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 32 matching student topics
Displaying 13–24 of 32 results
Understanding public perceptions of the sustainable energy transition: a social network analysis
The challenge to keep global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels has become even greater due to a continued increase in greenhouse gas emissions (IPCC, 2023). One major challenge is the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy to reduce emissions (Gholami et al., 2016). The share of renewable energy in electricity generation has increased to 28.3%, however, an acceleration of the pace of the transition is required to limit global temperature rise (REN21, 2022).In this project we investigate public …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours, Vacation research experience scheme
- School
- School of Information Systems
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Data Science
Gamification and serious games to encourage behavioural change in energy consumption
Games have become an integral part of our lives, which is why they are increasingly being used for other purposes than pure entertainment, such as learning, training, informing, or advertising (Degirmenci, 2017). While gamification uses game elements in non-game contexts, serious games are full-fledged games, both aiming to create meaningful engagement and foster desired behaviours (Degirmenci, 2023; Degirmenci and Breitner, 2023).In this project, we investigate how gamification and serious games can help to encourage behavioural change in energy consumption to …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours, Vacation research experience scheme
- School
- School of Information Systems
- Research centre(s)
-
Centre for Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology
Sustainable energy transition with system dynamics
The challenge to keep global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels has become even greater due to a continued increase in greenhouse gas emissions (IPCC, 2023). One major challenge is the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy to reduce emissions (Gholami et al., 2016). The share of renewable energy in electricity generation has increased to 28.3%, however, an acceleration of the pace of the transition is required to limit global temperature rise (REN21, 2022).New energy policies are needed to …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours, Vacation research experience scheme
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Information Systems
Global Health and the Law
Professor Belinda Bennett is interested in talking to students who wish to undertake research on global health and the law, including the Sustainable Development Goals, legal issues related to global health governance, global public health, and health and human rights.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Law
- Research centre(s)
-
Australian Centre for Health Law Research
Bio-production pathways: how much greenhouse gas emissions can be saved with bio-products?
The climate emergency is spurring a new generation of products and manufacturing industries with low or net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (carbon footprint). This will include the manufacture of bio-products (bio-fuels, bio-plastics, bio-materials, bio-chemicals) from biomass (residues and wastes from agriculture, forestry, food waste etc.). It will be particularly important for Queensland, due to its ideal climatic conditions for growing biomass to support a bio-based manufacturing industry. These new industries will need information about the net GHG emission savings from …
- Study level
- 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
Bio-based Olympics for Brisbane 2032: what would a carbon-neutral Olympics look like?
The aim of this project is to investigate how bio-based products (i.e. next generation materials made from biomass rather than fossil fuels) could be incorporated into the energy, transport, consumables and infrastructure used for the Brisbane Olympic Games 2032.The Olympic Games in 10 years will be the opportunity to promote Queensland’s capacity for bio-based manufacturing. Manufacturing bio-fuels, bio-plastics, bio-materials, bio-chemicals from biomass (residues and wastes from agriculture, forestry, and food waste etc.) is an important part of decarbonising the economy …
- Study level
- 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
The pulse of sustainability: Interventions to sustainably increase legume production and consumption
Legume-supported value chains, from production to consumption, provide benefits to people and nature that include improved ecosystem functions and resource use efficiency, as well as farmed animal and human health provisions. Environmental co-benefits of legumes include reduced nitrate leaching, increased food sources for pollinators, a greater structural diversity of farmland, and improved soil fertility. Despite the potential of legumes to improve the sustainability of cropping systems and enhance human health, the production and consumption of legumes in Australia is low.Multiple …
- Study level
- Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Biology and Environmental Science
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy
Capture and reuse of phosphate nutrients
Nutrients such as ammonium and phosphate species are essential in agriculture. However, release of excessive amounts of nutrients to waterways may result in eutrophication which can lead to toxic algae blooms, killing of fish and destruction of the environment.Compounding this issue is the fact that phosphate rock sources are gradually being exhausted. Hence, finding a means to capture and reuse phosphate species from sources such as wastewater treatment plants is potentially attractive.Consequently, this project involves the development of new phosphate …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours, Vacation research experience scheme
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering
Life cycle assessments in the hospital space for waste reduction
Recovering, recycling, reuse and reducing waste in the health sector becomes more and more important as it will help hospitals to become more sustainable and to reduce their impact on greenhouse gas emissions. Life cycle assessments of materials, for examples plastic packaging, is an important tool to establish the best practice for recovery and recycling of these materials.
- Study level
- Honours, Vacation research experience scheme
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre(s)
-
Centre for a Waste-Free World
Development composite electrode for next generation Li-ion batteries
Australia is rich in lithium battery materials and is poised to be the world leader in sustainable energy storage. The rapid growth in the automobile and energy sector created greater demand for high-performance Li-ion batteries with high energy density. Conventional Li-ion batteries utilise a graphite anode with a limited theoretical capacity. Therefore, we need to develop alternative electrode materials with high energy density and a longer lifespan.Silicon (Si) has received attention owing to its high specific capacity at ambient temperature. …
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Materials Science
Resolving uncertainty in decisions to improve agri-food system outcomes for people and nature
Despite efforts to monitor and manage declining species and ecosystems around the world, biodiversity is still not routinely included in mainstream decision-making and continues to decline at the highest rate in human history. Added to this is the problem that both natural and agri-food systems are complex networks that are continually changing due to human and natural disturbances, with climate change likely to increase the impacts of extreme events like drought, fire and economic shocks on these networks.Because of large …
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Biology and Environmental Science
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Data Science
Centre for the Environment
Understanding the impacts of biodiversity-focused interventions to agri-food systems on people and nature
Despite efforts to monitor and manage declining species and ecosystems around the world, biodiversity is still not routinely included in mainstream decision-making and continues to decline at the highest rate in human history. Added to this is the problem that both natural and agri-food systems are continually changing due to human and natural disturbances, with climate change likely to increase the impacts of extreme events like drought, fire and economic shocks. Because of large uncertainties and trade-offs between many human …
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Biology and Environmental Science
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy
Centre for the Environment
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