Assistantship and Hourly Opportunities

Type: Internship
Department: Graduate School Office of Professional Development
Hours per week: 10 hours
Hourly rate: GEO minimum 

Open only to current UMass doctoral students

Office Location: Goodell Building, with some remote work possible
Appointment Dates: August 3-November 8, 2025 (dates are firm)

Priority application deadline: June 12, 2025 

Job Description:

The Graduate School Office of Professional Development invites applications from doctoral students to provide fellowship application support to students. 

Based at the Graduate School Office of Professional Development, this internship will offer exposure to the work of fellowship advising and provide advising experience to complement skills graduate students obtain through their degree program. 

August-October is the busiest time in the fellowship cycle, as most deadlines fall during this period. The internship dates of August 3-November 8 are firm. While some remote work may be possible during the internship period, most of the work for this position will take place in person, on campus. 

The intern will carry out the following tasks under the supervision of OPD’s Associate Director for Grants & Fellowships:

• Participate in training to learn OPD’s fellowship advising system and workflows.
• Learn databases for graduate student grants and fellowships; provide assistance and instruction to students on effective use of these tools.
• Coordinate and deliver workshops.
• Coordinate and facilitate fellowship writing groups and drop-in office hours for applicants.
• Read drafts of fellowship applications using review rubric.
• Provide feedback to fellowship applicant via one-on-one consultation (in person or via zoom) or email.
• Record post-consultation notes.
• Create and/or update website content on graduate student fellowships.
• Promote fellowship opportunities via email, social media, web content, or other marketing tools.
• Prepare report on internship duties and participate in exit interview at the end of the internship.
• Other duties as assigned

The desired qualifications include:

• Advanced graduate training, with familiarity in one or more of the disciplines most commonly relevant to nationally-competitive fellowship opportunities: CNS, Engineering, SBS, HFA, and Education.
• Experience applying for grant(s) or fellowship(s).
• Professionalism and a commitment to respectful engagement with OPD team, collaborators, faculty, and student fellowship applicants.
• Commitment to using an understanding of the diversity of human experience in working with students.
• Willingness to provide feedback to students in a constructive manner, sensitive to various skill levels, experiences, and needs.
• An interest in exploring a career in higher education beyond a tenure-track faculty position. 

We are looking for a curious, conscientious, detail-oriented person who wants to support student success and learn more about alt-ac careers in higher education. The internship will require ten hours of work per week for 14 weeks. The position does not qualify for tuition remission or health benefits but would provide some supplemental income for a TA or RA position. Additionally, the position provides the chance to explore the work world of higher education outside teaching and research to consider it as a potential career pathway and provide practical experience. Many colleges and universities employ a fellowship advisor to support students applying for nationally-competitive grants and fellowships; over 85% of fellowship advisors have graduate degrees, and 50% hold a doctorate. 

How to Apply: 

All application materials (cover letter and CV/resume) should be submitted through this form. In your cover letter, please describe your interest in alt-ac careers in higher education, any previous experience applying for grants or fellowships, and how this experience will contribute to your professional goals. Additionally, please discuss your understanding of diversity and how you would like to bring that understanding to the work of fellowship advising.

Applicants will be asked to confirm that they are able to work for the full 14-week internship period (August 3-November 8, 2025) and that they are eligible, per University policy, to accept this 10-hour assistantship.

Questions about this position or the application may be sent to Heidi Bauer-Clapp, hbauerclapp@umass.edu.

Position Overview:

The Project Assistant for the Commonwealth Collegiate Academy (CCA) works in collaboration with the Director of Pathway Programs in University Without Walls and the Associate Provost for Interdisciplinary Programs to provide essential support for the CCA program. CCA is a UMass system initiative that provides students from eligible high schools with the opportunity to take UMass courses taught by UMass faculty in partnership with their high school teachers. These courses fulfill college and high school requirements, saving students time and money while providing access to courses and content that may otherwise not have been available to them.

Essential Functions:

• Serve as main point of contact for faculty and staff at both UMass Amherst and participating high schools, as well as students enrolled in CCA programs. Manage faculty and student onboarding and communications throughout the CCA semester, and triage incoming inquiries as needed.
• Conduct assessments and prepare reports on CCA participation and outcomes.
• Coordinate course scheduling, student registration, grade reporting, assessment, and other related academic reporting for CCA students.
• Assist with the recruitment and development of new high school partnerships and academic programs on-campus. Identify potential areas of interest for high school programs and outreach to academic departments to build relationships.
• Organize CCA student visits to UMass Amherst, including planning and implementing workshops and activities on-campus, coordinating transportation, and communicating plans effectively with high school liaisons.
• Provide support for CCA courses held on the UMass Amherst campus, including procuring textbooks and instructional supplies, and assisting with workshops, guest speakers, and other arrangements as needed.
• Perform other related duties as assigned in conjunction with program leadership and the UMass President’s Office.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Enrolled full-time in a master’s or doctoral program in higher education, educational leadership, educational assessment, or a related field.
• Demonstrated interest in pre-college and/or early college programs, college access initiatives, or related areas.
• Experience with qualitative research and assessment and presenting data clearly to stakeholders.
• Strong administrative, communication, writing, and time management skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience working with early college and college access programs.

Appointment Details: 

This position will require 20 hours per week and will pay the GEO minimum hourly rate ($38.89) for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The appointment will run from August 31, 2025 through May 23, 2026.

Application Instructions:

To apply, please provide the following via e-mail to Katy Maher, Executive Director for Financial Planning and Operations, at maherk@umass.edu:

• Current resume or CV
• Brief cover letter outlining your relevant experience and interest in the position
• Writing sample
• Names and contact information for three professional references

Priority Deadline: June 15, 2025

The Provost’s Office is seeking graduate students to assist with the new Faculty Success Project.  Students will be part of an ongoing summer and fall implementation and will gain skills in project implementations, functional database management, and reporting.  The positions will run from summer 2025 through December 2025, with a possibility of extension through Spring semester 2026.  The job responsibilities will include: 

• Database set up and maintenance
• Develop testing scenarios
• Perform testing
• Manage data uploads, including CV uploads into the new system, and transfer of files from one system to another.
• Validate data imported from other university systems
• Assist with training and change management content 

The team will be looking for graduate students who show the ability to work independently, are familiar with relational databases and have some experience with systems reporting and are willing to perform manual database update tasks to assist the faculty getting their initial information into the database.  Good communication skills and an understanding of the components of a faculty CV (including bibliography) are important. 

Interested individuals should send their resume and over letter to Lew Conner at Lewis.conner@umass.edu 

Hourly Pay: $36.67

Hours per week: 20 hours per week

*This is an hourly position that is NOT a GEO eligible position and does not come with any benefits*

Hiring Period (Full year, Fall only, etc): Mid-Summer – Fall 2025

On/off campus: Off-campus