Undergraduate Research Assistant - GRAMA Project

The University of Texas at Austin•Austin, TX

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The University of Texas at Austin Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is dedicated to promoting the conservation and cultivation of native plants through its gardens and programs. As the state botanic garden of Texas, the Wildflower Center is a renowned Austin landmark and a national leader in native plant education, sustainable landscaping, land restoration, plant conservation, and research. It boasts the largest living collection of Texas native plants, attracts 300,000 visitors annually, has over 18,000 member households, and reaches more than 2 million people yearly via its popular native plant database. The Center's vision is to create thriving, native plant landscapes everywhere that support wildlife, benefit communities, and ensure ecological resilience for future generations. Employees of the Wildflower Center are University of Texas at Austin employees who receive all associated benefits, including an annual membership to the Center, discounts on classes, access to events, and discounts at the Shop and Gallery. The position offers an inspiring, collaborative, and beautiful work environment with excellent colleagues. Undergraduate students at UT Austin will have the chance to join the Wildflower Center's conservation team and contribute to our Grassland Recovery after Multiple Alterations (GRAMA) DRAGNet and DroughtNet project. Potential tasks include vegetation surveys, data collection, soil moisture sampling, data entry, biomass collection/sorting, and drought structure repairs. This role involves significant collaboration, fieldwork, data collection, plant identification, data organization, outreach, and support for other conservation projects as needed. Students must be comfortable working outdoors and as part of a team. The position is a 12-week role, starting on or after September 9, 2026, and concluding on November 29, 2026.

Requirements

Must be a current undergraduate student at The University of Texas at Austin and meet the University's student employment eligibility requirements, including enrollment in at least six (6) semester credit hours for the long semesters (Fall/Spring), unless otherwise eligible under University policy.
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.

Nice To Haves

Research experience (field or lab).

Responsibilities

Research activities (field-based data collection, lab work, data entry etc.) related to grassland recovery and supporting our conservation partnerships.
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.
Students will 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.