A research assistantship (RA) is another important form of financial support available to graduate students in the College of Engineering.
Research Assistants normally work on projects under the guidance of a Principal Investigator. This person is typically a professor in the College of Engineering; graduate students usually work for their thesis advisors. Each student should discuss his or her duties as an RA with the advisor.
The projects on which research assistants work are typically funded through external agencies like NSF, DARPA, and a variety of industries. Many times the nature of duties can depend on what the funding agency expects and in what timeframe. One should get all the necessary details before accepting such a position. Generally, the appointments of RAs are for a semester or an academic year. Students should discuss issues related to the exact duration of an appointment and associated vacation during the period of appointment with their advisor. As a University policy, the average workload for such an appointment is 15-20 hours a week.
In most cases, graduate students are appointed as RAs on a research project the results of which go into their thesis and thus contribute towards their Ph.D. In such cases it seems realistic to expect that such graduate students should work more than 20 hours a week. This is especially true in case of graduate students in advanced stages of their Ph.D. (e.g. after passing their A exam). Keep in touch with your advisor regarding the progress in your research. If you feel you are overworked, you should talk to your advisor to try to identify the most important issues your research should address. Many times overwork is a result of different perspectives and lack of communication between the two parties involved -- the graduate student and the advisor. A typical research project demands quantifiable results in a definite timeframe and periodic reports; you are as responsible for these as your advisor is.
Under no circumstances can any Research Assistant be expected to do personal work for their advisor or project leader. It is inappropriate for the person in charge to even ask for it. If you feel you are doing ``non-research" related work for someone in charge, first try discussing it with the person. If the problem cannot be resolved amicably, take it to your advisor or other committee members if you can, and then to the DGS. Beyond that, see section 3.7 for further pointers.
A ``Research Assistantship" is sometimes known as a ``Graduate Research Assistantship." The nomenclature seems to differ between departments. Both, however, are substantially different from a ``Graduate Assistantship" (GA). In general, a GA is a part time job on the Cornell Campus that may or may not have any relation to your department and/or field of study. For example, various offices on campus need technically qualified students for certain administrative work; specifically, Cornell Information Technologies might need consultants for their ``Help Desk." Also, some departments have ``Graduate Assistantships" which are scholarships without any expected work in return. These are offered to first year students in some departments so that first year graduate students can concentrate on course work and don't have any additional responsibilities (like teaching). However, these differ from some fellowships in that tax is withheld from GA stipends.