POOL: Student BESST Peer Mentor Research Assistant
Position Overview
The BESST Peer Mentor Research Assistant is a part of the Building Emerging STEM Scholars of Tomorrow (BESST) mentorship and research program. BESST connects juniors and seniors with federal work study to research opportunities and mentors. BESST Research Assistants will be paired with a research mentor and will work on a research project throughout the 2026-2027 academic year. There are many different research projects that you can choose to work on, including the fields of biology, geology, chemistry, database work, coding, engineering, archaeology, and more. In addition to the research assistant work, you will also get paid to do monthly online training and attend in-person workshops that will help prepare you for conducting research, identifying and applying for internships, and preparing for a career or graduate school. This is a two-year program - students in satisfactory standing after their first year will continue the program into the second year. Preferred candidates will have an interest in participating in a STEM research project, though a STEM major is not required. Additional information can be found at the BESST program page.
Job Description
Conduct literature reviews.
Affiliate in data collection.
Affiliate in data entry.
Digitize materials.
Conduct data analysis.
Present results of data analysis.
Required Qualifications
- KU undergraduate student at junior or senior academic status (1-2 years left in your undergrad).
- Awarded Federal Work Study for 2026-2027 academic year.
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:
- Have been enrolled in no less than 6 hours in the past spring semester.
- Be pre-enrolled in the upcoming fall semester in no less than 6 hours.
- Be enrolled in summer session.
- 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
- Student employees are not eligible for remote work arrangements unless an exception is approved by the unit leadership and HR.
- 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
To ensure consideration, apply before the application review starts on Monday, 7/27/2026. A review of applications will continue and is ongoing until a pool of qualified candidates is identified.
Contact Information to Applicants
Blair Schneider
blair.schneider@ku.edu
Advertised Salary Range
$15.00 per hour
Anticipated Start Date
Monday August 17, 2026