SF State CREATE Federal Work-Study Undergraduate Research Assistantships — AY 2026–27

SF State CREATE is accepting applications for paid Federal Work-Study undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity assistantships for the 2026–27 academic year.

Students selected for the program will work directly with an SF State faculty mentor on a research, scholarship, or creative project while developing research skills, professional experience, and career-ready competencies.

Projects are available across a wide range of fields, including the sciences, engineering, health, education, social sciences, arts and humanities. Students are encouraged to explore projects outside of their own major or department. You do not need to be in the faculty mentor’s department unless the individual position description specifically requires it.

Students may apply for more than one position if they meet the qualifications.

General Job Information

Federal Work-Study eligibility is required.

Applicants must:

Be eligible for Federal Work Study for the 2026–27 academic year.

Confirm their Federal Work-Study award in their Financial Aid Award notification before applying (tips for checking: financialaid.sfsu.edu/reviewing-your-awards).

Have at least $2000 remaining Federal Work-Study funding for the appointment.

Be available to work approximately 5 hours per week/~100 total hours.

Meet any project-specific qualifications and scheduling requirements listed in the individual position description.

Hourly rate: $20/hour
Appointment dates: November 13, 2026–May 14, 2027
Hours: Approximately 5 hours/week; ~100 total hours
Location/modality: Varies by faculty project and may be in-person, hybrid, or remote.

CREATE Cohort Requirements

In addition to working with their faculty mentor, student assistants are expected to participate in the SF State CREATE cohort experience.

Required sessions are:

November 13, 2026, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

February 12, 2027, 10:00–11:30 a.m.

March 12, 2027, 10:00–11:30 a.m.

April 9, 2027, 10:00–11:30 a.m.

SF State CREATE FWS Showcase: May 14, 2027, time TBD

Students will present their work at the May 14 showcase.

How to Apply

Do not submit your application through Handshake.

All applications must be submitted through the SF State CREATE Qualtrics application:

https://sfsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8oJqEHmZcBxOkVE

The Qualtrics application includes:

Full descriptions of the available faculty research, scholarship, and creative activity positions

An opportunity to apply for more than one position

Resume upload

A brief, position-specific statement describing your interest, background, experiences, and relevant skills

Application Deadline

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.

Late applications may not be considered.

We encourage students to review all available projects rather than limiting their search to positions in their own major. Many CREATE projects are interdisciplinary, and faculty mentors are interested in students with a range of backgrounds, perspectives, interests, and skills.

Please contact the Director of SF State CREATE, Dr. Kate Hamel, with any questions: hamelk@sfsu.edu