About this role
Undergraduate Research Assistant - Student Hourly
Job Description: 100% - Assist current Wagner Lab team members with their research.
Disclaimer: The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and is the Title IX coordinator for all KU and KUMC campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for Civil Rights and Title IX, [email protected], Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY.
Contact Information to Applicants: Maggie Wagner [email protected]
Required Qualifications: • Work experience which required excellent attention to detail, as evidenced by application materials.
Position Overview: The research assistant will shadow and assist current Wagner Lab team members with their research. Duties may include weighing reagents or plant material; setting up or taking down experiments in the lab, greenhouse, or field; collecting plant phenotype data; assisting with DNA extractions and PCRs; and assisting with literature searches.
The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated interest in plant biology, microbiology, genetics, ecology, evolution, or related subjects.
Additional Candidate Instruction: In addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position: • Resume, in PDF format • Cover letter describing why you are interested in the position, in PDF format • Contact information for two professional references (optional) To ensure consideration, apply before the application review starts on Monday, 8/17/2026. A review of applications will continue and is ongoing until a pool of qualified candidates is identified.
Position Requirements: During the semester term of the appointment, the student hourly must be enrolled in no fewer than 6 credit hours. For summer periods the student hourly must: (1) have been enrolled in no less than 6 hours in the past spring semester or (2) be pre-enrolled in the upcoming fall semester in no less than 6 hours or (3) be enrolled in summer session or (4) be admitted to study in the upcoming fall semester. Student Hourlies may be undergraduate or graduate students. (Exceptions granted for GRA/GTA/GA appointments DO NOT apply to Student Hourly appointments).
Employment Conditions: (1) Student employees are not eligible for remote work arrangements unless an exception is approved by the unit leadership and HR.
(2) This is an hourly/non-exempt position. A student employee cannot hold an hourly/non-exempt position and a salaried/exempt graduate or undergraduate position (GRA/GTA/GA/RUA/RGA) concurrently.