Current opportunities at UAF
There are many ways for undergraduate students to get involved in research at UAF!
In addition to URSA funding, several other organizations at UAF, within the UA System,
and outside Alaska offer opportunities for our undergraduate students. Don't be afraid
to reach out to researchers, organizations, and institutes in your field to make a
connection and inquire about future opportunities! On this page we have provide information
about UAF organizations that regularly offer opportunities for funding and/or project
support. If you are looking to join an established project with faculty, staff, or
graduate students at UAF, see the list of opportunities listed below.
If you need assistance contacting individuals or organizations, please reach out! We are more than happy to help you connect with potential opportunities.
°®ÎÛ´«Ã½ Projects Seeking Undergraduate Participation
New listings are posted when received.
Graduate Student- Geosciences
Permafrost Laboratory, Geophysical Institute
Email: kakelkar@alaska.edu
Rock glaciers are lobate landforms that comprise a mixture of rock and ice in high
mountain environments. The downslope movement of rock glaciers is highly sensitive
to changes in air and ground temperature, and summer precipitation. These landforms
are critical geomorphic indicators to indirectly track the evolution of mountain permafrost
in a changing climate.
Field-based rock glacier investigations in the Central Alaska Range have received little attention in the context of rock glacier dynamics and thermal regimes in sub-Arctic Alaska, when compared to well-studied regions like the European Alps. This project aims to document and monitor the first in-situ baseline datasets for rock glaciers in the Central Alaska Range.
The student will have the opportunity to initiate field measurements and monitor rock glacier dynamics in the Valdez Creek area off the Denali Highway. This ongoing investigation will combine fieldwork, remote sensing, and laboratory analysis for the prospective student to develop a robust skill set. Data compilation and analysis will comprise the following:
- Downloading data from a meteorological station and previously installed loggers on rock glaciers.
- Install additional temperature loggers and tiltmeter sensors on rock glacier surfaces.
- Install permafrost temperature boreholes
- Conduct drone surveys
- Collect water samples from rock glacier discharge
- Compile Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and pixel tracking of historical imagery to track long-term rock glacier movement.
The student will gain experience conducting fieldwork in the Alaska Range with the opportunity to develop an independent research project. Research-based credits may be applied during the summer 2026 semester. Furthermore, the student will have the chance to better understand the process of publishing scientific work by engaging as a co-author.
Prerequisites:
The prospective student should be physically fit to hike in uneven terrain, and should
be in physical condition to carry 50 pounds of weight across designated field sites.
I am in search of a student with an enthusiastic and inquisitive mindset. Experience
in wilderness environments is highly recommended but not a requirement.
The student must have completed bear safety training. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) drone Part 107 licensure is not an absolute requirement but is recommended for operating a drone over rock glaciers.
Time Commitment:
This position will span a major portion of summer 2026.
Start date: June 15th, 2026
End date: August 14th, 2026
Fieldwork will consist of long hours (10-hour days) for three to four weeks. Data and laboratory analysis will be completed in the intervening days during business hours on weekdays.
Compensation:
The opportunity is currently unfunded, but could include pay pending a successful
undergraduate and/or mentor proposal. The proposed wage is $15.00/hour.
I am willing to mentor the student if they apply to other sources of funding (URSA or otherwise) as long as the research theme aligns with my research interests.
Deadline to Contact: December 5, 2025
Contact: Falk Huettmann
Professor of Wildlife Ecology
Email: fhuettmann@alaska.edu
Contact: Kristin O'Brien
Professor of Biology, CNSM/IAB
Email: kmobrien@alaska.edu
*Looking for two (2) students of Sophomore-Senior standing.*
We are seeking 1-2 students to join our lab group this summer, investigating the molecular and biochemical basis of hypoxia tolerance in Antarctic fish.
Students may complete their capstone requirements while conducting research. Also, depending on interest, students may present their research at local and/or national conferences.
Students graduating in spring, 2025 are welcome to apply.
Prerequisites: BIOL 115/116, CHEM 105/106, and a physiology course. Genetics and biochemistry are also helpful but not required.
Time Commitment: May - August and possibly longer if there is interest. 30-40 hours per week in the summer.
Compensation: $18 per hour minimum
Deadline to contact: Thursday, May 30, 2025
Contact: Dmitry Nicolsky
Research Associate Professor, Geophysical Institute
Email: djnicolsky@alaska.edu
*Looking for one (1) student of Junior or Senior standing*
Over the past few years, I have developed an interactive modeling tool for visualizing
particle dynamics in gravitational, electric, and magnetic fields for educational
purposes. You can check it out here:
Currently, the tool includes several animations focused on mechanics, electrodynamics,
and the motion of interacting particles. However, there is potential for expanding
it with additional animations and scenarios. I am looking for an upper-level undergraduate
student majoring in physics or mathematics who could help with this development.
Project Overview:
- We would discuss a given scenario, including physical properties of particles, initial
conditions, and external fields.
- The student would then implement this scenario as an animation within the tool.
- The scenario must be accompanied by the relevant mathematical formulations describing
particle dynamics, including solving the linear momentum equation or Newton’s second
law.
This could be a challenging but rewarding task, as it involves solving second-order
differential equations with external forcing. It’s a great opportunity for a student
to apply theoretical knowledge in a hands-on computational setting.
Prerequisites: Differential equations, calculus, physics
Time Commitment: Flexible hours. The start and end dates depend on the funding opportunity. Most of this work could be done over the summer months.
Compensation: Applicants will need to apply for URSA, BLaST, or other funding to support their work. I am happy to assist in writing the application to help secure funding.
Deadline to contact: December 31, 2025
Contact: Carol Gray
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Email: cjgray5@alaska.edu
Looking for up to 4 students of any standing (Freshman-Senior).
*This is an ongoing project and will accept interest past the Spring 2024 listed date.*
Time Commitment: Minimum of 10 hours per week though, if funding is provided, I would be open to students working more hours if they chose to.
Compensation: This position is unpaid. But I am happy to have interns as volunteers or if they are able to obtain grants through URSA or otherwise. I would be happy to mentor a student who is funded through URSA or some other mechanism.
Additional Position Information:
Students would learn about archiving, historical research, and the politics and context of the anti-slavery movement from the 1800s in Canada and the U.S. Through weekly meetings with the professor, students learn about how archival research unfolds and would be part of creating a valuable data base that could be used by historians and other researchers working on civil and human rights for years to come.
When this internship was conducted at a different institution (not in Alaska), interns who worked on this project did independent research that they presented at a professional conference. I am not sure whether such opportunities would be available here in Fairbanks, but there might be some conferences that are virtual that students might apply to. I would be happy to mentor students in crafting an abstract and submitting a conference proposal.
Contact: Sarah Stanley
Faculty, English Department
Email: sstanley2@alaska.edu
Phone: (907) 474-7335
The InsideOut StoryLab is starting to receive submissions from prisoners for a Boundaries and Bridges Story Collection. The InsideOut StoryLab: Boundaries and Bridges is a story collection from both incarcerated and unconfined writers to be distributed by portable story dispensers inside and outside of carceral settings in Alaska.
- Type up handwritten submissions
- Write response letters submissions
- Evaluate submissions
- Work with a submission database
We are always in process with collections. This is a chance to get involved with community publishing from the ground up. Sarah (your mentor) is an excellent letter writer for a recommendation. Reach out and get involved!
This position listing is looking for up to 3 students (Freshman-Senior Standing).
Prerequisites: None
Compensation: We can work on writing a grant for this--let us know your interest. Open to mentoring
students who apply for funding through URSA or other campus entities (especially a
student that wants to put together a Community-Engaged Learning award for our next
collection).
Contact: Richard Collins
Faculty, Geophysical Institute & Atmospheric Sciences
Email: rlcollins@alaska.edu
In search of 1 student of any year of study (Freshman through Senior status).
°®ÎÛ´«Ã½ researchers have been studying Earth's highest clouds since the 1990's. These clouds, called noctilucent (night shining, ) form 50 miles high in the summer over Alaska an the Arctic. They are called night shining as the are visible after dark in the late summer. We are looking for a student to use digitizing equipment at the Rasmuson library to convert video tapes to digital files, and post those files to a public website (e.g. You Tube). Student will work with faculty members and staff. Student will have opportunity to participate in related research if interested.
Additional Position Information: This job involves working with an archive of tapes that is unique. Students can learn more about noctilucent clouds at the following links.
Prerequisites: Student should have basic tech skills be able to manage data files, maintain spreadsheets of information, and have ability and interest to learn media skills.
Time Commitment: Start as soon as possible, running through Fall and Spring. Up to 20 hours a week, with total hours ~200-300 hours. The schedule would depend on access to library tape digitizing equipment, but is otherwise flexible.
Compensation: Student Assistant Grade 2, Step 14: $14.67 an hour
Contact: Simon Zwieback
Faculty, Geosciences
Email: szwieback@alaska.edu.
Contact: Tristan Goers
GIS Technician | Digital Services | Fairbanks North Star Borough
Email: tristan.goers@fnsb.gov
Phone: (907) 459-1477
The Fairbanks North Star Borough is offering an internship opportunity georeferencing imagery for course credit to an undergraduate student. This opportunity involves mosaicking and georeferencing scanned historical imagery of the FNSB and may also involve scripting. This work will be completed over one semester with the final deliverables being (1) georeferenced image tiles, (2) a georeferenced, mosaicked, image, and (3) an image tile index. The final product will be an invaluable resource not only for the Fairbanks North Star Borough but also the public at-large. You will be expected to give, at a minimum, weekly progress reports detailing the work completed, any challenges encountered, and any questions you may have.
Prerequisite: Prior exposure to remote sensing or GIS
Pay: This could be a paid internship, an unpaid project for credit, or both.
Please reach out to us to discuss further details.
Benefits: Valuable real-world experience and skills that are in great demand on the job market.
Rolling Deadline- please contact the opportunity provider listed above for more information.
Contact: Simon Zwieback
Professor Geosciences
Phone: (907) 474-5549
Email: szwieback@alaska.edu
The project seeks to characterize permafrost landscape dynamics following temperature
extremes and a bark beetle outbreak. It combines fieldwork in Alaska, soil analysis
in the lab, and remote sensing data analyses.
You will collect field measurements under supervision of experienced researchers.
Laboratory work will include sample preparation and analysis, and data compilation.
Remote sensing analyses may comprise processing and classification of multispectral
and radar remote sensing imagery, and predictive modeling using machine learning.
How long: 10 to 20 h / week during the semester, up to 40 h / week in summer.
Pay: Yes. Salary is negotiable.
Other benefits: Gain field experience in Northern Alaska, potential for research-based credits.
Seeking 2 students, any year of study, willing to learn and work on GIS, climate and
wildlife data.
This project provides opportunities for students to explore and work-up specific forestry
and climate GIS data for birds and habitats in Interior Alaska.
Students will gain experience in learning geographic information systems (GIS, ArcGIS or QGIS), insights into landscape ecology, bird, habitat and climate management issues, and digital data skills for Alaska. Office space, hardware and software provided.
Experience required: R skills would ideal, or at least a willingness to learn
Funding: None provided. Students would need to seek funding from URSA Project application or find another source if they require funding. Project coordinator would help with the process.
Deadline: Ongoing
°®ÎÛ´«Ã½ organizations that regularly offer opportunities
for funding and/or project support.
Alaska NSF EPSCoR improves Alaska's scientific capacity by engaging in research projects supported through National Science Foundation and state funds. The organization is engaged in a five-year project entitled "Fire & Ice," which examines climate-driven changes to Alaskan wildfire regimes and coastal ecosystems.
Undergraduate Scholarships of up to $1,000 will be awarded through a competitive process. Scholarships are open to new and continuing undergraduate students majoring in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics (STEM). Students receiving awards in past competitions may apply and receive awards for subsequent competitions.
The Alaska Center for Innovation, Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship (Center ICE) is the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Innovation Hub. Through our Innovation Accelerator, we draw from the University of Alaska’s best research to support its development, launch it as a real world solution, and help it scale up. Center ICE also offers the Students2Startups program to place the next generation of leaders at the center of innovation now.
One of the main goals of the Alaska INBRE Network continues to be to increase education and research opportunities for University of Alaska undergraduate and graduate students to guide them into programs and advanced training in the biomedical sciences and to enhance the biomedical infrastructure in Alaska.
°®ÎÛ´«Ã½ Boards for External Opportunities
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