Practical guides for your research stay
The handbook visiting researchers wish they had — clear, practical guidance for the parts of a research move nobody hands you a manual for.
Moving to the DC area for a research stay
A practical first-week checklist for arriving researchers: where to land, how to get around, and what to set up first.
For: Anyone arriving for a 1-month to 1-year research stayRead guide →HousingHousing near NIST Gaithersburg for guest researchers
Neighborhoods, commute options, and what to expect on rent around the Gaithersburg campus.
For: Guest researchers and associates at NIST GaithersburgRead guide →HousingHousing near NIH Bethesda for visiting fellows
Where fellows and postbacs live around the Bethesda campus, and how to commute car-free.
For: Visiting fellows, postbacs, and postdocs at NIHRead guide →HousingDC-area housing for visiting scholars
Living car-free in the District: neighborhoods, transit, and short-term options for scholars.
For: Visiting scholars and archive/library researchers in DCRead guide →HousingRenting without U.S. credit history
How international researchers can secure a lease without a U.S. credit score.
For: International researchers and first-time U.S. rentersRead guide →HousingShort-term furnished housing near DC research campuses
Where to look for furnished short-term rentals near the campuses, and what to confirm before you commit.
For: Anyone booking a 1–6 month furnished stayRead guide →HousingBasement apartment checklist for visiting researchers
Basement units are common and affordable here — here's what to inspect first.
For: Renters considering a basement or in-law unitRead guide →HousingHow to evaluate a room rental near a research campus
A practical, step-by-step way for visiting researchers to judge a room or sublet near a research hub before committing — what to ask, what to check, and how to stay safe.
For: Visiting researchers, postdocs, fellows, and interns comparing roomsRead guide →SafetyAvoiding rental scams
The red flags that catch newcomers, and how to verify a listing before you pay.
For: Everyone — especially first-time U.S. rentersRead guide →Moving salesMoving sale checklist for researchers leaving the U.S.
Sell your furniture and household goods quickly and safely before you leave.
For: Researchers wrapping up a stayRead guide →Moving salesSelling everything before leaving the U.S.
A timeline for winding down a U.S. household: furniture, car, accounts, and goodbyes.
For: International researchers leaving the U.S.Read guide →Arrival & setupGetting around without a car near NIH/NIST
Transit, biking, and car-share options so you can skip buying a car.
For: Car-free visitors in the Maryland science corridorRead guide →Arrival & setupOpening a bank account and phone plan basics
The two setup tasks that unlock everything else — what to bring and what to expect.
For: Newly arrived international researchersRead guide →HousingHousing near UMB and Baltimore campuses
Where visiting researchers live around the University of Maryland, Baltimore — neighborhoods, transit, and what to expect on rent.
For: Visiting researchers, fellows, and trainees at UMB and Baltimore-area campusesRead guide →HousingFederal Science Corridor housing guide
How to choose between NIH, NIST, and the I-270 corridor when you can live anywhere along the Red Line — by commute, budget, and lifestyle.
For: Researchers who can choose anywhere along the Maryland science corridorRead guide →Moving salesHow to sell furniture safely before your research stay ends
Practical, scam-aware steps for selling furniture and appliances to other researchers — pricing, safe meetups, and payment.
For: Researchers selling furniture before they leaveRead guide →CommunityHow to meet other visiting researchers in the DC area
A short stay is easier with a network. Concrete ways to meet other visiting researchers, fellows, and scholars near the campuses.
For: Newly arrived researchers who want a communityRead guide →Events & meetupsHow to organize a happy hour or newcomer meetup
A simple playbook for hosting a low-stress newcomer happy hour or meetup for visiting researchers — and posting it so people show up.
For: Anyone willing to host a small community eventRead guide →Arrival & setupDC-area guide for visiting scholars
A one-page orientation for visiting scholars in DC: housing, getting around, what to set up first, and how to find community.
For: Visiting scholars, fellows, and academic researchers in DCRead guide →Arrival & setupBaltimore / UMB visiting scientist guide
Orientation for visiting scientists at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and nearby campuses: housing, commute, setup, and community.
For: Visiting scientists, fellows, and trainees in BaltimoreRead guide →How it worksHow GuestResearcher.com reviews listings
What listing review is for, what gets flagged, and how long it takes — so posters and renters know what to expect.
For: Anyone posting or browsing listingsRead guide →How it worksHow verification works
What account verification means here, what it does and doesn't prove, and how it relates to community posting.
For: Researchers deciding how much to trust a listing or posterRead guide →For landlordsCommunity posts vs commercial posts
What counts as a community post vs a commercial listing, and how the two are reviewed differently.
For: Community members, landlords, and businesses deciding how to postRead guide →HousingShort-term housing near NIH, NIST, and DC research campuses
The main short-term housing options for visiting researchers — sublets, shared houses, aparthotels, and corporate housing — and which fits each campus.
For: Researchers who need 1–9 months of housing near a campusRead guide →HousingRoommate checklist for visiting researchers
What to sort out before moving in with roommates during a research stay — money, space, schedules, and an easy exit.
For: Researchers joining or forming a shared householdRead guide →HousingQuestions to ask before renting a basement apartment
The exact questions to ask a landlord before taking a basement or in-law unit — light, moisture, utilities, access, and legality.
For: Renters considering a basement or in-law unitRead guide →For landlordsHow to post a safe housing listing
A step-by-step for posting a housing listing that's safe, fair, and likely to be approved quickly.
For: Anyone posting a room, sublet, or rentalRead guide →Moving salesHow to post a moving-sale listing
Turn a departing researcher's furniture into a fast, safe sale — how to photograph, price, bundle, and hand off.
For: Researchers selling items before they leaveRead guide →Events & meetupsHow to find community events as a visiting scholar
Where to find newcomer happy hours, meetups, and gatherings during a short research stay — and how to not miss them.
For: Visiting scholars and researchers who want to meet peopleRead guide →Arrival & setupWhat to do during your first week in the DC area as a visiting researcher
A day-by-day first-week checklist for arriving researchers: badge, bank, phone, transit, housing, and finding people.
For: Researchers in their first days in the DC/Maryland areaRead guide →For landlordsHow to use GuestResearcher.com as a landlord or homeowner
A practical walkthrough for landlords and homeowners who want to host visiting researchers — posting, review, and what's expected.
For: Landlords and homeowners renting to visiting researchersRead guide →HousingHousing near GWU / Foggy Bottom for visiting researchers and fellows
Where visiting researchers, fellows, and trainees live around George Washington University and Foggy Bottom — neighborhoods, commute, and what to expect on rent.
For: Visiting researchers, fellows, postdocs, and trainees at GWURead guide →HousingDC university visiting scholar housing tips
Practical housing tips for visiting scholars at DC universities — how to find a short-term place near campus, go car-free, and avoid the common pitfalls.
For: Visiting scholars and researchers at DC-area universitiesRead guide →Can’t find what you need?
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