Summary
Applications are now open for two Student Fellow positions at The University of Texas at Austin. Sophomores and juniors of all majors welcomed! No previous research experience required.
Do you want to be part of an innovative, new research center and collaborate with people from different parts of UT Austin?
Are you an undergraduate student who is passionate about disability research and advocacy?
Then you might be a candidate for one of two Student Fellow openings at the National Disability Center for Student Success this fall!
Our Student Fellows are UT Austin students who gain valuable training experiences, assist with research, share their lived experiences with disability, and collaborate with every team at the National Disability Center — including the Leadership Team, Faculty Cadre, communications staff, and evaluators — as part of their paid fellowships.
To apply, complete this Qualtrics form by September 30th. Your application will be reviewed and if you’re a top candidate, you will be contacted for an interview. Two Student Fellows will be hired by mid-October for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years.
About This Unique Opportunity
Joining the National Disability Center as a Student Fellow is a chance to gain valuable experience and skills researching disability — with no previous experience required, which is highly unusual among federally funded research centers.
The National Disability Center established in 2023 operates within the College of Education. But the faculty and students who are part of the Center come from a variety of colleges and schools at UT Austin — including the iSchool, the College of Liberal Arts, and the Cockrell School of Engineering.
Student Fellows can tap a network of support from the culture of the National Disability Center — where everyone is committed to collaborating and engaging in a student-centered, asset-based approach to promote a greater understanding of disabled students’ experiences and obstacles.
For one-on-one mentoring, each Student Fellow is matched with a member of our Faculty Cadre, an academic leader who shares your passion for disability and inclusion and who can help you make the most of your experience at the Center. The mentoring matches are typically from different UT Austin colleges to provide an interdisciplinary experience for the pair.
Student Fellows also have the opportunity to:
- Build relationships with fellow undergraduate and graduate students
- Learn what it’s like to work within a research center setting
- Explore research or academia as a future career path
- Contribute to an important mission to improve outcomes for millions of disabled college students nationwide
Day-to-day responsibilities may vary, but Student Fellows participate in research design and data collection, meeting and consulting with internal teams, and research and Center outreach initiatives. Pay is $20/hour up to 10 hours per week — with an option for course credit instead.
About the Ideal Candidate
We are seeking candidates at UT Austin who have the following preferred qualifications. However, every applicant is encouraged to apply, and the review team will carefully consider every application.
Preferred qualifications:
- 2nd or 3rd year UT Austin students of any major or minor
- Available to work 10 hours per week
- Have some work or volunteering experience (although no previous research center experience is necessary)
- Can meet for a few one-hour weekday meetings and events each week, on Zoom and/or in person, including the Student Fellow meeting each Monday at noon
- Thrive in flexible environments and managing their own workloads
- Are comfortable with, curious about, and open to new learning experiences
- Reside in the United States or its territories
Have further questions? Contact us.
Know someone who would be perfect as a Student Fellow? Share this announcement and refer them.
Interested in working with the National Disability Center, but don’t fit the criteria for a student fellowship? Consider participating in our website user experience (UX) project this semester — either on the volunteer UX evaluation team (5-10 hours this semester) or as a student subject for their evaluation (1 hour interview).
