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 46 matching student topics
Displaying 13–24 of 46 results
Ecosystem responses to climate change and human impacts on sub-Antarctic islands: a context for conservation
Sub-Antarctic islands have unique ecosystems and landscapes under increasingly pressure from climate change. In many cases this is compounded by the introduction of invasive species since their discovery by humans in the 1800s.Understanding ecosystem and environmental responses to climate change and separating them from human-induced causes of change is essential for their future protection. To do this requires quantifying long-term, natural rates and variability of change, establishing the ‘baseline’ status of ecosystems and the environment prior to human arrival, and …
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Biology and Environmental Science
- Research centre(s)
-
Centre for the Environment
Low Cost Catalysts for Biofuels Production
As the world transitions from fossil fuels to biomass based fuels there is a corresponding drive to create new technologies to enable this situation to come to fruition.Biofuels represent one option in terms of mitigating the impacts of global warming.The conversion of biomass to biofuels typically requires a catalyst. Many different materials have been investigated, with zeolites showing considerable promise.However, zeolite catalysts can be expensive and thus there is a challenge to create new catalysts which are low cost.This project …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering
Legal Approaches to Conservation Conflicts and Land-Use Conflicts
Conservation and land-use conflicts arise when people have different needs and interests concerning a protected area or land space. The management of these types of conflicts often has to broach disciplinary divides to ensure that appropriate consideration is given to the many complex and diverse issues that surround them, such as social justice, food production, biodiversity, the history of a place, and the attitudes and values of local stakeholders. The Law School invites students to express an interest in research …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Law
Feminist Approaches to Environmental Governance
Feminist approaches to environmental guidance consider a whole-of-systems approach and acknowledge that the domination of the environment and oppression of women and other groups in society are interlinked. Dr Katie Woolaston and Dr Rowena Maguire are interested in talking to students who are considering using feminist or alternative theories to analyse environmental governance. Particular areas of interest include wildlife and conservation, methods of collaboration, waste management, and the circular economy.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Law
International Environmental Law and Politics
Many environmental issues are globally significant problems and countries have to engage and interact with each other to resolve them despite having different domestic priorities. Current challenges around climate, land degradation, biodiversity loss, and plastics are just some of the issues that are influenced by international standards, agreements and institutions.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Law
The Law and Policy of Satellite and Large Data in Environmental and Land Use Management
Dr Evan Hamman is looking for PhD/MPhil candidates wanting to explore the relationship between space technologies and large data sets in the mapping, managing and directing of human land use. Candidates interested in exploring the relationships between land use management, data science and environmental law and regulations are particularly encouraged. The focus can be Australia, comparative or public international law. This topic is led by the QUT School of Law within the Datafication and Automation of Human Life research group. …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Law
Human rights and future environmental change
Dr Bridget Lewis is interested in talking to students who wish to undertake research on environmental human rights, intergenerational justice, the human rights impact of climate change, the rights of future generations or any other topic at the intersection of human rights and environmental law.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Law
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Justice
Sentience and the law (plants and animals)
For centuries the law has operated under the assumption that plants and animals are inert and material objects without the ability to meaningfully determine their future or engage with other living or material things. Plants constantly communicate with each other through fungal (mycorrhizal) networks in the soil and have up to 20 senses as opposed to the five that human beings have. New ways of thinking about plants and animals raise important and deep possibilities for law reform. The supervisors …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Law
Greenwashing
This project is exploring the regulation of greenwashing in Australia, and elsewhere. It is investigating the environmental, sustainability and climate claims made by companies in a variety of industries including energy, vehicles, household products and appliances, food and drink packaging, cosmetics, clothing and footwear. It is exploring the impact of misleading environmental and sustainability claims on consumers. It is compiling a database of disputes and controversies over greenwashing. This project is analysing various modes of regulation of greenwashing. It highlights …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Law
- Research centre(s)
-
Centre for Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology
BIOM05 - Application of fluorescence microscopy for the visualization of methane-oxidizing microorganisms in the environment
The archaeal lineage Methanoperedenaceae are anaerobic methanotrophs with a key role in mitigating the atmospheric release of the potent greenhouse gas methane. The metabolic diversity of these microorganisms directly links methane with several key biochemical cycles and suggests a remarkable ability of these microorganisms to adapt to diverse environmental conditions.These microorganisms have never been grown in a laboratory and have only been studied in enrichment cultures with several other partner microorganisms. How these microorganisms grow and interact with these bacterial …
- Study level
- Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Health
- School
- School of Biomedical Sciences
- Research centre(s)
-
Centre for Microbiome Research
Climate change and trustees: powers, duties, responsibilities and liabilities
Trustees have a duty to act in the best interests of beneficiaries. In particular, it has been held that “(w)hen the purpose of the trust is to provide financial benefits for the beneficiaries, as is usually the case, the best interests of the beneficiaries are normally their best financial interests.” (Cowan v Scargill [1985] 1 Ch 270 at 286 per Megarry VC) This may require consideration of not only the economic well-being of the trust fund more generally, but also …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Law
- Research centre(s)
-
Australian Centre for Health Law Research
Changing uses of the built environments: The impacts for property laws
The research will develop from Dr Cradduck's specific interest in the NBN rollout and its impact for users; and Dr Cradduck's research interest in the built environment and individuals' engagement with it. The researcher/s will seek to understand how current working and living practices impact upon our engagements with the internet. These include considering: impacts for working and home life; and/or impacts for uses of commercial and retail spaces; and/or impacts for the future of urban life. All will require …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Law
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