Undergraduate Research Assistant - GRAMA Project

Job Posting Title:

Undergraduate Research Assistant - GRAMA Project

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Hiring Department:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

20

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FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt from FLSA

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Aug 16, 2026

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Location:

JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER

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Job Details:

General Notes

The University of Texas at Austin Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is committed to inspiring the conservation of native plants through its garden, education, research and outreach programs. Founded by Lady Bird Johnson and Helen Hayes in 1982, the Wildflower Center is the state botanic garden of Texas, a treasured Austin gem, and a national leader in the field of native plant education, sustainable landscapes, land restoration and research. It is home to the largest living collection of Texas native plants in the state, welcomes over 276,000 visitors annually, has over 17,000 members and reaches more than 2 million people per year through its website and plant database. The Center is focused on improving landscapes, promoting biodiversity, and connecting people with our environment.

Wildflower Center staff get free parking and annual membership, discounts on Center classes, access to Wildflower Center featured events, and discounts at the Gift Store. An inspiring and beautiful work environment with outstanding coworkers awaits you.

Purpose

UT Austin undergraduate students will have the opportunity to join the Wildflower Center’s conservation team and support both our Grassland Recovery after Multiple Alterations (GRAMA) DRAGNet and DroughtNet project, as well as our Texas Plant Conservation Alliance (TXPCA) ecological professionals network.  

Potential tasks for GRAMA include vegetation surveys, data collection, soil moisture sampling, data entry, nutrient addition, and drought structure repairs. Potential tasks for the TXPCA include network meeting attendance, social media posts, data set management, informative material creation (flyers, brochures, etc.), and taking meeting notes. Work will be highly collaborative and will include conducting fieldwork, data collection, plant identification, data organization, outreach, and supporting other conservation projects as needed. Students must be comfortable spending time outside and working as part of a team. 

Position will start on May 25, 2026 or later and will end on August 16, 2026.

Responsibilities

• Research activities (field-based data collection, lab work, data entry etc.) related to grassland recovery and supporting our conservation partnerships. Students will be paired with mentors depending on their project.

• Assist with research activities outside core focus area. This work will be highly collaborative and interdisciplinary, and may be involve assisting graduate students or other researchers from the University of Texas in the field or lab as needed.

• Regular meetings with Wildflower Center research mentors.

• Occasional participation in outreach or community engagement events. Assist with tours, lessons, or educational tabling as needed.

• Presentation of ongoing or completed projects during lab meeting and/or Science Symposium at end of the semester.

• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Current enrollment at UT Austin as an undergraduate. Must either be enrolled in 3 credit hours during the Summer of 2026, or must have completed at least 12 credit hours during the Spring 2026 semester (an exception might be granted for a senior that graduated in May 2026).

• Demonstrated interest in ecology, botany, environmental science, sustainability, or related field.

• Willingness to work individually and as part of a team.

• Willingness to work outside in a variety of weather conditions, including extreme heat and humidity.

• Current Texas class C driver’s license.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Research experience (field or lab).

Driving Required

This job requires a class "C" operator's driver's license. The applicant selected must provide a current three year driving record from the current state of residence. If not currently a Texas resident, a Texas driver's license must be obtained within 30 days of becoming a Texas resident. Employees who are required to have a CDL are subject to drug and alcohol testing (pre-employment, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, random, return-to-duty, and follow-up drug and alcohol testing).

Salary Range

$18.00 per hour

Working Conditions

• Fieldwork in a variety of habitats and weather conditions, including bright sun, heat, and humidity.

• Comply with all safety policies, practices, and procedures. Report all unsafe activities to supervisors.

Work Shift

• 20 hours per week within Monday-Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, schedule to be worked out with supervisor.

Required Materials

NOTE: Without all 3 documents listed below, we cannot consider your application. Please read through submittal instructions to ensure your application is correct and complete.

• Resume/CV

• 3 work references with their contact information, should include phone number and email address; at least one reference should be from a supervisor.

• Letter of interest/Cover Letter

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Please make sure you meet all the required qualifications and you can perform all of the essential functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

Students in this position may choose to enroll in the UTSaver voluntary retirement programs.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.