The Prairie Research Institute (PRI) and its five constituent surveys—the Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois State Archaeological Survey, Illinois State Geological Survey, Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, and Illinois State Water Survey—serve the state of Illinois and beyond by providing rigorous, objective scientific research, data, and expertise to help understand, manage, and protect our essential natural resources. With around 600 full-time staff, PRI is one of the largest research institutes at the University of Illinois.

PRI is based in Champaign-Urbana, a diverse, affordable, micro-urban community. Learn more about Champaign-Urbana. 

U. of I. HR provides more information about applying to and working at the University of Illinois, including available benefits.

If you have questions about any PRI open positions or the application process, contact a member of our human resources team:

  • Undergraduate/Graduate Hourly - INHS Insect Collections - Illinois Natural History Survey: Deadline to Apply: May 20, 2026

    The Illinois Natural History Survey (Prairie Research Institute) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is seeking undergraduate and/or graduate students interested in contributing to an ongoing research project focused on documenting biological associations between insects and pathogenic bacteria using museum biorepositories.

  • Visiting Scientific Specialist, Environmental Assessments Researcher - Illinois State Geological Survey - Deadline to Apply: April 22, 2026

    The Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS), part of the Prairie Research Institute (PRI), is a research and service institute of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  PRI’s mission is to provide objective, integrated scientific research and service, in cooperation with other academic and research units of the University of Illinois and elsewhere. Learn more at www.prairie.illinois.edu. 

    The Illinois State Geological Survey is seeking to hire a Visiting Scientific Specialist, Environmental Assessment Researcher to perform sponsored research on environmental assessments.  The assessments will involve evaluating potential environmental and geologic hazards and risks for Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) infrastructure improvement projects. IDOT's infrastructure projects range in size and can involve anything from a single property to hundreds of properties across many miles of existing or future highways.  IDOT uses the assessments completed by ISGS to protect workers and public safety, to reduce IDOT's liability, and to minimize delays by operating in an efficient and cost-effective manner.  Please visit jobs.illinois.edu for further information regarding application procedures, or you may contact Jill Billerman at jrandell@illinois.edu.  Application deadline is 6:00 p.m. (CST) on Wednesday, April 22, 2026

    The U of I is an EEO Employer/Vet/Disabled http://go.illinois.edu/EEO that participates in the federal e-Verify program and participates in a background check program focused on prior criminal or sexual misconduct history.  

     

  • Seasonal Herpetological Technician (Hourly) - Illinois Natural History Survey

    The Population and Community Ecology Lab (PaCE Lab) at the Illinois Natural History Survey (a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) seeks a motivated and passionate individual to support the conservation of Illinois amphibians and reptiles.

  • Macroinvertebrate Technician (Hourly) - Illinois Natural History Survey, Macomb, Illinois

    The Illinois River Biological Station is seeking two technicians to conduct applied research in aquatic ecology and large river systems and process riverine samples for aquatic macroinvertebrates, throughout the state of Illinois. This position will be 40 hours per week and will be based in Macomb, Illinois. 

  • Botany Field/GIS Technician - Hourly - Illinois Natural History Survey/PRI - Deadline to Apply: April 10, 2026

    The Illinois Natural History Survey at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is seeking up to 2 Technicians to work with Survey botanists to survey and classify vegetative communities and assist a seed dispersal study at Illinois Beach State Park (IBSP).  These surveys are part of a project funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to study hydrology and plant ecology in relation to restoration efforts at IBSP. 

  • Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program: University of Illinois: Deadline to Apply: May 20, 2026

    The Illinois Natural History Survey is seeking an undergraduate student to participate in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). We are seeking an undergraduate student to join an ongoing research project focused on the detection and characterization of phytoplasmas, a group of bacteria associated with insects (vectors, primarily Hemiptera) and plants (hosts) and implicated in plant disease.

  • Director *NEW* Illinois 3D Climate Mesonet

    The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign invites applications and nominations for the position of Director of the Illinois Three-Dimensional (3D) Mesonet. This position offers an exceptional opportunity to lead a first-of-its-kind, statewide, multi-sector environmental observing network designed to transform weather, climate, and environmental monitoring and decision-making across Illinois and the nation.

    About the Illinois 3D Mesonet

    The Illinois 3D Mesonet is a transformative partnership among the Department of Climate, Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences (CliMAS), the Prairie Research Institute (PRI), and several other campus and external partners, including the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI), the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN), and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA).

    The 3D Mesonet represents a new generation of environmental observing systems — combining surface, subsurface, and autonomous drone-based atmospheric observations up to 8,000 feet. It will integrate these data with a federated statewide environmental data portal and new decision-support tools that benefit stakeholders in public safety/emergency management, agriculture, transportation, power utilities, K-12 and higher education, public health, communications, urban planning, manufacturing, and research. When completed, it will be the Nation’s first fully three-dimensional, autonomous mesonet.

  • Aquatic/Fisheries Field Technician (Hourly) - Illinois Natural History Survey - Havana, Illinois

    The Illinois Natural History Survey is seeking multiple (up to 5) field technicians to conduct applied research in aquatic ecology and large river systems throughout the state of Illinois. Technicians will assist large river ecologists in the collection of standardized long-term river monitoring data with additional targeted data collection. This position will be 40 hours per week and will be located in Havana, Illinois. 

  • Postdoctoral Research Associate - Hydrogeology

    The Postdoctoral Research Associate to conduct research and analysis focused on evaluating feasibility of managed aquifer recharge in shallow aquifers through hydrogeologic modeling and related activities in support of ongoing projects.

  • Postdoctoral Research Associate - Water Resources Planning

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) at the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is seeking a motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate to contribute to a statewide water resources planning project.