QUT offers a diverse range of student topics for Honours, Masters and PhD study. Search to find a topic that interests you or propose your own research topic to a prospective QUT supervisor. You may also ask a prospective supervisor to help you identify or refine a research topic.
Found 216 matching student topics
Displaying 25–36 of 216 results
AI, data, and mathematical thinking in education
This project explores how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, influence mathematical thinking, teaching, and learning. It focuses on how students and teachers engage with data-rich and AI-supported environments.The project aligns with ongoing work in quantitative reasoning, modelling, and educational innovation, including research on adaptive learning technologies.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice
- School
- School of Education
VRES: Blockchain as an archive fairy tale.
This project explores how blockchain is understood as a new kind of archive. Blockchain is often described as a system that creates trust through secure, unchangeable records. However, this claim is shaped by broader stories and expectations about technology. These stories form what we call the cultural imaginary—a mix of hope and fear that influences how people understand and regulate new technologies.On one hand, blockchain promises transparency and certainty. On the other, it raises concerns about misuse, control, and misinformation. …
- Study level
- Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Law
Advanced maintenance of railways
Effective maintenance of railway infrastructure is crucial for safe and comfortable transportation. Rail maintainers currently use a combination of time-based (scheduled) and condition-based approaches to balance the costs and benefits of inspections and maintenance.This project aims to enable advanced maintenance by advanced analysis of degradation patterns, establishment of new predictive models, and development of novel inspection and maintenance optimisation methods to efficiently allocate resources.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering
Reinforcement learning for fair and ethical AI systems
This project studies how reinforcement learning (RL) can help make automated decisions fairer. Instead of fixing fairness after training, fairness is built into the learning process to create more equal outcomes for different groups. The focus is on important areas like hiring, healthcare, and finance, where biased AI can cause real harm.The aim is to reduce unfair bias while keeping the system accurate, helping create AI that is both effective and socially responsible. You will learn about advanced RL methods, …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics
The Daigou phenomenon: exploring the heterodox behaviours of entrepreneurial Chinese shoppers
As demand for Australian-made products increases, a new type of entrepreneur has emerged. Daigous, or purchasing agents, serve as important ‘middlemen’ – connecting Chinese customers with Western brands. Daigou have become a paradox. They have been associated with ‘unorthodox’ behaviours such as stockpiling highly sought after products, for example, they have previously created market-wide shortages of infant formula. On the other hand, Daigou are increasingly enacting opportunistic behaviours, boosting demand for premium Australian products such as, cosmetics, skincare and vitamins.Recently, …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations
Development of high value products from mining waste resources
Mining represents one of the largest industry sectors in Australia. It is central to creating 1 million direct or indirect jobs and generates significant wealth to Australia. However, the mining industry produces a substantial amount of waste material which ideally needs to be recycled.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering
Developing models of failure for porous materials
Classical fracture mechanics accurately predicts the failure strength of samples with sharp flaws such as pre-existing cracks. However, to predict the failure of porous materials we need to develop an understanding of how stresses are concentrated around smooth flaws in the material such as rounded pores, and how these stress concentrations contribute to failure.Finite fracture mechanics combines the energy criterion for failure from classical fracture mechanics with a stress criterion from macroscopic failure theory. The coupled criterion has by now …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Mathematical Sciences
Tailoring 2D materials via interface engineering
2D materials are crystalline materials with only a single layer thickness. The best known 2D materials is graphene, but it also encompasses a large family of materials , such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs).2D materials are set for breakthroughs in fundamental research and transformative technologies. They have few surface dangling bonds and unique atomic-level uniformity which make them very appealing for developing optical, electronic and energy applications.These materials also bring a new degree of freedom to combine highly distinct materials, …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Materials Science
Tailoring novel electrode/separator for high performance aqueous zinc metal batteries
Developing sustainable and clean energy sources (e.g. solar, wind, and tide energy) is essential to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality. Due to the discontinuous and inconsistent nature of common clean energy sources, high-performance energy storage technologies are a critical part of achieving this target. Aqueous zinc metal batteries with inherent safety, low cost, and competitive performance are regarded as one of the promising candidates for grid-scale energy storage. However, zinc metal anodes with irreversible problems of dendrite growth, hydrogen …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Materials Science
Compensation consultants: Whom do they serve? New evidence on pay for performance
It is common that companies routinely retain compensation consultants to provide guidance in setting executive pay packages. Most importantly, they offer recommendations about formulating appropriate compensation contracts for top management. Research shows that the size and structure of CEO compensation packages significantly affect firm performance (known as pay-for-performance) and, in particular, excessive CEO compensation is associated with the destruction of shareholder wealth. It is, therefore, interesting to investigate whether the use of compensation consultants actually benefits shareholders (e.g. improve firm …
- Study level
- Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Accountancy
Scene Understanding for Underwater Imagery
Underwater ecosystems, including coral reefs and seagrass meadows, play a critical role in maintaining marine biodiversity, providing coastal protection, and supporting fisheries and tourism economies that millions depend upon globally. These habitats are increasingly vulnerable to climate change, pollution, and other anthropogenic impacts, demanding urgent efforts to monitor and restore them. Accurate scene understanding of underwater imagery enables fine-scale ecosystem monitoring across spatial and temporal scales, supporting essential activities such as habitat and biodiversity assessment, validation of aerial and remotely …
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Robotics
Multiscale technology assessment of emerging CCUS processes
CO2 capture and utilisation is a promising, emerging climate technology. However, there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding its viability and economic impact. This project will be conducted in collaboration with an industry partner.
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering
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