GA Research School of IT – Fall 2026

Title: GA - Research - School of IT Fall 2026
Division Name: Academic Affairs
Department: School of Information Technology
Campus Location: Normal IL

Job Summary

We are seeking a motivated Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) to join our team for the Fall 2026 semester. The position is eligible for renewal for the Spring 2027 semester based on performance and for subsequent semesters subject to funding availability. The GRA position includes a full tuition waiver and a monthly stipend of $1510. The hired GRA will work 20 hours per week developing AI-based network applications within a private 5G network environment. This role requires strong self-motivation the ability to quickly learn new skills and technologies and proficiency in technical writing in English.

The hired Graduate Research Assistant will report directly to Dr. Yongning Tang.

Salary Rate / Pay Rate

$1510 per month

Required Qualifications

1. Eligible for appointment as per the requirements in the Graduate Assistant Handbook which can be found at Must be a degree seeking graduate student at Illinois State University enrolled in the School of IT Graduate Program working towards an MS in Information Systems or Computer Science.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Coding Python are required; other programming skills are a plus.
2. Basic AI/ML Programming experience
3. Basic TCP/IP and wireless communications knowledge

Work Hours

TBD

Proposed Starting Date

TBD

Required Applicant Documents

Resume
Research Statement
Previous projects with codes (e.g. link to GitHub) and/or research outcomes (e.g. technical reports papers) if available

Please Note: These documents are required to be submitted online in order to complete the application process. Please have these documents ready prior to clicking on Apply

Special Instructions for Applicants

Benefits for Graduate Assistants can be found in the Graduate Assistant Handbook.

Note: If you have not yet been assigned a University ID but are interested in applying for this graduate assistantship please proceed with the graduate assistant application process. For the first question regarding your University ID simply enter in nine (9) zeros (e.g. ).

You must be eligible for employment in the United States and at Illinois State University and/or for the number of hours required for the position.

Illinois State University student employees are restricted to no more than 28 hours per week of on-campus employment for all positions held. International students are restricted by their visa status to no more than 20 hours per week of on-campus employment when the university is in session but may work up to 28 hours per week when the university is not in session. Please contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services for guidance on visa restrictions on work hours. The University cannot grant exceptions to visa status rules/laws.

Contact Information for Applicants

Dr. Yongning Tang

Important Information for Applicants

This position is subject to a criminal background investigation and if applicable an employment history review based on University Policy 3.1.30 and any offer of employment is contingent upon you passing a satisfactory criminal background investigation and/or an employment history review. You may not begin work until the criminal background investigation results have been received and cleared by Human Resources.

Illinois State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color religion sex sexual orientation gender identity national origin disability or status as a protected veteran.

If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or other state or federal law you may request an accommodation by contacting the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at . The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access will hold any confidential information you provide in confidence.

If you are having difficulty accessing the system please call Human Resources at .