Undergraduate Research Assistant - Student Hourly


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.

Job Description

100% - Assist current Wagner Lab team members with their research.

Required Qualifications

  1. Work experience which required excellent attention to detail, as evidenced by application materials.

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.

Additional Candidate Instructions

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.

Contact Information to Applicants

Maggie Wagner
maggie.r.wagner@ku.edu

Advertised Salary Range

$16.50 per hour

Anticipated Start Date

Tuesday August 25, 2026

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Posting Information

  • Posting ID:  33477BR
  • Department:  KS Biological Survey
  • Primary Campus:  University of Kansas Lawrence Campus
  • Reg/Temp:  Temporary
  • Employee Class:  S-Student

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