Research Positions

The Food Lab has students from all educational backgrounds and levels, including high school, undergraduate, graduate (specifically urban planning, business, public health, architecture, law, and nutrition), doctoral, and post-doctoral levels.

The Food Lab team works on a variety of research projects under the direct or indirect supervision of Dr. Samina Raja, the Principal Investigator. Positions in the Food Lab are filled through a competitive application process.  

To apply for a position, you must send a cover letter and CV (or résumé) by the dates below.  Incomplete applications, or applications sent after the dates below, will not be reviewed.

  • December 01 (for spring appointments)
  • May 01 (for summer appointments)
  • July 01 (for fall appointments)

Note: Appointments of new candidates are subject to the availability of open positions.

Prerequisites for graduate student research positions:

  • Strong intellectual interest in food systems planning
  • Successful completion of, or enrollment in, at least one course focused on food systems [eligible courses offered in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning include ‘Food Systems Planning’ and ‘Built Environment and Public Health.”]
  • Minimum one-semester commitment
  • Ability to commit to a 15-hours per week position during the academic year (including during academic breaks).  [Unless otherwise specified in the position description.]
  • SUNY policy requires a graduate student to either be enrolled for a minimum of nine credit hours or to have full-time certification from the graduate school

 Prerequisites for undergraduate student research positions:

  • Minimum one-semester commitment
  • Ability to commit to a 10-hour per week position

Appointments are renewed on a semester-by-semester basis.  If you are interested in a position, please contact us.

The Food Lab is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.  All employment decisions are based on individual qualifications without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, and/or related medical conditions), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, disability, age, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our lab, and will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.