Graduate Education & Access (Great-Op) Program

2025 Summer Research Assistantships

Purpose:

The Graduate Education Access & Opportunity (Great-Op) Research Assistantships provide select students an opportunity to engage in work with their faculty mentors on research projects to support and advance the faculty’s work, raise the profile and reputation of the University, and provide the student with valuable academic skills.

All qualified students are encouraged to apply and will be considered without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, or national origin.

Opportunity:

The Student Research Assistant will engage in faculty-supervised research-related work for 25 hours per week from approximately June 10 to July 31, 2025. The exact responsibilities will depend on the work and assignments made by the faculty mentors and may involve some of the following tasks:

• Conduct literature reviews and assist with data collection and analysis
• Contribute to manuscripts, conference presentations, and grant proposals
• Help prepare research protocols, designs, and surveys
• Attend summer check-ins with faculty mentor, as well as three Great-Op program meetings
• Present at the Chico State Annual Student Research Symposium if still a student (March 2026)

(The work will not include teaching, personal assistance, or primarily clerical functions.)

Qualifications:

Students are selected through a competitive application process. To qualify, students must:

• Be a new or continuing to fall 2025 Chico State graduate student in good academic standing
• Have a faculty mentor confirmed to supervise summer research
• Be  U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or AB540 student with affidavit on file or have other authorization to work
• Demonstrate financial need
• Be available for three virtual summer meetings with Great-Op staff and student participants (orientation, mid-check-in, final research outcome presentation)
• Maintain satisfactory performance throughout the program, as assessed by faculty mentor and Great-Op staff
• Able to work up to 25 hours/week (not to exceed 40 hours across all campus jobs)

Student Research Assistant Compensation*:

These are student employment positions at 25 hours per week at $18.00/hour from approximately June 10 through July 31, 2025. Students will be paid every two weeks through Chico State Enterprises’ payroll system. Wages are taxable and taxes will be withheld. This is a non-benefits position. 

Faculty Compensation*:

Up to $1500 in additional employment (taxable) wages, depending on available grant funding;  final amount to be determined by May 31. Please note that due to funding limitations, compensation may remain the same regardless of the number of student assistants supervised.

For questions or concerns, please contact:

• Neesa Sonoquie, Great-Op Program Co-Director: nsonoquie@csuchico.edu 
• Arely Saldana, Great-Op Program Coordinator: agsaldana@csuchico.edu

*The Graduate Education Access & Opportunity (GREAT-Op) Program is administered by the Office of Graduate Studies with support from a five-year, $3 million Title V PPOHA grant from the U.S. Department of Education.