Jobs

How To Connect: Finding Students, Finding Jobs

Mentors:

Undergraduate Research highly encourages faculty to utilize MSU's contracted platform HireABobcat to post open positions for students, and to be familiar with undergraduate hiring restrictions on any grant you will be utilizing. To learn more about paying with a stipend versus being on payroll, reach out to Anna Tuttle, UGR Director. Through HireABobcat, mentors can list their jobs under a designated "On-Campus Research" tab. Wondering how to do this? Please click here for detailed instructions! 

Students:

Research work can come in a variety of forms. Work-study, MSU payroll, stipend-based, volunteer, and for-credit are all potential methods of involvement. Here is a general breakdown of these roles, and ideas on figuring out what fits you best. 

Work-study: These positions are for students who have been approved to work in relation to their FAFSA. Typically, these positions are more task-oriented and support roles (i.e., data entry, lab organizing/cleaning, front desk work, etc.).

MSU Payroll: Many faculty members will pay students off grants they already have for their research. In these cases, some grants require that students get paid on an hourly basis and as part of MSU’s payroll. These positions can range significantly from task-oriented (see above) to being a part of a research team to independent, student-driven research projects.

Stipend-based: Some students are paid with stipends. These do not go through MSU payroll. Instead, students and mentors agree to set amount of work for a pre-determined amount of money. These can be thought of as “mini-grants” for students that will be paid in lump sums but still be taxed as income, same as payroll.

Volunteer: Many students start off their research journeys as volunteers, and this is a great route if it can work for you! If you are interested in a particular lab or mentor that is in high demand, this might be the way to get your foot in the door. These positions are also good for “feeling it out” and seeing if you’d like to pursue research going forward.

For credit: Students can set up research opportunities that offer credit. To do this, a student will likely come up with their own idea and project and find a mentor to provide guidance, feedback, and sponsorship of credit from the associated department.

Currently Posted Positions

Other Ways To Find Research Jobs

If you need more personalized advising on your next step, connect with our team.