's rate of pay based on the Terms and Conditions of Employment for Students.
- Make the offer of employment.
- Advise all student(s) who were referred of the assessment results, including those who were not found qualified as a result of the assessment.
- Complete the referral results form (which is sent along with the list of students) and submit it to RAP-PAR@psc-cfp.gc.ca.
