Research Collaborator HSRs are individuals who do not hold a Harvard appointment or employment but are participating in an active research collaboration (WAIT: Web-based Agreement Identification Tool) with a Harvard-based researcher and have a legitimate need to access Harvard research space, data, or systems as part of their collaboration for a specified period. A faculty member with a primary appointment in an HMS pre-clinical department must sponsor research collaborator HSRs.
Harvard Sponsored Roles may not be used to extend access to services or resources (for example, email and file shares) for departing employees. However, departing researchers and research trainees may continue as Research Collaborators in Schools or units that support centralized approval of these roles as long as all requirements of the Research Collaborator role and any additional school-specific requirements are met.
This exception applies at HMS to HMS Research Fellows and Harvard Ph.D. students who have graduated and are transitioning to a new employer.
Departing Trainees and Researchers may be eligible to retain access to HMS resources upon departure by converting to a Research Collaborator HSR, provided they meet all Research Collaborator HSR eligibility standards (must be participating in an active collaboration with an HMS principal investigator). To convert someone to a Research Collaborator HSR, all Research Collaborator HSR onboarding steps and documentation must be completed. Departing trainees include Research Fellows who are leaving HMS but must complete a publication or analysis in collaboration with their HMS principal investigator.
There must be a significant change in the work duties to qualify for this transition.
Three documents are required to bring onboard a research collaborator HSR at HMS:
- HMS Research Collaborator HSR Intake Form
- Participation Agreement (PA) or Visitor Participation Agreement – If a Participation Agreement is not on file with the University, you must submit a signed agreement.
- Acknowledgment of Risk and Release of Claims – This is only required for in-person or on-campus access; it is not required for HMS-affiliated hospital employees.