The Graduate Student Research Institute (GSRI) is an online learning experience for new and returning graduate students designed to increase research confidence and nurture collaborative relationships between students and Libraries staff and partners.
GSRI is currently facilitated through three main learning pathways:
- Learning topics: Content prepares students for the graduate student experience by building awareness of Libraries and UW resources and services along with introducing research skills and study strategies.
- Asynchronous communication: Discussion prompts guide students to reflect on their engagement with the learning modules. Students are encouraged to share questions and expertise freely in open channels and to make connections across disciplines.
- Synchronous learning: Optional events are scheduled to welcome students to the UW Libraries and to meet staff supporting the workshop’s learning experience. Synchronous sessions also provide opportunities for staff to share expertise with targeted populations of students throughout the learning experience.
GSRI was conceived as a continuous learning opportunity for graduate students. It has evolved, in many ways, to become an online orientation to the UW Libraries and provides resources for general preparedness for the rigors of graduate school.
Additional benefits to GSRI include:
- Early relationships between students and Libraries staff, partners and resources.
- Serving anticipated and emerging student needs.
- Connecting and communicating with departmental liaisons to promote discipline-specific resources.
- Flexible format with multiple engagement pathways.
Contributors:
GSRI was originally designed on Canvas by the LibID team, and was redesigned for WordPress (UW Sites) by the team in 2023. The following UW Libraries staff members contributed to the web iteration of GSRI:
Libraries Instructional Design (LibID) Team:
- Perry Yee, Senior Online Learning Support Manager
- Reed Garber-Pearson, Online Learning and Integrated Social Sciences Librarian
- Haneen El-haj, 2025-2026 LibID Graduate Assistant
- Mary Sprague, 2025-2026 LibID Graduate Assistant
Other Reviewers:
Consulted for their expertise in certain areas during the development of GSRI
- Liz Bedford, Scholarly Publishing Librarian
- Conor Casey, Head, Labor Archives of Washington
- Alyssa Deutschler, Information School Librarian
- Electra Enslow, Director, Clinical Research & Data Services
- Leslie Gascon, Research and Collection Development Librarian for the Health Sciences Library
- Eve Kausch, Graduate Assistant for the Research Commons
- Verletta Kern, Open Scholarship Librarian
- Nia Lam, Media Studies Librarian
- Joe Lollo, 2022-24 LibID Graduate Assistant
- Diana Louden, Life Sciences and Psychology Librarian
- Amber Mak, 2022-24 LibID Graduate Assistant and Reference & Research Services Librarian
- Gautam Malaya, Graduate Assistant for Open Scholarship
- Madeline Mundt, Director of the Research Commons
- Marisa Petrich, Instructional Design Librarian
- Deb Raftus, Romance Languages & Literature Librarian
- Robin Chin Roemer, Head, Instructional Design and Outreach Services and Director of Learning Services & Social Sciences
- Melissa Runnells, Graduate Assistant for Open Scholarship
- Elliott Stevens, Research Commons and English Studies Librarian
- Carla Wale, Director of the Gallagher Law Librarian
- Kira Wyld, Mathematical & Computer Sciences Librarian