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Graduate Funding Opportunities

Learn about teaching and research assistant opportunities for graduate students in KU's Intercampus Program in Communicative Disorders.

Graduate Teaching Assistant and Graduate Research Assistant Positions

Eligibility for Funding
Students in most of our programs qualify for graduate teaching assistant positions, with priority given to students in the resesarch doctoral degee programs. Both current and incoming students are welcome to apply depending on the particular posting. Positions available may be communicated to eligible students by the program and will include the invitation or application process for the position.

Duration of Funding
Typically, students are funded for one semester or one academic year depending on the teaching assignment. Students will have the option to continue the appointment the following academic year, provided performance was satisfactory, funds continue to be available, and the student's plan of study does not conflict with the needs of the assigned class.

Funding generally begins at the start of the semester and is dependent on the type of appointment (e.g., one semester vs. full academic year). Tuition reimbursement depends on the percentage of time worked by the student (see chart (PDF)).

Responsibilities of Fund Recipients
GTAs are most generally assigned to a specific class or classes which determines the responsibilities of the position. In general, GTAs are expected to attend the assigned class or classes (although this requirement varies across assignments and is at the discretion of the faculty supervisor).

They will hold regular office hours at times that are convenient to the students, meet regularly with their assigned faculty supervisor, deliver or assist in presenting lectures and other in-class learning activities, maintain BlackBoard course websites, and evaluate student progress via grading papers, exams, and other assignments.

How to Apply
Eligible students receive information provided by their program when positions are open to applications.

When positions are available, qualified applicants may be invited to interview with faculty supervisor(s).

Typically assignments are made late spring or summer for the coming academic year. Positions may become available at other times due to extenuating circumstances. The number and type of these positions in the program vary from year to year. Please contact faculty members directly to inquire about the availability of assistantships.

Who Qualifies for Funding
Both current and incoming students are welcome to apply depending on the particular posting.

Length of Funding
Typically students are funded for one semester or one academic year, depending on the position. Students will have the option to continue the appointment the following academic year, providing that performance was satisfactory, that funds continue to be available, and that the student's plan of study does not conflict with the needs of the position. Funding generally begins at the start of the semester and is dependent on the type of appointment (i.e., one semester vs. full academic year). Tuition reimbursement is not required for GRA students (see chart (PDF)).

Responsibilities of Fund Recipient
In general, graduate research assistants fulfill the needs of an office, clinic, or research lab. This could range from answering phones, scheduling appointments, filing, coding, etc.

How to Apply
There are a small number of GRA positions within the IPCD that support research and clinical activities at the KUMC and Lawrence campuses. When positions are available, qualified applicants will be notified via LinkedIn and/or email with information regarding the application process. Typically GRA assignments are made late spring or summer for the coming academic year. Positions may become available at other times due to extenuating circumstances.

The Hearing and Speech Clinic at KU Medical Center offers a graduate teaching assistant (GTA) position that is renewable with good performance to one second- or third-year student in the audiology doctorate (Au.D.) program. The position is funded for one academic year with the potential to extend for two full academic years.

This GTA position reduces tuition by half and pays an additional hourly stipend. This is an excellent position to distinguish your resume from peers and will allow you 10 hours a week of hands-on experience with patient interaction, insurance, hearing screening and minor hearing aid repairs. You will also accumulate supervised CCC-A hours for all patient contact.

Students are expected to put in 10 hours of office work during our normal clinic hours, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This position requires work during academic breaks; specific days of the week and times will be discussed with the faculty advisor once candidates are selected.

Position Description
The position provides clerical support for the KU Medical Center Hearing and Speech Clinic front desk. Specific duties include the following:

  • Answering phone lines in a professional manner and transferring calls to proper location
  • Scheduling patients, preparing patient charts, insurance verification and pre-authorization, assisting with charge submission and purging old files and charts
  • Taking clear messages, confirming appointments and mailing patient correspondence
  • Checking in patients, maintaining appearance and cleanliness of the waiting room and office, restocking supplies for the office and clinic, scanning documents for patient files
  • Assisting audiology faculty by preparing class documents, updating GTA manual, submitting housekeeping and facilities requests
  • Assisting with hearing clinic web updates, managing weekly social media campaigns, scheduling prospective student visits and assisting as needed, assisting with continuing education courses, and other tasks as needed by administrative staff and faculty
  • Managing clinic marketing campaigns and outreach events; assisting in tracking of campaigns
  • Providing clinical support for the Walk-In clinic during working hours as your skill and progress in the program allows. These tasks may include:
    • Minor in-office repairs and cleaning of hearing aids
    • Hearing aid accessory and battery sales
    • Sending hearing aids out for repair and checking-in devices as they return
    • NICU newborn hearing screening on Wednesday afternoons

Application Requirements
An application is required. Funding for this position is determined prior to each semester and is not guaranteed for subsequent semesters but has historically been offered for two years with satisfactory performance.

Please note:
this is a .25 FTE salaried position without health insurance benefits, but does include a tuition reduction.

KU School of Health Professions