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 12 matching student topics
Displaying 1–12 of 12 results
Value-adding waste materials
Many industries generate copious amounts of waste products.Of particular interest are those wastes generated by the mining sector as typically a large fraction of the ore bodies are dumped or the agricultural sector.Potential solutions we are investigating include:converting aluminosilicate waste to zeolitestransforming inorganic waste to catalyst materialscreation of materials for water and wastewater treatmentmaking activated carbonrenewable fuels,
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering
Economics of sustainability
This project investigates how a society moves to strong sustainability and sustainable development in a more efficient and equitable way. Students can choose the scale unit of analysis, such as regions, countries, states, firms, organisation, households or even individual level. The research is very inspirational. Methodological approach to the research include theoretical and/or empirical elements.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Economics and Finance
The economics of transport and work-related injuries in Australia: a population-based cohort study
Injury is a major contributor to mortality, morbidity, and permanent disability, and imposes a significant burden on the Australian health system. A better understanding of the burden, models of care, and economic drivers of injury will help design cost-effective injury prevention and treatment strategies to minimize the incidence and burden of the disease while improving injury outcomes.
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Health
- School
- School of Public Health and Social Work
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Healthcare Transformation
Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation
Does winning breed winning? Winner–loser effects in professional doubles tennis
Athletes, fans and commentators often believe that success generates momentum: winning a crucial point, game or set may increase confidence and make subsequent success more likely. This idea is commonly described as the “hot-hand” effect. However, decades of research have produced mixed findings. Some studies suggest that streaks are largely perceived rather than real, while others find evidence that previous success can influence later performance through confidence, strategic adjustment, physiological responses or changes in risk-taking.This project investigates winner–loser effects in …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Economics and Finance
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology
Centre for Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology
When football wins move people: sport, mobility and COVID-19 compliance around the world
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that the effectiveness of public-health rules depends not only on what governments require, but also on whether people change their everyday behaviour. Lockdowns, gathering limits and movement restrictions were intended to reduce contact and transmission, yet compliance varied widely between countries, regions and moments in time. One potentially important but underexplored source of behavioural pressure is sport. Football victories can create strong emotions, collective identity and incentives for fans to gather, celebrate and travel, even when …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Economics and Finance
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology
Centre for Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology
Measuring higher education performance: a global comparisons using network data envelopment analysis
The research objective focuses on comparing the top 100 universities (according to the Times Higher Education) from 2010 to 2020. The objective of the project is fourfold. First, to derive appropriate research outputs per university. Second, employ a Network DEA approach to identify (in)efficiencies within the network. Third, to measure productivity change of universities using the Fare-Primont index. Fourth, to determine sources of (in)efficiencies and productivity.This project is both theoretical and applied. The applicant should possess strong mathematical and computational …
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Economics and Finance
Energy transitions in the food sector: how AI shapes consumer behaviour over time
Energy transitions are often studied in sectors such as transport (e.g. electric vehicles) and housing (e.g. solar panels, batteries), where decisions are relatively infrequent, highly deliberative, and associated with clear long-term payoffs. In contrast, food consumption represents a fundamentally different energy-relevant sector: decisions are made daily or even multiple times per day, involve low deliberation, and prioritise immediate outcomes such as convenience, cost, and taste (Reisch, 2021). These characteristics make food systems particularly susceptible to short-term decision-making, where long-term energy …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Information Systems
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Future Enterprise
Energy Transition Centre
Considering economics when prioritising species conservation
There are limited funds available for saving threatened species globally. Investing that money wisely can help ecologists and the government achieve more bang for their buck, and help more species and ecosystems.We can use many approaches to help guide those investment decisions, including mathematical optimisation and operations research. However better considerations of economic factors are needed in order to reflect the complexity of real ecosystems and governments.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Mathematical Sciences
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Data Science
Uptake of electric vehicles: the case of Australia
The uptake of electric vehicles is on the rise. This study undertakes a literature review of papers published on electric vehicles with a view to identify factors that influence their uptake and data sources. This information will then be used to develop a model to identify factors that are influencing the uptake of electric vehicles in Australia on a state basis and propose strategies that can further increase their uptake in the country. Policy implications of this new development in …
- Study level
- Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Economics and Finance
Small business resilience in times of economic uncertainty: Examining retailers and regional businesses
Regional Australia is undergoing significant structural, economic, social, and environmental change which is impacting the viability of small businesses (Regional Australia Institute, 2018). Regional small retail businesses, estimated to contribute $21.9bn to local economies (Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, 2019) are particularly susceptible to economic shocks, have lower survival rates, more volatile revenues and are generally less resilient than larger business (Barraket, Eversole, Luke & Barth, 2019).Disruptive external events such as the acceleration of e-retailing, COVID-19 travel restrictions, …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations
- Research centre(s)
-
Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research
Exploring the value and potential of hyperlocal gift economies
The Australian federal government has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 to address and reverse the effects of climate change and transition to a circular economy. Achieving net-zero will require a shift in how we use, share and dispose of products, and our relationship to our local communities and planet.In other words, this goal will require an extraordinary shift in the way we ordinarily live. As informal practices of circularity are already happening across Australian neighbourhoods, they have …
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice
- School
- School of Design
Evidence-Based Teaching in Economics and Business
Evidence-based teaching (EBT) refers to “the conscientious, explicit, and judicious integration of best available research on teaching technique and expertise within the context of student, teacher, department, college, university, and community characteristics” (Groccia & Buskist 2011). In practice, EBT involves educational practices derived from empirical data that show a well-established association with improved course grade, student feedback, and course-driven learning goals. Literature on EBT is growing but there is little on the impact of EBTs on students, academics as well …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Economics and Finance
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