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 5 matching student topics
Displaying 1–5 of 5 results
Real-time control of nature-based solutions for multi-benefit water management
Nature-based solutions (NBS) such as wetlands, green roofs, and bioswales, are critical for sustainable urban water management. However, their benefits (flood mitigation, water quality improvement, biodiversity support) are often siloed or under-optimised.This PhD project will pioneer adaptive, real-time control strategies for NBS to maximise their environmental, social, and economic co-benefits. The research integrates sensor data, predictive modeling, and smart control systems to dynamically adjust NBS operations in response to weather, pollution events, and community needs.This project merges cutting-edge technology with …
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Sensor network optimisation for illicit discharge detection in stormwater systems
Illicit discharges into stormwater networks threaten waterways, but current detection methods are often inefficient. This project develops a smart sensor network to identify and locate pollution sources in real time. The PhD will focus on:optimal sensor placement: algorithms for location, type, and density selectionreal-time alarm systems: fast, reliable detection to trigger inspections or robotic trackingscalability: cost-effective strategies for city-wide deployment.
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Immersive audio data visualisation for better engagement of residential communities exposed to aircraft noise pollution
This PhD project addresses the significant issue of misleading noise data in the context of residential communities exposed to aircraft noise pollution. Despite efforts by authorities to provide noise exposure forecasts and information based on the Australian Noise Exposure Forecast (ANEF) approach, many communities feel misled by the noise contours presented to them. Experiences from previous major development projects at Australian airports have shown a range of problems with relying solely on the ANEF as a noise information tool as …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice
- School
- School of Design
- Research centre(s)
-
Design Lab
Investigating community advocacy in response to aircraft noise pollution in Brisbane: an ethnographic study
The flight path design and community engagement practices associated with Brisbane Airport have long been criticised for prioritising profit over community wellbeing, leading to excessive aircraft noise pollution. These issues have now amounted to a federal Senate Inquiry and an investigation by the Commonwealth Ombudsman.This PhD research project aims to explore the dynamics between Brisbane Airport and the affected residential communities across more than 220 suburbs, drawing inspiration from a similar study conducted into the social engineering practices of Schiphol …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice
- School
- School of Design
- Research centre(s)
- Digital Media Research Centre
Design Lab
Smart sensing for nutrients in our waterways: low-cost continuous monitoring for pollution tracking and real-time control
Nitrogen and phosphorus are central to the health of stormwater systems, rivers, wetlands, and lakes. They drive algal growth, oxygen stress, and downstream ecological impacts, and they are a key input to environmental reporting and catchment management. Yet most monitoring still relies on infrequent grab samples that miss the short pollution pulses that matter most.The challenge is delivering nutrient monitoring that is affordable, low-maintenance, and reliable enough for continuous deployment across many sites. Existing nutrient sensors are often too expensive …
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Contact us
If you have questions about the best options for you, the application process, your research topic, finding a supervisor or anything else, get in touch with us today.