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 105 matching student topics
Displaying 13–24 of 105 results
Modelling and managing uncertain Antarctic species networks
Antarctic ecosystems are complex, and data is limited since it is expensive to collect. Species interact in food webs which can be modelled as mathematical networks. The relationships between species are not always known, or we might know they interact but not how strongly. Noisy (or imperfect) data can be used to model these species interactions to give more certainty about how the ecosystem works as a whole – although the worse the data is, the less information it contributes. …
- Study level
- Honours, Vacation research experience scheme
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Mathematical Sciences
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Data Science
Centre for the Environment
Optimal conservation management in uncertain Antarctic environments
Species and ecosystems in Antarctica are threatened. Optimal biodiversity conservation is an interdisciplinary field combining mathematical modelling and optimisation with ecology and conservation. We can use mathematics to understand the system, model how management actions might impact it, and then optimise which actions should be used. For example, we can explore where protected areas should be placed, how species should be managed, or how tourist impacts should be reduced. However, the complexities of conservation in Antarctica necessitate the application of …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Mathematical Sciences
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Data Science
Centre for the Environment
Modelling and managing uncertain Antarctic species networks
Antarctic ecosystems are complex, and data is limited since it is expensive to collect. Species including penguins, seabirds, invertebrates, mosses, and marine species interact in food webs which can be modelled as mathematical networks. These networks can be large, span across terrestrial and marine systems, and are changing in response to environmental changes.These ecological networks can be modelled using differential equation predator prey models like Lotka-Volterra to describe these interactions. However, the relationships between species are not always known, or …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Mathematical Sciences
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Data Science
Centre for the Environment
Can a virtual spine model predict adolescent spinal deformity progression?
This project will improve our understanding of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS), a spinal deformity common in children, which involves a side-to-side curvature of the spine and axial rotation of the spinal column.Using an existing series of MRI datasets for individual patients treated at the Mater Children’s Hospital, the candidate will create finite element models of the thoracolumbar spine for each patient. These models will represent the patient’s spinal anatomy at different ages.The model results will provide information on the tissue …
- Study level
- Vacation research experience scheme
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Biomedical Technologies
Centre for Biomedical Technologies
Basic aircraft collision risk modelling and visualisation
Aircraft collision risk modelling is complex yet key to ensuring safe air transport (both crewed and uncrewed aircraft). Different collision risk models are better suited to different airspace environments which means model comparison and evaluation is an important research problem. This project takes a deeper look into a specific collision risk modelling approach: gas models.
- Study level
- Honours, Vacation research experience scheme
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Robotics
Modelling the deformation of bacteria on nanopatterned surfaces
The antibacterial mechanism of nanopatterned surfaces promises to be a valuable tool in the fight against implant infection, fomite transmission and antibiotic resistance. This mechanism is principally physical in nature, arising from the deformation of the bacterial envelope upon contacting the nanopatterned surface.To enhance understanding of the mechanism, this project will involve modelling the deformation of gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial envelopes using finite element analysis in ABAQUS. The key aims of the modelling are to identify locations of critical stress/stress …
- Study level
- Vacation research experience scheme
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Biomedical Technologies
Centre for Biomedical Technologies
Modelling the response of expansive soil under wetting and drying
Expansive soils are those which can experience significant volume change when water content varies and as of this reason they are considered as problematic soils in geotechnical engineering. Expansive soils are widely distributed globally and cover a significant percentage of world land surface, especially in arid and semi-arid area.In Australia, expansive soil covers around 20% of surface soils and approximately 30% of the total ‘built-up’ land area is covered by expansive soils. This figure is expected to increase, as the …
- Study level
- Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Materials Science
Modelling of electrochemical CO2 capture and conversion
Renewable electricity is remarkably cheap, and is only going to get cheaper. However, existing state-of-the-art CO2 capture and conversion processes use thermal energy (typically generated by burning natural gas). This modelling project will investigate electrochemical techniques for capturing CO2 from air (direct air capture) and converting it to useful chemicals and materials.
- Study level
- PhD
- School
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering
Modeling roost selection by flying foxes in Moreton Baty region
- Study level
- Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Accountancy
Modelling of sugar cane crushing
Cane sugar factories, while producing sugar and molasses, provide their own energy and power from the sugar cane biomass residue, are green house gas neutral and can export renewable electricity to the grid. The performance of the milling train in extracting juice and dewatering the biomass bagasse residue are key components of the operation. Understanding and modelling the process are seen as a way forward to improve the performance, for example by reducing the final bagasse moisture below the current levels.
- Study level
- PhD, Vacation research experience scheme
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy
Modelling of hydrogen liquefaction
Hydrogen liquefaction is a potential solution for large-scale transport, storage and usage of hydrogen. However, the liquefaction process is complex, has low efficiency, and refrigeration technologies required in the process are expensive and energy intensive. The liquefaction process includes many components such as heat exchangers, compressors and expanders that need to operate together within one or several thermodynamics cycles.
- Study level
- Vacation research experience scheme
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering
Digital twin creation for human robot collaboration research
Collaborative robots and extended reality (XR) technologies are becoming more prevalent in our industries and daily interactions. Advancements in augmented reality and virtual reality provide better options for immersive human-robot interaction experiences.This project will explore the use of digital twin environment to display and allow interaction in real-time with a robot and objects. A digital twin is a digital counterpart of a real physical environment or object.AimsThe aims of our project is to create a digital twin that simulates a …
- Study level
- Vacation research experience scheme
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Architecture and Built Environment
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