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 192 matching student topics
Displaying 145–156 of 192 results
Do people really intend to adopt renewable energies? Exploring the consumer adoption paradox
Consumers generally express positive attitudes towards renewable energies, recognizing system values such as environmental benefits and sustainability advantages (Zhang et al., 2024). However, the actual adoption and use of renewable energy services may not align with their expressed preferences.This paradox stems from various customer value-related barriers, such as high upfront costs, limited awareness, and concerns about reliability or convenience, which hinder widespread consumer adoption of renewable energy solutions (Jridi et al., 2016).In this project, we analyse the consumer adoption paradox …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Information Systems
Advanced membranes/electrodes for redox flow batteries
Grid-scale energy storage for intermittent renewables like solar and wind is an essential element of the transition away from fossil fuel based electricity production. Redox flow batteries have some very interesting characteristics for this stationary storage application:they are safer than other battery typesthe amount of energy stored can typically be scaled up easilythe power and energy of a system are more decoupled compared to lithium and other batteries, making them flexible in their design parameters.Ion exchange membrane and electrode are …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Materials Science
A novel method for the development of antibacterial polymeric surfaces for skin-crossing devices
Strong knowledge and interest in biomaterials and biomaterial/cell interactions, strong hands-on laboratory skills,
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Biomedical Technologies
Centre for Biomedical Technologies
CARU02 Racism and Social Work: Implications for racial complaint processes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
This VRES project will consider whether and how race, as a marker of human difference, is currently understood and responded to within social work, both in terms of professional regulation as well as within social work education. This VRES project will involve a review of current policy and legislative requirements that frame professional regulation as well as academic scholarship that considers the function of race and social work in Australia and its implications for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Health
- School
- School of Public Health and Social Work
Production of Hard Carbon for Sodium Ion Batteries
The transition to renewable energy sources such as solar and wind necessitates efficient and large-scale energy storage solutions. Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have emerged as a viable alternative to lithium-ion batteries for grid-scale storage due to the abundance and low cost of sodium. Hard carbon anodes, derived from biomass, offer a sustainable and effective solution for SIBs, providing a pathway to enhance energy storage capabilities and support renewable energy integration.
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering
Identifying and analysing accreting supermassive black holes
This project explores accreting supermassive black holes, also known as active galactic nuclei (AGN). By combining data from infrared observations with information from other wavelengths, we aim to improve how we identify AGNs and understand their unique properties.Using infrared colors to locate AGNs and comparing this data with results from spectral energy distribution (SED) analyses, we will refine AGN identification techniques. Researching AGNs is crucial because they play a significant role in galaxy evolution, influencing star formation and the growth …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
Measuring nitrogen gas losses from grain cropping soils
Nitrogen fertilisers contribute 32% of global nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, representing a significant contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Finding ways to reduce N2O emissions from soil is critical to reaching net zero GHG emissions and improving the efficiency of nitrogen fertiliser use in cropping systems.Nitrous oxide is produced in soil via microbial processes of nitrification (where ammonium is converted to nitrate) and denitrification (where nitrate is converted to N2O). Under the right conditions, denitrification may progress further with N2O …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Biology and Environmental Science
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy
Synthesis of all organic batteries
The rapid technological advancement of modern society has led to an increasing need for higher density energy availability. Currently, the total energy consumption of the world is about 1.11 × 108 GWh per year and until now, fossil fuels have still by far the highest share in the global mix, with >80%. However, fossil fuels are not available in unlimited quantities (e.g., “peak oil”), and their utilisation leads inherently to a production of more than 30 gigatons of carbon dioxide …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Materials Science
Developing novel bioadhesive methods for sustainable reef restoration
The accelerating impacts of climate change on coral reefs have led to a pressing need for innovative, synergistic, and sustainable approaches to protect and restore reefs at an increasing scale. One consequence of reef damage is mobile and unconsolidated coral rubble debris that can hinder coral survival and growth and, therefore, prevent reef regeneration and recovery. Currently, no interventions exist specifically designed to stabilise and bind coral rubble that meets the scalable, cost-effective and eco-friendly requirements by not permanently introducing …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Research centre(s)
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Centre for the Environment
2D heterostructures for future electronics
The traditional approach to the miniaturisation of electronic devices is coming to a halt. Experts agree that the Moore’s law prediction of doubling the number of transistors per chip every two years will cease to be fulfilled in 2020, as the heat produced in small structures cannot be cooled down quickly enough.However, by reducing the size of the device, the quantum nature of atoms and solids can be turned into an asset. By exploiting the phenomena occurring at these scales, …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Materials Science
Understanding user behaviours of kinetic energy harvesting
Kinetic energy harvesters are used in devices such as wearable fitness trackers and smartwatches to capture energy from human movement to prolong battery life. They are emerging as both an energy source and a means to provide context information for recognizing human physical activities like exercising or walking (Sandhu et al., 2023).Kinetic energy harvesters provide several benefits, including cost reduction associated with battery replacement and maintenance, minimizing electronic waste, and decreasing the carbon footprint related to energy production and disposal. …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Information Systems
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 …
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Information Systems
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