The Vacation Research Experience Scheme (VRES) provides eligible students with the opportunity to participate in a research project. If you're interested in research and thinking of pursuing a research degree the scheme is an opportunity to see if research is right for you. Further information about the scheme is available on HiQ.
QUT offers a diverse range of student topics for VRES. Search to find a topic that interests you.
Found 208 matching student topics
Displaying 1–12 of 208 results
Exploring the Universe with gholax: Building Differentiable Likelihood Tools for DESI
This project offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge cosmology research. The student will help set up and test gholax, a new computational tool designed to make cosmological analyses faster and more flexible.Gholax is a computational framework that models how galaxies cluster and distort through redshift-space distortions (RSD) and weak gravitational lensing, allowing cosmologists to infer the underlying physics of dark energy and gravity more efficiently using differentiable, simulation-based likelihoods.Working with realistic galaxy simulations, the project will support upcoming …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre
- Centre for Data Science
Forecasting Dark Energy with DESI: Fisher Matrix Approaches to Constraining the Equation of State
This project will investigate the ability of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) to constrain the nature of dark energy using baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) measurements. DESI is currently delivering the most precise map of the large-scale structure of the Universe, allowing unprecedented tests of cosmological models. The student will extend and apply the GoFish Fisher forecasting code—a Python-based forecasting tool originally developed within the DESI collaboration—to explore how survey choices and cosmological assumptions impact constraints on the dark energy …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre
- Centre for Data Science
Optimal area protection in Antarctica
Antarctic ecosystems are under threat from humans, invasive species, and climate change. Protection is needed to ensure their persistence. However, protecting areas in Antarctica is expensive and politically sensitive. Additionally, data is patchy, uncertain, and expensive to obtain. This project will use techniques from Operations Research to design optimal protection plans in Antarctica given the complex and uncertain planning scenario. This will include linear programming, integer programming, decision-making under uncertainty, and data visualisation. The project is associated with the ARC …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Mathematical Sciences
- Research centre
- Centre for Data Science
Co-liquefaction of plastic and biomass
Increasing global energy demand and environmental concerns with fossil fuels are driving the transition to sustainable and renewable resources. Lignocellulosic biomass, the most abundant bio-based renewable carbon source, has attracted growing interest for its conversion into liquid fuels and chemical precursors through liquefaction. Liquefaction is a promising thermochemical technology that uses subcritical or supercritical temperatures (250-400 ℃) and higher pressure (5-25 MPa) to depolymerise wet or dry feedstock directly into bio-oil in the presence of water (hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL)) or …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy
Modification of Cathode and Anode slurry recipe for increased fast-discharge performance.
Battery applications such as drones, power tools, electric vehicles and medical devices often require large bursts of current. This project will investigate how cathode and anode slurry composition impacts the high-current performance of lithium-ion battery cells. Using commercial cathode and anode active materials, binders, conductive carbon and solvents at different ratios, you will analyse changes that occur in capacity retention at high currents, current density, cycle life and changes to the optimal voltage window. Electrochemical testing includes formation, current rate …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre
- Centre for Materials Science
Growth of 2D Ge on epitaxial graphene
While graphene has attracted a great deal of research due its remarkable electronic and mechanical properties, the difficulty of inducing an appreciable bandgap without hindering carrier mobility limits its use in nanoelectronic applications, particularly as a logic device. In order to overcome this limitation, graphene based heterostructures, combining graphene with other two-dimensional materials, have been recently proposed. Amongst these heterostructures the group IV element (Si, Ge) – graphene combination has been recently considered as a potential breakthrough. In this project …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre
- Centre for Materials Science
Catalytic Microspheres
Microspheres are an exciting and rapidly growing area of research in polymer chemistry. They have applications in drug delivery, point-of-care diagnostics cosmetics, adhesives, and even scientific instruments. In this project, you will contribute to the development of a new catalytically active microsphere using both photochemical and thermal methods. The synthesis is based on orthomethylbenzaldehyde and 3,5-bismaleimide benzoates, employing photoenolisation followed by a [4+2] cycloaddition to form the microspheres. Ruthenium complexes will then be incorporated, either before or after synthesis, and …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre
- Centre for Materials Science
Drop-Cast Polymer–Mineral Composites for Sustainable Water Remediation
This project explores the development of sustainable, bio-inspired composite materials to remove persistent contaminants from water. By borrowing design principles from natural systems and combining renewable biopolymers with abundant minerals, we aim to create new adsorbents that are effective, low-cost, and environmentally responsible.The project is interdisciplinary, spanning chemistry, materials science, and environmental engineering. It contributes to ongoing research in our group on nature-inspired materials for emerging contaminant remediation (e.g., PFAS), and connects with broader sustainability and clean water initiatives at QUT.
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre
- Centre for Materials Science
Dosimetric comparison of radiotherapy treatment planning with Synthetic CT generated from MRI vs Planning CT for head and neck cancer
This project investigates the feasibility and accuracy of using synthetic CT (sCT) images generated from MRI scans as a substitute for conventional planning CT (pCT) in radiotherapy treatment planning for head and neck cancer. The primary goal is to compare the dosimetric outcomes (i.e., the distribution and accuracy of radiation dose delivery) between plans based on sCT and those based on standard pCT.MRI offers superior soft tissue contrast compared to CT, which is particularly valuable in the anatomically complex head …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre
- Centre for Biomedical Technologies
Development of an efficient carbon paste for indoor high-performance perovskite solar cells
This project aims to develop and optimise an efficient carbon paste for use as the back-contact electrode material in indoor perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Indoor PSCs are emerging as a promising energy source for powering Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, with carbon pastes offering a low-cost, stable, and scalable alternative to metallic contacts. This research is interdisciplinary, spanning chemistry, materials science, and renewable energy engineering. The project aligns with the ongoing funded research project (Cooperative Research Centre Project, CRC-P) on perovskite solar …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre
- Centre for Materials Science
Investigation into Alternative Sources for the Creation of Solid Propellant For Rockets
Utilising domestically sourced materials like sucrose and potassium nitrate, which are both cost-effective and environmentally responsible, can contributes to the sustainability of the propellant by repurposing sugar mill by-products. The inclusion of molasses in the formulation not only serves as an energetic binder but also contributes significantly to the developed of a local sustainable industry for space application.The key aim of the research is to explore ways to enhance the performance of potassium Nitrate-Sucrose propellant compositions by incorporating energetic additives …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics
- Research centre
- Centre for Robotics
Artificial Intelligence for collaborative and intelligent user interfaces
This project seeks to leverage recent advances in machine vision and natural language processing algorithms to support the design and development of knowledge-driven applications that support communication and collaborations with their users.One particular area where this will be investigated is in workplaces for supported employment, that is employment opportunities for people with intellectual disability. One of the questions to address is how machines could respond to what a user shows them in order to assist with decision making in a …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Computer Science
- Research centre
- Centre for Robotics
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If you have questions about the Vacation Research Experience Scheme (VRES), the application process, finding a topic or anything else, get in touch with us today.