Research Assistant Professor Jobs at University of Kentucky with Visa Sponsorship
Research Assistant Professor roles at University of Kentucky sit at the intersection of teaching and active research, typically tied to grant-funded projects across medicine, engineering, agriculture, and social sciences. The university has a consistent track record of sponsoring international researchers through the full range of work visa and immigrant visa pathways.
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Get Access To All JobsJob Title: Assistant Professor
Requisition Number: FE04836
Working Title:
Department Name: 81050:BIOSYSTEMS & AGR ENGINEERING
Work Location: Lexington, KY
Type of Position: Faculty
Position Time Status: Full-Time
Tenure Track Status: Tenure Track
Required Education:
A Ph.D. in biosystems/agricultural engineering or a closely-related field with an emphasis in hydrology, water quality monitoring, and/or nature-based water treatment designs. In addition, the candidate should have some experience in AI, machine learning, and/or managing large data sets related to water resources and/or ecological engineering design.
Required Related Experience:
- The ability to oversee graduate students and demonstration of outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
- Demonstrate commitment and ability to work with teams on interdisciplinary problems.
- Create a proactive, high-impact research program that supplies clientele with new methods to analyze hydrologic and water quality impacts in agricultural and urban settings.
- Teach one undergraduate and one graduate course per year; recruit and direct MS and PhD graduate students.
- Contribute to the multi-functional land-grant mission of the department.
Required License/Registration/Certification:
A P.E. or demonstrate the ability to qualify for a P.E. in Kentucky
Job Summary:
The University of Kentucky’s Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering is recruiting for a full-time, 12-month, tenure-eligible Assistant Professor in the Regular Title Series related to hydroinformatics. This position has an anticipated start date of July 1, 2027, with a distribution of effort of approximately 70% research, 25% instruction, and 5% service. The successful candidate will be expected to establish an integrated, nationally recognized program on topics such as:
- Integrating water resource and agricultural related datasets to develop and enhance process-based and AI models to analyze and predict the impact of agricultural and implementation of best management practices to address hydrologic and water quality challenges.
- Develop novel and/or utilize existing models to aid in the design and implementation of practices that would reduce the impact of extreme rainfall events.
- Complement ongoing work with researchers and stakeholders to efficiently acquire, process, and model water quality and hydrologic data from a wide array of sources.
The successful candidate is expected to:
- Demonstrate commitment and ability to work with teams on interdisciplinary problems.
- Create a proactive, high-impact research program that supplies clientele with new methods to analyze hydrologic and water quality impacts in agricultural and urban settings.
- Teach one undergraduate and one graduate course per year.
- Recruit and direct MS and PhD graduate students.
- Contribute to the multi-functional land-grant mission of the department.
Qualifications include:
- A Ph.D. in biosystems/agricultural engineering or a closely-related field with an emphasis in hydrology, water quality monitoring, and/or nature-based water treatment designs. In addition, the candidate should have some experience in AI, machine learning, and/or managing large data sets related to water resources and/or ecological engineering design.
- A P.E. or demonstrate the ability to qualify for a P.E. in Kentucky.
- The ability to oversee graduate students.
- Demonstration of outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
The Environment:
The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (MGCAFE) is fulfilling the land-grant promise of educational excellence, civic leadership, transformational research, and shared knowledge serving the common good. We serve the people of the Commonwealth and across the world through education, outreach, service, and research by finding solutions to improve lives today and create a sustainable future. We integrate teaching, research, and extension in our work. We recruit, retain, and graduate students who are competent, responsible, and workforce ready. For more than 130 years, MGCAFE has provided research results to the community. From traditional labs and research farms to high-tech diagnostic and research centers, we offer science-based, practical solutions that affect the everyday lives of Kentuckians and people around the world. Our Cooperative Extension programs are engaged in Kentucky’s 120 counties, identifying and addressing needs not only in agriculture and natural resources, but also 4-H and youth development, family and consumer sciences, as well as community & economic development. The University of Kentucky is an institution with over 23,000 undergraduate and 9,500 graduate students. UK is Kentucky’s flagship university and a land grant institution. We have a university commitment to improve the lives of Kentuckians and beyond and that is why environmental stewardship and sustainability are core parts of our institution’s legacy. We are recognized as a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation, a Gold level Bicycle Friendly University by The League of American Bicyclists, and are recognized as a STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) Silver Rating by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The university is geographically near downtown Lexington, which offers the vibrancy of an urban location while being in close proximity to working landscapes and recognized wilderness areas. It is a thriving community of 320,000+ with a strong commitment to quality of life, education, and the arts. Lexington is in the Bluegrass Region, an internationally acclaimed cultural landscape and agricultural region.
Salary and Benefits:
Employment at UK is subject to fund availability and comes with comprehensive rewards, focusing on your total well-being and career development, with leadership striving to provide a strong work-life integration. The university generously contributes to employees’ retirement plans, medical coverage, and life insurance. In addition, UK offers optional benefits such as dental and vision insurance, additional retirement plans and much more. To learn more about these benefits, please visit: https://hr.uky.edu/employment/our-benefits.
Questions and/or Nominations to:
Mike Montross
Chair, Search Committee
128 Barnhart Building
1398 Nicholasville Rd
University of Kentucky
Lexington KY 40546-0276
Phone: 859-218-4319
Email: michael.montross@uky.edu
Application:
Applications should be submitted by June 1, 2026, for full consideration while the position will remain open until filled. The anticipated interview period is August to September, with an anticipated start date is July 1, 2027. Please apply using the University of Kentucky’s electronic application process. In your uploaded document please begin with a letter of interest that outlines your approach to the position’s qualifications and responsibilities and your vision for innovative and impactful programs that address existing and emerging issues across the communities we serve. Follow this with the names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers of three references, and conclude with career curriculum vita.
Skills / Knowledge / Abilities
Does this position have supervisory responsibilities? Yes
Preferred Education/Experience
Deadline to Apply
Open Until Filled Yes
Our University Community
We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus. The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status or whether the person is a smoker or nonsmoker, as long as the person complies with University regulation concerning smoking. Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.
Job Title: Assistant Professor
Requisition Number: FE04836
Working Title:
Department Name: 81050:BIOSYSTEMS & AGR ENGINEERING
Work Location: Lexington, KY
Type of Position: Faculty
Position Time Status: Full-Time
Tenure Track Status: Tenure Track
Required Education:
A Ph.D. in biosystems/agricultural engineering or a closely-related field with an emphasis in hydrology, water quality monitoring, and/or nature-based water treatment designs. In addition, the candidate should have some experience in AI, machine learning, and/or managing large data sets related to water resources and/or ecological engineering design.
Required Related Experience:
- The ability to oversee graduate students and demonstration of outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
- Demonstrate commitment and ability to work with teams on interdisciplinary problems.
- Create a proactive, high-impact research program that supplies clientele with new methods to analyze hydrologic and water quality impacts in agricultural and urban settings.
- Teach one undergraduate and one graduate course per year; recruit and direct MS and PhD graduate students.
- Contribute to the multi-functional land-grant mission of the department.
Required License/Registration/Certification:
A P.E. or demonstrate the ability to qualify for a P.E. in Kentucky
Job Summary:
The University of Kentucky’s Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering is recruiting for a full-time, 12-month, tenure-eligible Assistant Professor in the Regular Title Series related to hydroinformatics. This position has an anticipated start date of July 1, 2027, with a distribution of effort of approximately 70% research, 25% instruction, and 5% service. The successful candidate will be expected to establish an integrated, nationally recognized program on topics such as:
- Integrating water resource and agricultural related datasets to develop and enhance process-based and AI models to analyze and predict the impact of agricultural and implementation of best management practices to address hydrologic and water quality challenges.
- Develop novel and/or utilize existing models to aid in the design and implementation of practices that would reduce the impact of extreme rainfall events.
- Complement ongoing work with researchers and stakeholders to efficiently acquire, process, and model water quality and hydrologic data from a wide array of sources.
The successful candidate is expected to:
- Demonstrate commitment and ability to work with teams on interdisciplinary problems.
- Create a proactive, high-impact research program that supplies clientele with new methods to analyze hydrologic and water quality impacts in agricultural and urban settings.
- Teach one undergraduate and one graduate course per year.
- Recruit and direct MS and PhD graduate students.
- Contribute to the multi-functional land-grant mission of the department.
Qualifications include:
- A Ph.D. in biosystems/agricultural engineering or a closely-related field with an emphasis in hydrology, water quality monitoring, and/or nature-based water treatment designs. In addition, the candidate should have some experience in AI, machine learning, and/or managing large data sets related to water resources and/or ecological engineering design.
- A P.E. or demonstrate the ability to qualify for a P.E. in Kentucky.
- The ability to oversee graduate students.
- Demonstration of outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
The Environment:
The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (MGCAFE) is fulfilling the land-grant promise of educational excellence, civic leadership, transformational research, and shared knowledge serving the common good. We serve the people of the Commonwealth and across the world through education, outreach, service, and research by finding solutions to improve lives today and create a sustainable future. We integrate teaching, research, and extension in our work. We recruit, retain, and graduate students who are competent, responsible, and workforce ready. For more than 130 years, MGCAFE has provided research results to the community. From traditional labs and research farms to high-tech diagnostic and research centers, we offer science-based, practical solutions that affect the everyday lives of Kentuckians and people around the world. Our Cooperative Extension programs are engaged in Kentucky’s 120 counties, identifying and addressing needs not only in agriculture and natural resources, but also 4-H and youth development, family and consumer sciences, as well as community & economic development. The University of Kentucky is an institution with over 23,000 undergraduate and 9,500 graduate students. UK is Kentucky’s flagship university and a land grant institution. We have a university commitment to improve the lives of Kentuckians and beyond and that is why environmental stewardship and sustainability are core parts of our institution’s legacy. We are recognized as a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation, a Gold level Bicycle Friendly University by The League of American Bicyclists, and are recognized as a STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) Silver Rating by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The university is geographically near downtown Lexington, which offers the vibrancy of an urban location while being in close proximity to working landscapes and recognized wilderness areas. It is a thriving community of 320,000+ with a strong commitment to quality of life, education, and the arts. Lexington is in the Bluegrass Region, an internationally acclaimed cultural landscape and agricultural region.
Salary and Benefits:
Employment at UK is subject to fund availability and comes with comprehensive rewards, focusing on your total well-being and career development, with leadership striving to provide a strong work-life integration. The university generously contributes to employees’ retirement plans, medical coverage, and life insurance. In addition, UK offers optional benefits such as dental and vision insurance, additional retirement plans and much more. To learn more about these benefits, please visit: https://hr.uky.edu/employment/our-benefits.
Questions and/or Nominations to:
Mike Montross
Chair, Search Committee
128 Barnhart Building
1398 Nicholasville Rd
University of Kentucky
Lexington KY 40546-0276
Phone: 859-218-4319
Email: michael.montross@uky.edu
Application:
Applications should be submitted by June 1, 2026, for full consideration while the position will remain open until filled. The anticipated interview period is August to September, with an anticipated start date is July 1, 2027. Please apply using the University of Kentucky’s electronic application process. In your uploaded document please begin with a letter of interest that outlines your approach to the position’s qualifications and responsibilities and your vision for innovative and impactful programs that address existing and emerging issues across the communities we serve. Follow this with the names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers of three references, and conclude with career curriculum vita.
Skills / Knowledge / Abilities
Does this position have supervisory responsibilities? Yes
Preferred Education/Experience
Deadline to Apply
Open Until Filled Yes
Our University Community
We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus. The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status or whether the person is a smoker or nonsmoker, as long as the person complies with University regulation concerning smoking. Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.
See all 45+ Research Assistant Professor at University of Kentucky jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Research Assistant Professor Jobs at University of Kentucky Jobs
Align your CV to UK's research priorities
University of Kentucky's Research Assistant Professor postings are almost always tied to funded labs or centers. Tailor your CV to match the specific grant focus or principal investigator's work, not just the job title. Generic applications rarely advance.
Confirm your degree meets specialty occupation standards
For H-1B sponsorship, USCIS requires your degree to directly relate to the role's duties. For a research-focused academic position, your doctoral credentials and field of study need to clearly map to the lab's research area before your employer files.
Ask the hiring department about visa pathway early
At UK, different departments handle international hires differently. Some route sponsorship through the Center for International Programs, others move faster through departmental HR. Ask directly during the offer stage which pathway applies to your role and expected start date.
Factor PERM timelines into your start date negotiation
If you're targeting a permanent research position and the role leads to an EB-2 or EB-3 Green Card, DOL's PERM labor certification can take 12 to 18 months. Negotiate your start date with enough runway to begin the process without jeopardizing your current status.
Use Migrate Mate to find open Research Assistant Professor roles
University of Kentucky posts Research Assistant Professor positions across multiple departments, and they don't all appear at the same time. Use Migrate Mate to browse current openings filtered by visa sponsorship eligibility so you're not manually tracking scattered postings.
Prepare your J-1 waiver documentation before accepting an offer
Many international researchers arrive at UK on a J-1 exchange visitor visa, which carries a two-year home residency requirement. If you're subject to this rule, you'll need a waiver before transitioning to H-1B status. Start gathering your documentation before the offer stage.
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Find Research Assistant Professor at University of Kentucky JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Does University of Kentucky sponsor H-1B visas for Research Assistant Professors?
Yes, University of Kentucky sponsors H-1B visas for Research Assistant Professor roles. These positions typically qualify as specialty occupations given their requirement for a doctorate or equivalent in a specific research field. UK's international services office coordinates the filing with the department, and sponsorship is generally initiated after a formal offer is extended.
Which visa types are commonly used for Research Assistant Professor roles at University of Kentucky?
H-1B is the most common work visa for Research Assistant Professors at UK. J-1 researcher status is also widely used, particularly for postdoctoral transitions. For permanent roles, UK supports EB-2 and EB-3 Green Card sponsorship through the PERM labor certification process. F-1 OPT and TN visas are also accepted where applicable to the candidate's background.
What qualifications are expected for Research Assistant Professor positions at University of Kentucky?
Most Research Assistant Professor postings at UK require a doctoral degree in a field directly relevant to the lab or research center hiring. Active grant involvement, a publication record, and demonstrated ability to contribute to ongoing funded research are standard expectations. Some positions in clinical or applied sciences also require licensure or prior industry research experience.
How do I apply for Research Assistant Professor jobs at University of Kentucky?
Applications are submitted through UK's official HR portal, where each posting lists the required materials, typically a CV, cover letter, research statement, and references. You can also browse Research Assistant Professor openings at University of Kentucky that are open to visa sponsorship directly on Migrate Mate, which filters listings by sponsorship eligibility and keeps the results current.
How do I manage my visa status during the hiring process at University of Kentucky?
The timeline between offer acceptance and your first day matters significantly. If you're transitioning from OPT or another visa status, confirm your current authorization end date with UK's Center for International Programs as early as possible. H-1B petitions must be filed before your current status lapses, and cap-subject cases require USCIS selection in the annual lottery, which runs in March for an October 1 start.
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