Undergraduate Research Assistantships
The Undergraduate Research Assistantship (URA) program is a new initiative of the Great Journeys Strategic plan to expand the opportunities for students to work on faculty mentored research. URAs will support approximately 15-20 students during the fall, spring or summer semesters. The program offers on-campus employment opportunities for NIU undergraduates. Students selected for an Undergraduate Research Assistantship are able to work under the guidance of a faculty member in a position that is directly related to their career path and/or academic discipline. Students will work 10 hours per week and are paid $10 per hour. Work-study positions are available and encouraged.
The URA Program is coordinated through the Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning and has cooperating support from Student Employment and the university hiring departments.
***Students can now apply for a URA position as well! Students interested in a URA position can view the application here.***
Program Timeline:
Faculty may request one assistantship position to work on their research during the summer, fall, or spring. Undergraduate Assistants will work 10 hours per week and will receive $10 per hour. Due to the limited number of positions available, only one URA per faculty member will be allowed.
Application Process:
The application for Summer 2013 and Fall 2013 is currently open. The faculty application can be found here.
Student Selection:
A listing of Undergraduate Research Assistantships are available here. All student applicants will follow the instructions outlined on the URA proposals. Selected faculty will be responsible for choosing a student for their URA and hiring paperwork will be processed through OSEEL.
Timesheets will be completed by the student and signed by the faculty supervisor (or designee) and turned into OSEEL every two weeks. Late or unsigned timesheets will result in a delay in the student’s pay. Up to 10 hours a week will be approved. If faculty would like to hire the student for additional hours, another account code must be supplied during the hiring process.