Job Posting Title:

GRA Photocapacitative/Electrocatalytic Nitrate Removal System (PENRS) Research Associate (RA)

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Hiring Department:

Lyndon B Johnson School of Public Affairs

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

20

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FLSA Status:

Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Aug 16, 2025

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Dec 31, 2025

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Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:

About The University of Texas at Austin

What starts here changes the world.

The University of Texas at Austin, founded in 1883, ranks among the 40 best universities in the world with top national programs across 19 colleges and schools. By creating educational opportunities for all and leading cutting-edge research at scale, the University fosters positive social change, technological advancement, and economic progress showing the world that change really does start here.

An organizational priority is to successfully make UT the world’s highest-impact public research university, unleashing knowledge, opportunity and innovation from the heart of Texas.

Learn more about UT’s mission and values, and leadership.

About The LBJ School of Public Affairs

The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin is one of the nation’s premier public policy schools. As Texas’ top-ranked policy school for over five decades, the LBJ School provides unmatched opportunities for students to engage with policymakers, industry leaders and innovators in Austin and beyond. The school is committed to improving the quality of public service in the United States and abroad at all levels of governance and civic engagement. Our goals are to prepare students and professionals for leadership positions in public service, produce interdisciplinary research to advance our understanding of complex societal problems and create solutions, promote effective public policy and management practice and foster civic engagement on issues of public concern.

Committed to advancing the quality of public service, the LBJ School continues to drive education, research and civic engagement at all levels of governance. 

Purpose

Professor David Eaton of the LBJ School of Public Affairs is recruiting either an Undergraduate Research Assistant and/or a Graduate Research Assistant for the remainder of the 2024-2025 academic year to conduct research to develop, test and evaluate a novel, renewable-energy-powered device that not only captures nitrate from waste streams but also converts it into nitrogen and valuable chemicals such as ammonia. The research integrates two complementary technologies—photocapacitive concentration and electrocatalytic conversion—to create an efficient, low-cost nitrate treatment platform. This dual approach aims to overcome socioeconomic barriers to the adoption of nitrogen management technologies in industries and resource-limited communities.

Responsibilities

• The Photocapacitative/Electrocatalytic Nitrate Removal System (PENRS) Research Associate (RA) position will be involved in three types of research.
• The PENRS RA will review literature on the potential benefits and barriers regarding the environmental, social, economic, risk and community impacts of conventional nitrate treatment systems. The PENRS RA will work with other research staff at UT-Austin to identify the opportunities and risks of the novel PENRS system. The PENRS RA will visit US communities with severe nitrate pollution problems to understand the potential for implementation of PENRS systems in the field and assess the sustainability and scalability of the system for real-world applications.
• Information will be obtained via stakeholder interviews, focus groups, surveys and video documentaries that allow diverse interests to express their perspectives and concerns. The PENRS RA will be trained to accomplish these tasks.

Required Qualifications

Current UT student obtaining an undergraduate or graduate/master’s degree. 1 year of experience in conducting research, writing reports, and copyediting.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

Current Graduate Student at UT Austin.

Salary Range

$17-$18 hourly, depending on qualifications.

Working Conditions

• This is a hybrid position. We will meet at the LBJ School on a weekly basis.
• Usual office environment.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left-hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled into your application. The application is one-page, and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Please confirm your eligibility for this position here: http://www.utexas.edu/hr/student/student_acad_employment.html

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

Students in this position may choose to enroll in the UTSaver voluntary retirement programs.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.