Kansas State University Graduate Research Assistantship 2026/2027 in the USA — Fully Funded

The Kansas State University Graduate Research Assistantship 2026/2027 is open for applications, and the deadline is 8th May 2026. If you are a biology graduate with a passion for wildlife ecology, fieldwork, and genetic research—and you want to spend your Master’s degree doing real, funded science in the United States rather than sitting in seminars—this assistantship offers exactly the opportunity you are looking for. Kansas State University is offering a fully funded graduate research position within its Division of Biology for a student who will work on a live ecological research project studying the Western Small-footed Myotis — a bat species whose distribution, behaviour, and genetic characteristics across western Kansas are the subject of a structured, multi-method research program.

The work is real, the data is real, and the scientific outputs you produce will contribute to the actual conservation and ecological knowledge base for this species. Selected candidates work as Graduate Research Assistants, allowing you to spend your time at Kansas State making active scientific contributions through acoustic monitoring surveys, mist-netting, tissue sampling, molecular laboratory work, and genetic analysis while simultaneously completing the academic requirements for a Master’s degree in Biology or a related field.

The financial package is one of the most competitive available at this level: an annual salary starting at over $28,000, paid to you throughout your enrollment, along with full research funding for the project you are contributing to. This is not a tuition waiver with a token stipend — it is a substantive salary that reflects the genuine scientific work you are expected to deliver. International students from all countries are eligible to apply. Nigerian and African biology graduates with a strong academic record, at least one year of relevant field or laboratory experience, and a specific interest in ecology, wildlife biology, or genetics should prepare their letter of intent and CV now and apply before the deadline closes.

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Kansas State University Scholarship Summary

Scholarship Name ⇒	Kansas State University Graduate Research Assistantship
Host Country ⇒	United States of America (USA)
Study Level ⇒	Masters
Benefits ⇒	Fully Funded — Annual Salary Starting at $28,000 + Research Funding + Teaching Experience
Funded By ⇒	Kansas State University
Eligible Countries ⇒	All Countries
Application Deadline ⇒	8th May 2026

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About the Kansas State University Graduate Research Assistantship

Kansas State University is a public research university located in Manhattan, Kansas, a mid-sized university city in the heart of the Great Plains region of the United States. Founded in 1863 as the first operational land-grant university in the country, Kansas State has built a sustained research identity across the agricultural, biological, and environmental sciences that reflects both its land-grant heritage and its ongoing investment in applied scientific research with real-world relevance.

This particular assistantship sits within a funded research project focused on the Western Small-footed Myotis — Myotis ciliolabrum — a bat species found across the western United States, including Kansas. Despite its status as a native and ecologically important species, researchers know relatively little about this bat’s population distribution, movement patterns, reproductive ecology, and genetic structure across the Kansas landscape. The project also tracks bat populations over time to understand reproductive patterns and environmental interactions—how habitat type, seasonal variation, and landscape features influence where bats live and how they behave.

The assistantship requires selected students to divide their professional responsibilities between research project contributions and a teaching assignment that lasts at least one semester. Teaching assistantships form a standard part of graduate school funding in the United States and serve two purposes: they help fund your position and develop the instructional and communication skills that postdoctoral researchers and early-career faculty increasingly need. The combination of research assistantship and teaching experience within a single funded position gives you a graduate school profile that is substantially stronger than research or teaching alone.

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What the Kansas State University Assistantship Covers

The assistantship provides the following benefits to the selected student:

1. Annual salary starting at $28,000

Paid to you directly and regularly throughout your enrollment as a Graduate Research Assistant. Over the standard duration of a Master’s program, this funding provides a substantial total income that covers your living costs in Manhattan, Kansas, without requiring you to seek additional employment. Manhattan has a significantly lower cost of living than major US metropolitan areas, which means the $28,000 annual salary goes considerably further in practical terms than the same figure would in cities like New York, Boston, or San Francisco.

2. Fully funded research project

The project grant funds the scientific work you conduct as part of the assistantship. The project also covers the costs of field surveys—including equipment, travel to field sites, sampling materials, and laboratory consumables—so you do not have to pay these expenses from your personal funds or student budget.

3. Tuition support

Graduate Research Assistantships at Kansas State University typically include a tuition remission or waiver as part of the funding package, allowing the university to cover your Master’s degree tuition in addition to paying your salary. Confirm the specific tuition coverage terms for this assistantship with the supervising faculty member when you make contact, as the precise arrangement may be specified in the offer documentation.

4. Hands-on field and laboratory research experience

You work across the full research pipeline, from field survey design and execution through to laboratory sample processing and genetic data analysis. This breadth of methodological experience is one of the most professionally valuable components of the assistantship and provides the foundation for competitive doctoral program applications and successful research careers.

5. Teaching assistantship experience for at least one semester

You contribute to teaching activities within the Division of Biology for a minimum of one semester, developing instructional skills and building the teaching record that postdoctoral and faculty positions increasingly require.

6. Access to advanced research facilities

Kansas State University’s Division of Biology provides access to research infrastructure, including molecular biology laboratories, ecological data systems, and the broader university research support network.

7. Mentorship within an active research group

As a Graduate Research Assistant, you work directly under the supervision of a faculty member whose funded project you are contributing to. This relationship provides structured scientific mentorship that shapes how you design research, interpret data, communicate findings, and develop as an independent researcher.

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Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for the Kansas State University Graduate Research Assistantship 2026/2027, you must meet the following criteria:

1. You must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Biology or a closely related field.

Closely related fields may include ecology, wildlife biology, zoology, environmental science, genetics, conservation biology, or a comparable discipline with a strong biological science foundation. If your degree is in a field at the boundary of relevance — such as environmental management, natural resource science, or biochemistry — assess honestly whether your scientific training in ecology, field biology, or genetics is sufficient to support the research demands of this specific project before applying.

2. You must have at least one year of relevant experience.

This means direct, hands-on experience in a biological research, field ecology, wildlife monitoring, or laboratory science context — not general work experience unrelated to biology. The experience must be substantive enough to have given you real scientific competencies. A year-long research assistant position, a significant undergraduate research project with field or laboratory components, industrial training in a biological science context, or comparable professional experience all count. Describe your experience in specific terms in your CV and letter of intent — what species, methods, environments, and scientific questions you worked with, and what you contributed.

3. You must demonstrate strong research potential.

The selection committee assesses your research potential by evaluating your entire application—your academic record, your relevant experience, and especially your letter of intent. Your letter must demonstrate that you can think scientifically, communicate research questions clearly, and connect your background to the specific demands of this project. You cannot simply claim strong research potential—you must demonstrate it through the evidence in your application.

4. Experience with bats, ecology, or fieldwork is strongly preferred.

This is the single most directly relevant prior experience for this project. If you have conducted acoustic monitoring, mist-netting, wildlife handling, or any bat-related research, lead with this in your application — it is the experience that most directly maps onto the work you will be doing. If you do not have bat-specific experience but have conducted fieldwork with other wildlife species, describe that experience with enough specificity to demonstrate its transferability to bat ecology research.

5. Knowledge of acoustic monitoring, biological sampling techniques, or molecular laboratory work is a significant advantage.

Acoustic monitoring is a core method in this project — experience with bat detectors, echolocation call analysis software, or bioacoustics more broadly is directly applicable. Molecular laboratory experience — DNA extraction, PCR, genotyping, or genetic data analysis — is equally relevant to the genetic component of the research. If you have any of these technical competencies, describe them specifically in your CV.

6. You must be willing and available to fulfill both research and teaching duties.

The assistantship requires you to contribute to teaching activities for at least one semester in addition to your research responsibilities. This is a condition of the funding structure, not an optional extra. If you are not willing or available to take on teaching responsibilities, this assistantship is not appropriate for your situation.

International students from all countries are eligible. There are no stated nationality restrictions. Confirm whether you will need a US student visa and begin the application process as early as possible if the university offers you a position. US visa processing times for international students can be lengthy, and delays in the visa process have caused students to miss the start of their program.

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Required Documents

You must submit your application for this assistantship by email. Although the application process is deliberately streamlined, the selection committee places significant weight on the required documents when making its decision. Prepare everything below before you contact the program.

1. Updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) including contact details for three referees

Your CV is the primary document through which the supervising faculty member will assess your academic background, research experience, and technical competencies at the initial screening stage. It must be current, clearly organised, and specifically constructed to highlight the experience most relevant to this position. Lead with your educational qualifications — degree, institution, class or GPA, and graduation year. Follow immediately with your research and fieldwork experience — describe each position or project specifically, including the species or systems you worked with, the methods you used, your specific responsibilities, and any outputs you contributed to. End with three referees whose contact details are current and who have agreed to be contacted; include their names, titles, institutional affiliations, and email addresses. Do not list referees without informing them first.

2. Letter of intent

This is the most important document in your application and the one that most directly determines whether you are invited for further discussion. It should describe your specific experience with field biology, wildlife monitoring, laboratory techniques, or genetics — with concrete detail, not general claims. It should articulate why you are interested in this specific project — the Western Small-footed Myotis, the methods being used, the scientific questions being addressed — and why that interest is genuine and informed. It should state your post-degree career intentions and explain how this Master’s and this research experience serve them. Do not write a generic graduate school interest letter and submit it for this position.

3. Academic transcripts (if requested)

Full transcripts from your undergraduate degree may be requested at a later stage of the application process rather than at initial submission. Have them ready and available — do not wait until a request arrives to begin gathering them. If your institution uses a grading scale that is not self-explanatory to a US-based reviewer, prepare a brief grading scale explanation to accompany your transcripts.

4. Supporting documents evidencing research experience

Any additional materials that directly substantiate the research experience you describe in your CV and letter of intent. This may include a published paper or conference abstract you contributed to, a field research report, a laboratory project report, documentation of a prior research assistantship, or a reference letter from a supervisor that speaks specifically to your technical competencies. Include only materials that are directly relevant, and that add something your CV and letter of intent do not already convey clearly.

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How to Apply — Step by Step

1. Read the project description carefully and assess your fit honestly before preparing anything.

This assistantship is for a specific research project with specific methodological requirements — acoustic bat monitoring, mist-netting, tissue sampling, and genetic analysis in western Kansas. Before you invest time in your letter of intent and CV, ask yourself whether your background genuinely prepares you for this work and whether this specific project genuinely interests you.

2. Contact your three referees immediately and confirm their willingness to be listed.

Do not include referee details on your CV until you confirm that each referee has agreed to let the selection committee contact them and is prepared to provide a positive and substantive reference. Brief them on the position, the research project, and why you are applying. Give them enough context to say something specific and relevant if they are contacted.

3. Write your letter of intent from scratch for this specific position.

Begin drafting well before the deadline. A strong letter of intent for a project-specific research assistantship requires multiple drafts. Your first draft will likely be too general — revise it until every paragraph connects specifically to the Western Small-footed Myotis project, your relevant experience, and your genuine scientific interest in the questions the project addresses. Have someone with scientific writing experience review your letter before you finalise it.

4. Update your CV to reflect the experience most relevant to this position.

Review your current CV and reorganise it so that you highlight your fieldwork, wildlife research, acoustic monitoring, laboratory, and genetics experience—if you have any—and describe each area with sufficient technical specificity. Replace vague descriptions like “assisted with research activities” with specific ones like “conducted mist-netting surveys for insectivorous bat species, processed and measured captured individuals, and collected tissue samples for genetic analysis.” Every bullet point describing a research role should answer: what did you do, with what species or system, using what methods, and to what end.

5. Compile your complete application package.

Bring together your updated CV with three referee contact details, your letter of intent, and any supporting documents that evidence your research experience. Review the complete package one final time — check that your CV is current and accurate, that your letter of intent is specific and compelling, and that every supporting document is relevant and clearly labelled.

6. Send your complete application by email to the program contact at Kansas State University’s Division of Biology.

Visit the official Kansas State University Division of Biology website or the official program listing to identify the correct faculty contact and email address for this assistantship. Use a clear, professional subject line that identifies your name and the position — for example: Graduate Research Assistantship Application — Western Small-footed Myotis Project — [Your Full Name]. Attach your CV, letter of intent, and supporting documents as separate, clearly labelled files. Send the email from a professional email address and keep a copy of the sent email for your records.

7. Submit your application before 8th May 2026.

If your application is competitive, you will be contacted for further discussion or an interview. Do not follow up immediately after sending — allow a reasonable period for the faculty member to review applications before making contact to confirm receipt if you have not heard anything after two weeks.

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Application Deadline

8th May 2026

Applications are submitted by email — not through an online portal. Aim to send your complete application no later than 4th May 2026 to give yourself time to address any email delivery issues or follow-up requests from the program contact before the deadline closes. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further discussion or an interview.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Kansas State University Graduate Research Assistantship fully funded?

Yes. The assistantship provides an annual salary starting at over $28,000, paid directly to you throughout your enrollment, along with funded research costs for the project. Graduate Research Assistantships at Kansas State University typically also include tuition remission — confirm the specific tuition coverage terms with the supervising faculty member when you make contact.

Can Nigerian and African students apply for this assistantship?

Yes. The assistantship is open to international students from all countries. There are no stated nationality restrictions. Nigerian and African biology graduates who hold a qualifying first degree, have at least one year of relevant field or laboratory research experience, and can demonstrate strong research potential are fully eligible to apply. If offered a position, you will need to apply for a US student visa — begin this process as early as possible, as processing times can be lengthy.

Does the research experience have to be specifically with bats?

Bat-specific experience is strongly preferred but not stated as a hard requirement. Experience with other wildlife species in a fieldwork context — particularly small mammals, birds, or other animals requiring capture and handling techniques — is relevant and transferable. Acoustic monitoring experience, mist-netting or trapping experience with any species, and molecular laboratory experience with tissue samples are all directly applicable skills regardless of the taxonomic group they were developed with. If you do not have bat-specific experience, frame your existing fieldwork and laboratory experience in terms of its direct transferability to bat ecology research in your letter of intent.

What does the teaching component of the assistantship involve?

Selected students are expected to contribute to teaching activities within Kansas State University’s Division of Biology for at least one semester. This typically involves supporting laboratory sections of undergraduate biology courses — preparing materials, guiding students through practical exercises, demonstrating techniques, and providing feedback. The specific courses and responsibilities will be determined in coordination with the Division. Teaching assistantship experience is a standard component of US graduate school funding and is valuable for any career path that includes instruction, communication, or scientific outreach.

How should I contact the program, and who do I send my application?

Submit your application by email directly to the supervising faculty member who manages the Western Small-footed Myotis research project in the Kansas State University Division of Biology. Visit the official Kansas State University Division of Biology website or the official program listing to identify the correct contact and current email address. Confirm contact details through the official source before sending — do not rely on contact information from third-party scholarship listing websites.

What happens after I submit my application?

If your application is competitive and your background is a strong match for the project, the supervising faculty member will contact you to discuss your application further or to invite you for an interview. Only shortlisted candidates are contacted. If you do not hear back within two to three weeks of the deadline, it is likely that your application was not shortlisted for this cycle.

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Disclaimer: All scholarship details, deadlines, salary figures, and eligibility criteria were verified from the official Kansas State University Graduate Research Assistantship program information as of June 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on the official Kansas State University Division of Biology website or by contacting the supervising faculty member before submitting your application.

Official Application Portal