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 30 matching student topics
Displaying 13–24 of 30 results
Supporting second hand clothing purchases
Clothing production and consumption systems are recognised as needing urgent change to reduce the world’s waste and carbon emissions. Each year, Australians purchase some 15kg of new clothing per person, with a similar amount discarded each year, and clothing and textiles have recently been identified by the Australian government as a waste priority area.One of the oft-repeated strategies for sustainable consumption is to purchase second-hand, with many services and systems rapidly emerging to support and commercialise this consumption practice. However, …
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice
- School
- School of Design
Using time-controlled grazing to sequester carbon in Queensland rangelands
Time-controlled grazing (TCG), or cell grazing is a management strategy in which cattle are stocked and rotated across small paddocks or “cells” according to fodder availability. Grazing takes place in short durations at high stocking densities, in an effort to mimic the grazing patterns of wild ungulate herds.This management strategy has gained traction in recent years due to claims that it improves both pasture productivity and diversity, whilst also increasing long-term carbon pools. Limited data is available on the impact …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Biology and Environmental Science
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy
Investigating factors impacting urban heat vulnerability in subtropical cities
In recent years, with the rise in climate change impact, urban heat has become a major issue for many cities to tackle consequently. Extreme heat events are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change, which has directly caused a substantial increase in heat-related morbidity and mortality. This indispensably puts an extra burden on medical systems and national finance. Meanwhile, the urban heat island effect has been exaggerating the consequences caused by the increased extreme heat in metropolitan areas. …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Architecture and Built Environment
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
Structural application of green concrete
The need for sustainable construction has prompted researching alternative concrete technologies around the world. In QUT, a project has been developed to investigate structural applications of environmentally friendly (Green) concrete.Project activities can be undertaken by students at various levels, including VRES, final-year undergraduates, and PhD researchers.
- Study level
- PhD, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Materials Science
Centre for the Environment
Sustainable high performance biocomposites from lignocellulosic biomass for building and automotive applications
Lignocellulosic biomass, such as sugarcane bagasse, is primarily composed of three biopolymers: cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The combination of these components makes lignocellulosic biomass a natural biocomposite material. This PhD project aims to develop innovative biomass processing strategies to convert lignocellulosic biomass into customized biocomposites for building and automotive applications.
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy
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
Accountability in the nonprofit sector: governance, transparency and sustainability
Nonprofit organisations (NFPs) are under increasing scrutiny to demonstrate financial transparency, governance effectiveness, and sustainability commitment. This project explores how structural, cultural, and regulatory factors shape accountability in the NFP sector. Using archival, survey and interview data, candidates can investigate financial disclosures, sustainability practices, or resource allocation mechanisms.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Accountancy
- Research centre(s)
-
Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies
Lab grown meat: uncovering consumer and industry perceptions and attitudes leading to developing marketing strategies for a new product category
This project will explore the current attitudes of Australian industry players, startups and consumers towards lab grown ‘real’ meats (ie chicken, beef etc - not vegetarian products). It aims to give projections regarding behaviour when a new product is launched and how to develop suitable marketing recommendations on how to launch, branding, costs, who would actually buy this new product, and creating demand for these products.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations
Road map to local circular communities: strategies, barriers, enablers.
The textile industry is one of the world’s largest, with global sales in 2016 of USD 1.5 trillion. It is also one of the most polluting industries, producing 20% of global wastewater, and contributing to 10% of carbon emissions. Fashion generates large amounts of waste, and has negative social and health impacts for workers.Circular economy would address these issues, keep clothes and textiles at their highest value and keep clothes in continuous circulation. The transformation of the sector requires a …
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice
- School
- School of Design
- Research centre(s)
-
Design Lab
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
- 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
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre(s)
-
Centre for a Waste-Free World
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