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UniSA's Vacation Research Scholarships offer an opportunity to work closely with our experienced researchers at one of our world-class institutes or centres. These short-term (four to eight week) scholarships are open to students from all domestic universities and are an ideal way to build on your academic knowledge. Working with our researchers, you’ll be able to broaden your research capabilities in a specialised project and gain insight into a career in research.
Benefit from UniSA's world-class research across a diverse range of fields, offering you the opportunity to focus on your chosen research topic in a professional environment.
Further your knowledge and real-world experience across specialised areas such as health, science or engineering, all while growing your professional network along the way. Find out more about eligibility and the available Vacation Research Scholarships in your area of study below.
APPLICATION CLOSING DATE: 22 September 2024
Dr Rose Boucaut We are seeking a student to work with us on a small work health and safety project over the holidays. There will be two supervisors both experienced work health and safety physiotherapists - one with a public health background and the other with an ergonomics background. The work will involve reviewing the literature on a specific topic, reviewing data about work injuries/illnesses, possibly putting together an ethics submission and developing a powerpoint session for an international audience. The idea would be to work up information on a topic of interest to the student and to get it to presentation standard. All in all it should be a rewarding experience. We look forward to working with you.
Dr Margarita Tsiros has a background in paediatric physiotherapy. She is a co-director of the IIMPACT in Health research concentration where she leads the Child Health Stream. Put simply, Margarita is interested in helping children to ‘move well’ and ‘move more’. She conducts research across a range of topics that relate to optimal child development and movement. She is particularly interested in improving health service delivery for children above a healthy-weight and/or with movement difficulties. She has also an interest in play space design to facilitate child health outcomes.
Professor Eva Bezak and Mikaela Doig We have several projects available for medical radiation students interested in proton therapy research. Projects will include aggregation and analysis of outcomes of Australian cancer patients who have received photon radiotherapy and have undergone comparative planning for proton therapy.
Vacation scholars will work on collaborative projects with an interdisciplinary clinician-researcher team based at UniSA, learning how to translate registry datasets into research outcomes to advance evidence-based practice.
Dr Kerri Beckmann and Dr Huah Shin Ng This research focuses on epidemiology in chronic diseases including cancer and multiple sclerosis. We use Big Data (e.g., linked health data) to examine the health outcomes of people living with cancer and multiple sclerosis. We also conduct pharmacy research based at SA Pharmacy, SA Health including collaborative research between medical, nurses, pharmacists and other allied health professionals.
Dr Sam Gleadhill: Biomechanics, Sports Performance, Exercise Testing and Prescription, Strength and Conditioning
Dr Terry Boyle: I have a broad interest in the role that lifestyle-related factors have in the risk and management of chronic disease, with a focus on the role that physical activity and sedentary behaviour play in cancer risk, cancer survival and cancer survivorship. Possible topics for a vacation research scholarship include (but are not limited to): a literature review of studies that have investigated the association between a lifestyle-related factor (such as physical activity, smoking or obesity) and the risk of developing a second cancer; and a literature review of of studies that have examined correlates of a patient-reported outcome (such as fatigue or depression) among cancer survivors.
Project Summary: Epilepsy remains one of the most challenging neurological disorders, affecting millions of people worldwide. Accurate diagnosis and localisation of seizure-causing brain lesions are crucial for effective treatment and management, particularly for patients considered for surgical intervention. Traditional diagnostic tools, such as 3T MRI, have shown variable success in detecting these lesions, leaving a subset of patients with negative or inconclusive results. This scoping review aims to explore the potential benefits of combining 7T and 3T MRI in improving the diagnostic accuracy for epilepsy patients, especially those at a critical juncture where surgical intervention is being considered. The primary objectives are to evaluate the current literature on 7T in epilepsy diagnosis, compare its efficacy with 3T, and assess the combined use of both technologies in detecting, localising, and characterising brain lesions. The review aims to determine the impact of improved imaging on surgical outcomes. A comprehensive literature search will be conducted across databases such as PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, focusing on studies published in the last 20 years. Inclusion criteria encompass studies involving epilepsy patients who underwent both 7T and 3T, focusing on lesion detection and surgical outcomes. Exclusion criteria include studies on non-epileptic disorders and non-peer-reviewed literature. Data will be extracted using a standardised form and analysed qualitatively to identify trends and gaps in the current research. If sufficient quantitative data is available, a meta-analysis may be performed.
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact Person: Ms Haley Vu
Project Summary: Final year physiotherapy students conduct small work health and safety projects in industry. The last formal review of employer feedback about student activities was undertaken by over a decade ago so it is timely to revisit this topic. There is little information about such placements and their outcomes in the literature. Aim: To gain placement host feedback about student WHS project activities in industry. Method:. Qualitative approach, Ethics submission required, interviews with up to 10 host industry partners to explore their experiences of hosting WHS placements involving final year UniSA physiotherapy students. Thematic analysis. Outcome: Gaining host placement feedback about student activities on site will help inform future placement activities and may help with sustainability of the projects.
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact Person: Dr Rose Boucaut
Project Summary: In 2022-23, we evaluated an innovative stroke recovery program known as Boot Camp. The program delivered intensive upper limb training for people with impaired arm use after stroke. Participants came to the rehabilitation clinic for 3h per day, 5days a week for 5 weeks. The program led to significant improvements in arm use, leading to meaningful changes such as return to work, driving or being able to use both hands when eating food. Given this success, Boot Camp was implemented as a clinical service at the UniSA Health and Medical Clinic. To evaluate the implementation of Boot Camp, we intent to interview participants to gain their perspectives of this service and identify areas for improvement. This will be a qualitative project and the student will be supported by the team to interview people with stroke about their experience in Boot Camp.
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact Person: Dr Brenton Hordacre & Dr Ines Serrada
Project Summary: In 2023, Preventive Health SA (formerly Wellbeing SA) launched a novel study, collecting insights from 3,000 South Australians about their use of outdoor fitness equipment (OFE) and the challenges they face in using OFE. This marks the first time a comprehensive survey of this nature has been conducted in South Australia, or anywhere in Australia.
Our team recently mapped out all OFE locations across the state and gathered perspectives from council employees on what might be holding people back from using these resources. Now, using the rich data from Preventive Health SA, we aim to:
1. Uncover how often and why South Australians are using OFE.
2. Identify the common barriers that prevent people from taking advantage of these outdoor fitness options.
3. Analyze if there's a link between where OFE is available and how much it’s actually being used.
Join us in this exciting project to help boost outdoor fitness and health in South Australia! Your involvement will be pivotal to understanding and improving the wellbeing of our communities. Specific tasks may include completing ethics submissions, reading relevant literature, supporting data analysis, and writing a manuscript for publication.
Study Mode: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact Person: Dr Alyson Crozier
Project Summary:The Healthy Choices Program applies an innovative community participatory approach, with health students working in partnership with community members living with, or at risk of, chronic conditions. Based in a clinic-style service, the vacation scholarship student will implement care navigation and motivational interviewing (MI) strategies, collaborating with community members living with chronic conditions to promote and support positive health behaviours, with the intention of improving health outcomes. Students will receive training in MI techniques, health coaching and goal setting, and will be supported by the Healthy Choices Team for the duration of their vacation scholarship. There is scope for suitable students to pursue a higher degree by research following the vacation scholarship.
Contact Person: Dr Dannielle Post
Project Summary:The critical shoulder angle (CSA), developed by Moore to assess rotator cuff injuries and osteoarthritis [1], is determined on an anteroposterior radiograph. CSA represents the angle between the superior and inferior margin of the glenoid fossa and the most inferolateral border of the acromion. Studies have shown that a CSA greater than 35 degrees is associated with rotator cuff tears. However, some studies question the accuracy of radiographs in measuring CSA due to body posture and scapulothoracic rotation [2]. Concerns have been raised about the reliability of the radiographic view and its impact on CSA measurement’s [3]. A recent study claimed that a three-dimensional CT scan provides more accurate CSA values than plain radiographs [4]. The average CSA for adult’s ranges between 33.50 and 33.70. There are no studies that have measured CSA on bony scapula. Hence, this study aims to use bony scapulae to determine the CSA to look for the alignment, if any, with the already determined CSA values from the radiographs.
Methods:
1. Literature review- conduct an extensive literature review to understand the accuracy of CSA measurements by radiographs.
2. Measurement of CSA of the right and left scapular bone using digital vernier calliper. Prior to the measurements ethics approval will be obtained from the Universities of south Australia.
3. A power analysis will determine the number of scapulae required for the study.
4. Statistical analysis will determine the range of CSA measurements that could be compared with already existing values of CSA obtained from the imaging techniques.
Contact Person: Dr Harsha Wechalekar
Project Summary: A strategic priority outlined by Education Minister Clare for Australian universities is to prepare up to 40% more health professionals to service the Australian population. At UniSA we provide quality learning opportunities for allied health professionals, including physiotherapists to study Adelaide and in Whyalla.
Twenty percent of Australians who see a general practitioner for joint pain, consult regarding their shoulder, and a common and often successful approach to treating the shoulder is physiotherapy. Physiotherapy students at UniSA learn about the shoulder joint, related muscles and nerves though lecture, palpation(touch), drawing, viewing models and body donors. However, the body donors have already been preserved and dissected to show the structures of interest.
This project would suit a student interested in learning anatomy, especially the shoulder!
We believe that an even more interactive, memorable and lifelike (the tissues will not be hardened by preservatives) experience can be achieved for students in Adelaide and at a remote campus by dissection of a kangaroo's shoulder. The shoulder of a kangaroo appears like, and has the same exact ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves as does a human. A shoulder that is not preserved has a lifelike consistency, as one of our surgically-trained staff reports.
This project would ask a student to dissect a kangaroo shoulder. photograph the process, and explore the learning potential of the exercise. The student would create a dissection plan and pictorial student instruction guide, and test the process with a volunteer.
A student would gain deep understanding of shoulder anatomy, as well as learning perspectives that will be of value to any future clinician.
Contact Person: Dr Nicola Massy-Westropp
Project Summary:Advances in technology continue to influence how university students learn. As educators within health science disciplines continually try to enhance educational experiences and student outcomes, the integration of podcasts has gained significant traction. Podcasts have emerged as a medium offering a unique blend of auditory engagement and informational content. The integration of podcasts into higher education settings has gained momentum due to their versatile nature, enabling educators to deliver content in an audio format that transcends traditional learning boundaries. Allied health disciplines, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, medical radiation and podiatry, demand teaching and assessment strategies that go beyond conventional methods. Despite its growth in education, there is a deficiency of formal research evaluating the effectiveness and integration of podcasts in curriculum.
In this project, the successful applicant will synthesize the current evidence relating to podcasts within allied health education. With the guidance of supervisors, they will summarise the implications of the current literature, identify any research gaps to facilitate future research, and provide recommendations for those looking to implement podcasts within curriculum.
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact Person: Mr Elio Arruzza
Project Summary: National statistics indicate that 52% of children aged 0-14 years participate in organised sport or physical activity at least once per week (ASC, 2023). Twenty per cent of children participate 3 or more times per week (ASC, 2023). Common sports include swimming, soccer, football, basketball, and netball. To enable children to participate in such activities on a regular basis, parents/guardians will also be required to commitment their time to support this engagement.
This project aims to examine parental commitments to their children’s sport and activities. Working with our experienced research team, this project will provide an opportunity for you to develop research skills including database management, participant recruitment, communicating with participants, and cleaning and analysing collected data. You will also have the opportunity to collect data via surveys and/or interviews, review existing literature, and contribute to outputs arising from this project. Ultimately, the findings from this project will inform future research directions.
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact Person: As. Prof. Nicola Ridgers
Project Summary: Past work has demonstrated alarming differences in medical management based upon a patient’s sex/gender, with women typically referred less often to follow-up care than men, and in the context of pain, women receiving less pain medication and evidence-based management than men. This has received very little investigation in the context of physiotherapy and pain. To fill this gap, we devised three online clinical vignettes that explored pain management decisions of physiotherapists for three of the most disabling pain conditions: widespread pain, chronic back pain, and painful osteoarthritis. A nation-wide representative sample of 362 Australian physiotherapists completed the vignettes. Critically, the gender of the patient in each vignette was randomly assigned to the physiotherapist, allowing for evaluation of the effect of therapist-patient gender pairings on pain management (including physiotherapists’ clinical reasoning, proposed education content and educational strategies, use of pain science education). This project will provide training in qualitative and quantitative data analysis and there will be opportunity to be a co-author on the resultant paper (if interested).
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact Person: Associate Professor Tasha Stanton
Project Summary: How our bodily feelings and experiences are created is complex. There is significant communication between different sensory sources (e.g., vision, touch, proprioception) that create the feeling of size, shape, and location of our own body, as well as the feeling that our body is our own. Remarkably, such perceptions of our own body morphology and location influence the pain we feel. For instance, visually morphing a painful joint so that it looks elongated and stretched significantly reduces joint pain. This current project aims to extend our understanding of how vision of our own body influences what we feel. We will used mediated reality technology to alter real-time video, testing its effect on pain as well as exercise engagement in people who have painful knee joint osteoarthritis. We aim to push the boundaries of perception, evaluating whether changing characteristics of the leg itself (e.g., muscled nature) can influence complex perceptions of capacity. This project will provide training in mediated reality technology, including pilot testing and development of novel visual illusions. It will also involve working with people who have persistent joint pain and undertaking experimental exercise testing. The project will provide training in quantitative and qualitative data collection/analysis, and there will be an opportunity to be a co-author on the resulting journal article (if interested). This project will be based out of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) with data collection occurring at UniSA City East Campus.
Contact Person: Associate Professor Tasha Stanton
Associate Professor Wei Qian Areas of Interest: Carbon accounting and reporting in supply chains
Project Summary: Australian businesses adopting the national reconciliation action plans have doubled in recent years and the past year has seen a considerable increase of corporate reporting on Indigenous engagement and culture awareness. While the momentum is building, the current reporting guidance is slim. Other than a few generic guidelines such as GRI411 and SDG4, little specific or substantial guidance is available for organizations engaging in such reporting.
Important areas such as history awareness and training, cultural heritage and preservation, and relevant control mechanisms and impacts, remain in uncharted reporting terrains. Globally, Indigenous issues remain a critical disclosure challenge for current colonization, such as First Nations Métis and Inuit in Canada, American Indian in the US, Māori in New Zealand, etc. While still lacking, regulations and reconciliation strategies have been developed in these countries and the demand for accountability of business activities and engagement to Indigenous people is
rapidly increasing.
To facilitate meaningful and accountable Indigenous reporting, this project is to conduct a baseline examination and comparison of public company reporting practice in Australia and several colonial countries. The project involves (1) an analysis of key policies and regulations related to Indigenous reporting in Australia and major colonization countries such as the US, Canada, NZ and Brazil to understand and compare these policies with Australian reporting rules and policies; and (2) the top company reporting practices, changes and trends in these countries. This research pioneers the area of international Indigenous reporting practice to fill the knowledge void in current reporting forms and standards. The comparison between Australian policy and practices and those in other major colonization countries will make the research outcome of global relevance and importance.
Study Mode: Remote/online participation available
Contact person: Associate Professor Wei Qian
Project Summary: Due to extensive land alteration, extraction processes, infrastructure development, and the discharge of polluting waste byproducts, the mining industry significantly impacts local biodiversity. In a recent report, CSIRO (2023) examined mining activities in Australia and found that these activities are causing biodiversity loss through various mechanisms. It is argued that proactive engagement with stakeholders, including local communities, governments, and environmental organisations, can enable mining companies to integrate biodiversity conservation into all stages of the mining life cycle (Australian Mining Review, 2023).
Despite this, little is known about how mining companies are engaging with their stakeholders in local biodiversity management initiatives. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine biodiversity management by the Australian mining sector and the role of stakeholder engagement therein. Data sources for this study will include annual reports and website disclosures.
The vacation scholar will assist the lead researcher for a period of eight weeks in conducting a structured literature review, reviewing the stakeholder engagement disclosure index, and collecting and analysing data. This opportunity will train the student in conducting structured literature reviews and critiques, addressing issues surrounding the development of disclosure
indices, and collecting and analysing data.
Study Mode: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Dr Amanpreet Kaur
Project Summary: The analytical and artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly transforming the accounting profession and have raised concern about the future of the accounting profession. Some questions that need asking are: how can the use of AI continue to add value to organisations; whether will the accountants provide the same services to their clients; and how will these technologies affect the everyday work of accountants. Some related studies only highlight the challenges and opportunities of these technologies in the profession, while missing the impact to the conventional roles of accountants and the need for modernizing the accounting curriculum to meet the industry’s technological needs. If AI has reshaped the conventional roles of accountants, there is a pressing need to redesign the accounting curriculum to reflect the current use of AI in the accounting profession.
This proposed research follows the ‘Diffusion of Innovation’ Theory to gauge whether and how the introduction of AI in the workplace has changed the conventional roles of accountants. In doing so, the research will investigate what AI technologies are used in the workplace and for what services those AI technologies are used. Findings of the proposed research may assist 1) accounting profession when they plan an innovation across their workplace to be responsive in a timely manner to technological developments in the market and 2) the university curriculum developers to see the need of redesigning a successful undergraduate university curriculum that serve the technical skills, knowledge and competence of the industry and increase the employability of graduates.
The vacation scholar will be assisting the lead researcher for a period of 8-weeks in conducting relevant literature review, coding the survey data, and analyzing data. Thus, the student will have an opportunity to be trained in conducting relevant literature review and exercising their critical and analytical skills and analyzing data using Nvivo.
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact Person: Dr Jessica Yi
Project Summary: Double Jeopardy, Duplication of Purchase, Negative Binomial Distribution and Brand User Profiles are fundamental laws of marketing and buyer behaviour. These laws have been observed across many countries and categories including fast moving consumer goods, services, retailers, B2B and more.
However, there are still some markets and categories which have not been analysed using these laws. This project will extend our understanding of these fundamental laws by conducting research in new categories.
In this project, students will be guided by world leading researchers in the area and will present results weekly to a small group of researchers at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute before a final presentation.
Students will analyse their own data while also working in groups of three. This project will run for 6 weeks from the middle of January to the end of February.
This program won the Teaching Collaboration and Peer Support Award at the 2021 Staff Excellence Awards.
Contact Person: Kirsty Willis
Project Summary:‘Workforce planning’ is the name for the HR activity of identifying labour and skill requirements to adequately meet an organisation’s current and imminent business strategy needs. This activity has been known as ‘manpower’, ‘personnel’, ‘staff’ and ‘HR’ planning. Labour and skill shortage post-COVID has refocussed attention on improving organisational workforce planning practice. In the coming decade, technological innovation coupled with the new requirements of decarbonisation and generative AI will necessitate better organisational workforce planning.
This project has two key tasks. First, to undertake a quick review of the current academic literature to identify the various perspectives on the workforce planning process. This will result in an annotated bibliography, accompanied by a description of the different approaches to workforce planning. Second, a systematic review of the post-COVID Australian practitioner ‘grey’ literature available online. This is likely to emphasise public sector agencies,particularly in the health care sector, who have most extensive workforce planning programs; and large multinational organisations. This review will identify how Australian employers have understood and implemented workforce planning across workplaces.
This project will have a high return on investment. The student(s) will obtain a clear overview of the state of the art of a HR area of expertise in high demand and in short supply; in addition to obtaining experience in publishable, high relevance applied HR research. This research will assist conference papers, journal articles and articles for practitioner magazines on an activity of great practitioner interest; and form the basis for ongoing research. The findings will quickly translate into course content for UniSA’s HR program. As UniSA has the largest undergraduate HR program in Australia, these coursework innovations could easily translate into improved professional practice. Finally, the systematic review will assist the researcher in preparing materials for a training course in undertaking systematic reviews.
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact Person: Dr Gerry Treuren
Project Summary:
Countries such as Bhutan, Canada, Scotland, and New Zealand have implemented wellbeing frameworks to align public policy and budgets with broader societal outcomes and enable wellbeing reporting (Grimes, 2021). The Australian government has also shown its commitment to creating and reporting the holistic wellbeing of its citizens by recently adopting its first wellbeing framework, “Measuring What Matters.”
Although there is an increasing focus on creating holistic outcomes for citizens, little is known about how the Australian government is responding to this initiative. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the current practices and trends in wellbeing reporting by Australian government authorities. This study focuses on state-level governments, as their core responsibilities include services fundamental to public welfare and wellbeing, such as justice, health, education, forestry, public transport, and main roads. Using public value perspectives, the study will also evaluate the social, environmental, and economic wellbeing values created by Australian state governments (Bracci et al., 2021; Steccolini, 2019).
The vacation scholar will assist the lead researcher for a period of eight weeks in conducting a structured literature review and collecting and analysing data. This opportunity will train the student in conducting structured literature reviews and critiques, collecting and managing data, and analysing data with the aid of Excel and Nvivo.
MODE OF STUDY: Remote/online participaltion available
Contact Person: Dr Amanpreet Kaur
Dr Lisa Matricciani: Sleep & Health - Sleep is essential for health and wellbeing may be especially important for people living with chronic health conditions or who are undertaking shiftwork. We have two research projects underway, with opportunities for Summer Vacation Scholarship students to assist with. Projects include opportunities to collect data involving clinical populations, analyse survey data and contribute to literature reviews. If you are interested in learning new skills and undertaking research involving sleep, particularly in clinical populations and/or nurses undertaking shiftwork, please organise a time to discuss these projects further.
Associate Professor Larisa Bobrovskaya: We conduct research within the field of Parkinson’s disease, stress, depression, diet, and gut-brain connections. In our research we carry out animal studies, tissue analyses and biochemical analyses. A specific project can be developed depending on student’s interest.
Project Summary: In this project, we utilize state-of-the-art automated cytogenetic to improve the detection of additional clinically relevant chromosomal abnormalities in patients with therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MN). Drawing on our dataset of over 800 patient samples, our objective is to identify these abnormalities and assess their impact on overall survival using advanced computational methods.
Our dataset comprises cytogenetic results from more than 800 patient samples, but inconsistencies in cytogenetic annotation have presented challenges in identifying chromosomal abnormalities. To address this, we will develop an algorithm to accurately quantify and identify abnormalities within these results. The automated cytogenetic system will be integrated with clinical data, including patient demographics, treatment history, and survival outcomes. This integration enables a comprehensive analysis of the impact of specific cytogenetic abnormalities on patient survival.
Subsequently, we will develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered system to predict the survival of t-MN patients based on chromosomal abnormalities. Survival analysis will be conducted using statistical models such as Cox proportional hazards regression to examine the relationship between identified cytogenetic abnormalities and patient survival. This analysis will determine the prognostic significance of different chromosomal abnormalities and support risk stratification for tailored treatment strategies.
Expected Outcomes
Enhanced Diagnostic Accuracy. Automated cytogenetic will significantly reduce diagnostic errors and increase the throughput of cytogenetic analysis.
Improved Prognostic Models. By correlating specific cytogenetic abnormalities with survival outcomes, we aim to develop robust prognostic models to guide clinical decision-making and personalised treatment planning for t-MN patients.
Clinical Implementation. The developed AI-powered system is designed to be seamlessly integrated into clinical workflows, providing a scalable solution for routine cytogenetic and enhancing patient care in hematology and oncology.
Study Mode: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact Person: Associate Professor Chung Hoow Kok (Chunghoow.kok@sa.gov.au)
Project Summary:Increasing interest in the role of insects as a sustainable and alternative source of protein for human consumption has prompted further research into the potential for insect-derived components to provide important nutrients and potential health benefits. Recently, the interest has been focused on the bioactive peptides of insect proteins for potential antihypertensive and antiinflammation properties. In collaboration with CSIRO and insect industry partners university researchers are undertaking a comprehensive analysis of Hermetia illucens (Black Soldier Fly) larvae (BSFL) proteins and oil fractions. Previously we investigated the bioaccumulation of total phytochemical and antioxidant activities in protein and fat fractions of BSFL raised in different food-waste substrates. In this project, INFOGEST in vitro digestion and proteomics will beemployed to assess the antiglycation and digesting enzyme inhibition of BSFL proteins.
Contact Person: Dr Permal Deo
Project Summary: Conjugates consist of a combination of two components covalently coupled together and are used extensively in the pharmaceutical, diagnostic and life-science industries. For example, antibody-drug conjugates consist of a targeting antibody that can recognize a specific target (e.g., cancer cell) and a drug which is delivered to the target. This combination allows for selective drug delivery and reduced off-target effects. Conjugates are prepared using highly efficient coupling chemistries, however, there is significant scope for the development of new coupling chemistries that proceed rapidly at low temperatures, don’t require complex precursors or catalysts, and are selective to particular functionalities. The project will involve the development of a new type of conjugation chemistry based on Diels-Alder cycloaddition. The aim will be to optimise the system to proceed rapidly in water, without the addition of catalysts. For more details please contact Dr. Blencowe.
Contact Person: Associate Professor Anton Blencowe
Project Summary:
Professor Claudine Bonder leads the Vascular Biology & Cell Trafficking laboratory in the Centre for Cancer Biology. Together with her team of scientists and clinical collaborators they study the intricate interplay between cancer cells and the tumour microenvironment (particularly blood vessels) to better understand how cancer develops and becomes deadly. With a focus on translating their scientific discoveries into outcomes for better human health, their work aims to provide new opportunities to prevent tumours from growing and metastasising to vital organs in cancer patients. The Centre for Cancer Biology also offers two top up scholarships for an additional $100/week in collaboration with the ‘Fuss Family’ and ‘Lashes of Love’.
The growth and spread of a tumour rely on the cancer cells accessing the blood supply. To do this, cancer cells not only promote blood vessel sprouting (angiogenesis) but they also form vessel-like structures themselves (vasculogenic mimicry (VM)). The Bonder lab has identified new VM targets in breast cancer, melanoma and pancreatic cancer (Thompson et al Growth Factors 2024; Tan et al OncoImmunology 2022; Martini et al BMC Cancer 2021; Tan et al, Oncotarget, 2016).
This summer project is an opportunity to learn how blood vessels promote the progression of cancer (e.g. melanoma, pancreatic cancer and breast cancer) by focussing on the function of specific proteins (e.g. desmoglein-2, ICAM-1). Outcomes here will contribute to new hope and opportunities to treat these deadly cancers.
Contact Person: Professor Claudine Bonder
Project Summary:Polymers are essential in many biomedical applications ranging from nanomedicine and drug delivery to tissue engineering to wound dressings. With the drive towards more sustainable and functional biomaterials, there is a constant need for new polymers that are biocompatible and biodegradable. Moving away from fossil fuel derived polymers, we have been working to engineer new polymers from sustainable sources that maintain the same functionality, such as polymers derived from food waste. For more details please contact Dr. Blencowe.
Contact Person: Associate Professor Anton Blencowe
Project Summary: Impaired fetal substrate supply as a result of either placental insufficiency, preeclampsia or maternal undernutrition causes intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). These IUGR babies are not only at an increased risk of longer stays in the NICU and increased perinatal morbidity but may also be at an increased risk of epigenetic programming and the development of chronic disease in adult life. In an effort to reduce the risk of these poor outcomes, the development of interventions to improve fetal substrate delivery is at the forefront of perinatal research. The pregnant sheep model is often used to study fetal development in the setting of in utero substrate restriction and has led to medical advances such as the use of antenatal steroids in pregnancies at risk of preterm birth. Using this animal model, we have shown resveratrol to increase uterine artery blood flow and fetal oxygenation. However, unlike the human placenta; the sheep placenta does not appear to allow resveratrol to cross from the maternal to the fetal circulation. This project will use techniques such as qRT-PCR to measure placental gene expression and immunohistochemistry to determine protein abundance and distribution of signaling molecules known to be both involved in placental development and responsive to resveratrol and MRI data. We hypothesize that resveratrol will activate signaling molecules on the maternal but not the fetal side of the sheep placenta.
Contact Person: Prof. Janna Morrison, Associate Professor Michael Wiese and Dr Ashley Meakin
Project Summary: This project evaluates the impact of 'Escape from the Operating Room,' an escape room activity for post-graduate perioperative nurses, on students’ knowledge, self-efficacy, and communication. While escape room learning has gained popularity as an engaging method to enhance critical thinking and teamwork, its impact in specialised perioperative nursing education is underexplored. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study uses a survey to collect date relating to knowledge retention, self-efficacy, and communication. Results will be disseminated through publication in an academic journal, and via a seminar to academic staff.
Contact Person: Dr Michelle Freeling
Project Summary: While rare, there a potential risk of serious uterine rupture in pregnancy and labour following myomectomy and previous caesarean section. This puts women and babies at increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Multidisciplinary healthcare teams including midwives, nurses, obstetricians, and physicians rely on up to date evidence-based guidelines to assist them in shared decision-making with women to plan and guide care, monitoring, and interventions before, during, and after birth. This project will involve identification, appraisal, and analysis of existing guidelines, published, and unpublished (i.e., grey literature) evidence utilising best-practice evidence synthesis methodology and subsequent update or refinement of evidence-based guidance for clinicians. The successful student will ideally have studied or be studying midwifery and will work with a multidisciplinary team of experts in midwifery (Professor Jenny Fereday), evidence synthesis and guideline development (Assoc Prof Micah Peters) and a consumer with lived experience of uterine rupture following myomectomy during labour during this project and will gain valuable research and professional collaboration experience that will place them well for both future clinical practice as well as higher degree by research study. It is anticipated that this project will result in at least one published output in a peer reviewed journal that the student will have the opportunity to lead or coauthor as well as more widely accessible outputs to be made available to nurses and midwives via the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF).
Contact Person: Dr Micah DJ Peters
Project Summary: To obtain the best outcomes for both mum and fetus during pregnancy, drugs are often required to treat illness. However, there is limited information available on the short and long term adverse fetal effects of a large proportion of drugs used during pregnancy. Animal studies can provide preliminary data regarding the safety of a drug during pregnancy. There is a large amount of human and animal evidence showing hormonal and metabolic changes that occur in both the mother and the fetus because of reduced or accelerated fetal growth. These changes could affect maternal, placental and fetal expression of drug metabolising enzymes and drug transporters and hence alter fetal drug exposure. This project will isolate microsomes from maternal and fetal livers in animal models of high and low substrate supply. Using in vitro protocols, we will assess the activity of cryptochrome P450 enzymes to determine if pregnancy complications impair drug metabolism.
Contact Person: Prof. Janna Morrison, Associate Professor Michael Wiese, Dr Ashley Meakin
Project Summary:The growing demand from consumers for healthy and ethically sourced food has led to an increase in food fraud. The widespread practices of adulteration and mislabeling have become prevalent in the global food industry, especially in animal-based products that are intentionally labeled as plant-based alternatives. This mislabeling poses a significant risk to food safety, as substituted ingredients can cause food allergies or toxicity in vulnerable individuals. The task of defining and identifying various forms of food fraud is challenging due to the complex composition of food matrices and the often-unknown processes involved. Furthermore, food fraud schemes are becoming more sophisticated, underscoring the urgent need for the development of reliable, rapid, and cost-effective analytical methods for food control.
In recent years, a promising technology known as MALDI-TOF MS (matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry) has emerged to address this need. This study aims to create a quick and dependable method by simplifying the sample preparation process, eliminating the need for prior tryptic digestion, which is a commonly used MALDI method. Our goal is to develop a straightforward approach that requires minimal time and cost (only a few minutes for sample preparation and mass spectrum acquisition). Simultaneously, we aim to ensure high accuracy and sensitivity without the need for prior knowledge of the species being analyzed, such as cheese or fish.
The student will be involved with the sample preparation, data acquisition, and data analysis.
Contact Person: Dr Parul Mittal, Dr Manuela Klingler-Hoffmann & Professor Peter Hoffmann
Project Summary: Spend your summer at the Centre for Cancer Biology, working with our experienced bioinformatics team and learning cutting-edge techniques in fundamental and translational health research!
We have generated single-cell RNA-Seq data in order to investigate the transcriptional effects of a rare genetic mutation on the human immune system. Cells from multiple samples were tagged with an identifying barcode specific to the sample, then RNA from all cells was sequenced together. The barcodes should allow each individual cell to be assigned back to its original sample, but this aspect of the experiment failed.
This project will attempt to leverage the genetic diversity of the samples to achieve the same goal. We will use existing tools (cellsnp-lite, Vireo) to identify the original sample for each cell then utilise novel approaches to ensure the accuracy of the demultiplexing. Scholars will gain skills relating to:
- RNA-Seq analyses: studying gene expression in single cells and larger samples
- Programming: Work with bash and R
- Genetic variant calling: Identifying differences between DNA sequences
- Next-generation sequencing: processing raw data from modern sequencing methods
- Some biology relating to immune function and T-cell receptors
Similar work has been undertaken recently at the CCB, so while success of the project is not guaranteed, the path is clear and the scholar will be well supported. This work will be supervised by Dr Nick Warnock, bioinformatician at the Centre for Cancer Biology and SA Pathology.
Contact Person: Dr Nick Warnock
Project Summary:
Unlike normal cells, cancer cells can divide indefinitely. They have often acquired this property through mutations, deletions or amplifications in their DNA. Indeed, the genomes of cancer cells are typically very abnormal. Although these genomic abnormalities can drive cancer development, therapy resistance and the spread of cancer cells through the body, they also offer opportunities to target cancer cells with drugs.
This bioinformatics project aims to identify genetic abnormalities in cancer cells that can be targeted with drugs. For this, we will explore large genomic (DNA level), transcriptomic (mRNA level), proteomic (protein level) and drug screen datasets from cancer cell lines and patient samples.
This is a 'dry-lab' project that requires bioinformatics skills, in particular experience with R programming language. We will compare whether DNA-level abnormalities that are commonly observed in cancer cells result in corresponding abnormalities in the expression of mRNAs and proteins, which can be targeted with drugs. Beyond this project, this may enable the development of a new therapies for cancer patients.
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact Person: Associate Professor Pascal Duijf
Project Summary:Preterm birth affects more than 20,000 births in Australia. Glucocorticoids are routinely used to reduce the risk of respiratory distress syndrome in preterm births by promoting lung maturation. However, the use of glucocorticoids during pregnancy has been associated with adverse fetal outcomes including low birth weight. In addition, glucocorticoids also regulate the expression of Cytochrome P450 enzymes, a class of enzymes involved in drug metabolism, and drug transporters such as P-glycoprotein. Therefore, using a sheep model, we propose that infusion of the endogenous glucocorticoid, cortisol, in late gestation will alter the expression of drug metabolising enzyme and drug transporters in the placenta, fetal liver and brain.
Contact Person: Professor Janna Morrison, Associate Professor Michael Wiese & Dr Ashley Meakin
Project Summary: Human studies show that babies whom are born small as a result of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy, in adult life. However, we do not yet understand the molecular basis of this association and therefore we are limited in our capacity to implement effective intervention strategies. One factor that may cause IUGR and the programmed risk of cardiovascular disease is maternal undernutrition. Here, the developing fetus does not receive enough nutrients from the mother. MicroRNA play a role in cardiac development and their expression can be manipulated pharmacologically, which may be a strategy to improve cardiac development in IUGR. This project will use both a well-established sheep model to determine the molecular links between poor growth in utero and the predisposition toward poor heart health in later life and the role of microRNA. To address this, this project will use techniques as qRT-PCR to measure the gene expression and Western Blot to measure the protein abundance of signaling molecules involved in cardiac growth and development.
Contact Person: Prof. Janna Morrison & Dr Mitchell Lock
Project Summary:Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), where a baby weighs below the 10th percentile for their gestational age, occurs in 6.5 % of live births. These IUGR babies have an increased risk of preterm birth with impaired maturation of the lung. This increases their risk of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). One way of preventing IUGR and thus the risk of preterm birth and RDS, would be to increase fetal substrate (oxygen and nutrients) supply. Resveratrol, a polyphenol found in the skins of red grapes, increases uterine artery blood flow. We hypothesize, that increased uterine artery blood flow will accelerate lung maturation via increased oxygen delivery to the fetal lung. This study will determine the impact of maternal resveratrol supplementation on the expression surfactant proteins (qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry) in the fetal lung and align this expression with pulmonary oxygen delivery (fetal MRI data) in the late gestation fetus.
Contact Person: Prof. Janna Morrison, Associate Professor Michael Wiese, Dr Mitchell Lock
Project Summary: Primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) are a group of disorders where parts of the immune system are either missing or malfunctioning, leading to chronic infections, autoimmunity, or malignancies depending on the mutation type. Understanding the genetic defects underlying PIDs is opening new therapeutic opportunities for immune disorders. This project will use genome editing tools to investigate the impacts and mechanisms of novel mutations identified in individuals with PIDs.
The student will gain hands-on experience with CRISPR-based genome editing, analyze various signal transduction pathways, and perform gene expression analysis in different types of immune cells. This research offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the development of innovative treatments for primary immunodeficiencies.
Contact Person: Dr Gokhan Cildir
Project Summary: Osteoporosis is a disease resulting in reduced bone strength that significantly increases the risk of broken bones. Osteoporosis can be caused by a number of factors and is particularly prominent in older people, with 70% of those over the age of 80 being affected. Currently, osteoporosis is treated with bisphosphonates that have to be taken orally each day over long periods (3+ year) to be effective. Some of the major drawbacks with bisphosphonates taken orally is their very low bioavailability (~0.6%), which means that large doses need to be consumed, and they can cause esophageal ulceration and cancer. Furthermore, patient compliance can be an issue, as with any oral medications that requires frequent doses. To avoid these problems, this project aims to develop a drug-eluting implants, that can provide sustained release of bisphosphonates at the target location over a period of 6+ months. For more details please contact Dr. Blencowe.
Contact Person: Associate Professor Anton Blencowe
Project Summary: Neurological diseases and disorders present significant public health risks, emphasizing the importance of research aimed at early detection and the development of more effective treatment approaches. Although various techniques and imaging modalities are commonly employed in studying these conditions, current methods often require the use of labels, which can be expensive and time-consuming. However, there is an emerging and innovative label-free technique called matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI). This technique generates 2D ion intensity maps that illustrate the distribution of analytes across tissue sections in relation to tissue histopathology. What sets MALDI MSI apart from other imaging modalities is its ability to determine the spatial distribution of hundreds of analytes in a single imaging run, eliminating the need for labeling or prior knowledge.
In this study, we will utilize the state-of-the-art Bruker timsTOF flex MALDI instrument to specifically examine the spatial distribution of lipids, peptides, glycans, and/or proteins. By leveraging this advanced technology, we aim to obtain novel insights that may contribute to predicting or treating the disease more effectively.
The student will be involved with the sample preparation, data acquisition, and data analysis.
Contact Person: Dr Parul Mittal, Professor Peter Hoffmann & Dr Manuela Klingler-Hoffmann
Project Summary:
Relationship interdependence among intimate older adults describes the mutual reliance between partners, often due to physical, emotional, or cognitive limitations of both partners. Ill health can disrupt these relationships, especially when one person is hospitalised and is discharged home. For nurses who work in Geriatric Care in the Home settings (GITH, Tier 1 hospital substitution), taking care of the recently discharged person is rewarding, however, it is difficult for nurses to manage their care workloads when this is extended to the unplanned care of a partner. This can result in stress, and an unsafe work environment for nurses and patients, and attrition of a valuable nursing workforce.
In the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network there is no specific service for both partners in an interdependent relationship following hospital discharge of one partner. Sometimes, when one person in a couple gets sick, the other one struggles to take care of them on returning home, leaving the visiting GITH nurse to provide care for both partners in the interdependent relationship. Providing this ‘unacknowledged’ care places additional pressure on GITH nurses.
We will look at how caring for one person in an interdependent relationship affects the nurses' workload and try to find better and less stressful ways for nurses to manage this care giving situation. It is crucial to understand this issue in relation to nursing workloads, address a gap in our knowledge, and reduce the associated cost by preventing overrun appointment times, workload issues, unnecessary readmissions, nursing stress and attrition.
We plan to address the problem through a research study seeking to understand the nurses’ experiences by implementing a survey and a time and motion study of GITH transitional home care visits. Based on a literature review and research outcomes, we will then develop a business case, business processes and policy recommendations related to workforce, for transitional care and Tier 1 hospital substitution.
Contact Person: Dr Kate Davis
Project Summary:Ionising radiation poses a risk to all patients and staff in the perioperative environment. Though ionising radiation may be necessary for the patient, the perioperative team are exposed to the potentially harmful effects because of routine work. Work, health and safety legislation requires all staff to be trained in the management of ionising radiation, to provide a safe working environment. The level and extent of this training, education and safety may vary from workplace to workplace. Anecdotally, many staff and workplaces do not understand their rights or responsibilities when working with ionising radiation.
The vacation scholarship will provide a student with the opportunity to assist the research team to develop the project exploring radiation safety and awareness. The student will actively participate in the development and testing of the tool with the consumer group. Following testing of the survey tool, the student will assist the research team to develop ethics proposal and grant writing to explore perioperative radiation safety and awareness nationally. The testing of the survey tool and the ethics application will form the first stage in researching perioperative workforce safety.
Contact Person: Dr Allison Roderick & Dr Michelle Freeling
Project Summary:Cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Australia and globally. Annually in Australia, ~ 160,000 people are diagnosed with cancer and there are ~ 50,000 cancer related deaths. Chemotherapy, alongside surgery and radiotherapy, remains one of the leading treatments for cancer. However, chemotherapy is associated with severe side effects and in some cases can be poorly effective due to the inability to deliver high doses of anticancer drugs directly to the target. To improve the efficacy of chemotherapeutics and reduce adverse effects, anticancer drugs can be loaded into nanoparticle carriers such as polymeric micelles. This project aims to develop targeted and pH-responsive polymeric micelles for the selective uptake into cancerous tissues and the intracellular delivery of large doses of anticancer drugs. The project will involve the preparation of drug-loaded micelles and the investigation of their pH-responsivity and ability to release drugs under physiologically relevant conditions.
Contact Person: Associate Professor Anton Blencowe
Project Summary: Invasive species, such as feral cats and foxes, pose a tremendous threat to native Australian species and livestock. The ACTB group are developing a series of novel technologies for the protection of native animals and livestock from these predators. These include implant technologies that render native animals poisonous to introduced predators, and non-lethal baits that train introduced predators to avoid preying on native animals and livestock. For more details please contact Dr. Blencowe.
Contact Person: Associate Professor Anton Blencowe
Project Summary: Cancer treatment is often unpredictable, much like rolling some dice. What if we could eliminate this unpredictability? This project aims to enable personalized ovarian cancer treatment through molecular analysis of tumour samples paired with advanced data acquisition and analysis.
Optimized Sample Preparation: We will develop methods to better prepare cancer samples, allowing us to detect previously missed molecular markers and gain a more comprehensive understanding of the cancer.
This project will in the long-term enable personalised treatment choices by classifying patient samples based on treatment response in the laboratory. It will provide novel insights into ovarian cancer, leading to more personalized and effective treatments. This way, we can move away from the trial-and-error approach and towards precise, tailored cancer therapies.
Contact Person: Dr Manuela Klingler-Hoffmann
Project Summary: Nanomedicine is transforming cancer treatment by precisely targeting cancer cells. Our research focuses on using tailored nanomedicine to deliver a new drug combination to leukaemia cells in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a highly aggressive blood cancer that kills 75% of patients. A major challenge in AML treatment is the presence of resistant leukaemia-initiating cells, which hide in the bone marrow during remission and lead to disease relapse. To address this challenge, we employ innovative methods to target the pro-survival enzyme SPHK1 with MP8, a selective inhibitor. This strategy induces leukemia-initiating cell death and extends survival in mice with AML xenografts, both alone and in combination with chemotherapy or the targeted therapy venetoclax. While MP8 is highly selective, its limited "drug-like properties" have hindered clinical progress. However, our recent advancements in nano-MP8 have significantly improved potency, bioavailability, and bone marrow distribution, substantially prolonging mouse survival.
Our next steps involve refining our novel MP8 nanomedicine by conjugating it with a CD123 monoclonal antibody to create an actively targeted formulation that interacts specifically with AML relapse-driving cells. We will then evaluate its efficacy in AML models, both alone and in combination with venetoclax or frontline chemotherapy, potentially enhancing AML therapy. This research prioritises enhancing MP8 effectiveness and targeting relapse-driving cells to reduce AML recurrence. The developed nanomedicine formulations have great potential to be translated into clinical trials, potentially revolutionising AML treatment approaches.
Contact Person: Dr Thao Nguyen & Professor Clive Prestidge
Project Summary: Professor Claudine Bonder leads the Vascular Biology & Cell Trafficking laboratory in the Centre for Cancer Biology. Together with her team of scientists and clinical collaborators they study the intricate interplay between cancer cells and the tumour microenvironment (particularly blood vessels) to better understand how cancer develops and becomes deadly. With a focus on translating their scientific discoveries into outcomes for better human health, their work aims to provide new opportunities to prevent tumours from growing and metastasising to vital organs in cancer patients. The Centre for Cancer Biology also offers two top up scholarships for an additional $100/week in collaboration with the ‘Fuss Family’ and ‘Lashes of Love’.
Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematological malignancy and is an incurable disease of neoplastic plasma cells (PC). With only 17% of MM patients surviving 10-years post diagnosis, faster detection and earlier intervention would unequivocally improve outcomes. The Bonder lab recently discovered that the cell surface protein desmoglein-2 (DSG2) is overexpressed in ~20% of bone marrow biopsies from newly-diagnosed MM patients and that it is strongly predictive of poor clinical outcome (Ebert et al Molecular Oncology 2022).
This summer project uses molecular biology techniques to investigate DSG2 as cell surface biomarker that supports the survival of myeloma and promotes disease progression.
Contact Person: Professor Claudine Bonder
Project Summary: Many midwives and registered nurses continue their education journey beyond their pre-registration bachelor’s degree by undertaking postgraduate studies to further their knowledge, clinical practice, and career pathways. Postgraduate education follows a set curriculum that is assessed against course learning objectives to achieve clinical specialisation, advancement, or expertise.
This vacation scholarship will provide a student with the opportunity to assist the research team in exploring non-curriculum learning. Anecdotally, the postgraduate team recognise that these students learn more than the curriculum whilst they study. The enhancement of non-clinical skills, confidence and competence is not something that is currently measured or evaluated in the postgraduate programs.
The vacation scholarship student will actively participate in research activities such as conducting a survey and semi-structured interviews with postgraduate students who have completed their postgraduate journey. The aim is to explore what non-curriculum qualities were gained from undertaking postgraduate studies and were unexpected benefits to learning.
Mode of Study: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact Person: Ms Vivienne Leigh & Dr Allison Roderick
Project Summary: This observational project aims to evaluate compliance of the modified WHO 5 moments of hand hygiene (HH) in a setting currently not audited or benchmarked for National HH compliance.
The WHO 5 moments hand hygiene (HH) is widely acknowledged as the gold standard or benchmark in the prevention and control of infection in the hospital setting. Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) increase patient mortality and morbidity, increase hospital length of stay in health services already stretched, and increase the cost both in human and economic terms.
Currently perioperative suites around the country are not included as part of the national HH audit and therefore national compliance data is skewed towards general ward settings. The current audit tool is not fit for purpose in the perioperative setting. However, HH compliance in the perioperative setting is vital to reduce Surgical Site Infection risk and postoperative complications.
The vacation scholarship seeks to develop a tool modifying the WHO 5 moments of HH to be applicable in the Perioperative setting and enable appropriate auditing of personnel. Following modification of the 5 moments of HH for a local perioperative setting, the study aims to evaluate the compliance of HH in the Perioperative setting. The project aims that the modified tool would be tested locally followed by the opportunity to test it further at a state and national level.
This project would appeal to a student aspiring to work within the perioperative setting or alternatively a student completing course work Masters, seeking to conduct a small project.
MODE OF STUDY: Remote/online participation available
Contact Person: Dr Allison Roderick
Project Summary: While adoptive cell therapies, such as engineered immune cells are highly effective for the treatment of bloodborne cancers, their efficacy for the treatment of solid tumours has been limited in part due to difficulties in achieving high doses of the immune cells at the target site. A promising solution is the application of a delivery system that anchors the immune cells at the target site and provides a sustained release profile. Therefore, in this study the aim is to develop injectable hydrogel systems that gel in situ and provides a sustained release of T-cells through gradual degradation of the hydrogel matrix. For more details please contact Dr. Blencowe.
Contact Person: Associate Professor Anton Blencowe
Project Summary: Shortages of medicine in Australia are an ongoing issue which affect patient care. Medicine shortages may lead to delayed treatment, limited access to appropriate treatment and increased out of pocket healthcare costs and overall burden on patients.
Analysis of medicine dispensing patterns can assist with understanding medicine shortages. The overall aim of this project is to investigate historical dispensing patterns of medicines that have recently experienced shortages in order to provide key stakeholders with information on the current landscape of medicines shortages in Australia.
Through this project you will gain valuable skills in analysing aggregate dispensing records for medicines that have recently or are currently experiencing medicine shortages. You will develop data processing skills and statistical analysis skills. You will develop data analysis skills using both Excel and R. You will also develop data visualization skills to identify trends in dispensing patterns. As a result of undertaking this study, you will develop an ability to translate insights from your findings into actionable recommendations for stakeholders such as policymakers and medicine regulators.
You will have the opportunity to contribute to a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. You will collaborate with experts in the field of pharmacoepidemiology and will learn basic project management skills.
As such, this skillset will prepare you for a career in healthcare analytics, research and policy development.
Contact Person: Dr Jack Janetzki
Project Summary:
Most currently used medicines for psychiatric illnesses were identified serendipitously and there is usually considerable variability in response magnitude across different patients, with many patients failing to respond at all. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify novel therapeutics guided by known biology or that are supported by empirical data. A landmark study from investigators at GlaxoSmithKline used retrospective data to show that drugs supported by genetic evidence are more likely to progress to the latter stages of the drug discovery pipeline than those lacking genetic evidence (Nelson et al., 2015; Nature Genetics). This suggests genetic data may prove instrumental in ushering in the next wave of medicines for psychiatric illness.
Accordingly, a host of studies have applied a genetic epidemiological method called Mendelian randomization (MR) to identify new potential drug targets for complex human diseases. Briefly, MR uses genetic variants associated with an exposure of interest as proxies to obtain unconfounded estimates of the causal effects of exposures on outcomes of interest. In this way, MR is robust to many of the issues that hamper traditional observational studies. One variant of MR, called cis-MR, uses gene expression or protein abundance data as exposures (see example at: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.27.24309406v1). Given proteins are the targets of most drugs, cis-MR has the potential to identify new protein targets to treat psychiatric illnesses.
In this project, the successful candidate will apply cis-MR methods to identify new drug targets for psychiatric illness. They will focus specifically on the ‘druggable’ proteome as determined by the Drugbank Online database. Full training will be provided, though some previous experience of statistical computing (e.g., R) and knowledge of basic Unix commands is desirable. This project is purely computational, and so can be conducted either in-person at SAHMRI or from a remote location.
Contact Person: Dr David Stacey
Project Summary: With the advent of COVID-19, there has been a growth in the use of virtual care (VC) technologies. With the rapid implementation of VC technologies, the nursing workforce may be ill-prepared to adopt the new working methods required to utilise these technologies. There is a need to understand and explore the ways in which VC technologies can be used by nurses to provide high-quality care. To explore this issue, and as a first step to a larger project, a scoping review will be undertaken.
This scoping review will identify and analyse the available international literature that has examined or reported on the use of VC technologies in the context of nursing care delivery for the purpose of hospitalisation avoidance to map the current state of the literature, key areas of interest, and aspects in need of future research. This project is being conducted in collaboration with researchers at the University of Adelaide, including the dean of nursing Professor Francis Donnelly and Associate Professor Lynette Cusack.
The successful student will ideally have studied or be studying nursing and will be involved in the identification, appraisal, and analysis of published and unpublished (grey) literature using a best-practice evidence synthesis methodology framework. Within the project, the student’s role will be to support the researchers in conducting the scoping review (screening and data extraction) and writing the manuscript, allowing the student to contribute, and be listed on a peer-reviewed publication, while working with a multidisciplinary team of experts (in nursing and evidence synthesis). Through the completion of the project, the student will gain valuable research and professional collaboration experience, and a unique opportunity to establish a network across the universities (UniSA and the University of Adelaide).
Contact Person: Dr Micah DJ Peters & Mr Jarrod Clarke
Project Summary: 3D printing has emerged as an advanced manufacturing technique that has revolutionized numerous industrial sectors. In the medical and pharmaceuticals sectors, 3D printing offers the potential to develop new prosthetics, implants, and many other technologies that will pave the way for advances in regenerative medicine, drug delivery and personalized treatments, tackling current health care challenges. A unique feature of 3D printing is that it allows the manufacture of complex structures not obtainable through other manufacturing techniques, as well as the potential for personalized drug delivery systems. This project aims to develop novel drug eluting implants and stents that provide temporal and spatial control over drug delivery for the treatment of medical conditions such as cancer, providing more efficacious and safer delivery of therapeutics with reduced systemic side-effects. For more details please contact Dr. Blencowe.
Contact Person: Associate Professor Anton Blencowe
Dr Angelique Edmonds: My interests are in designing appropriate processes that generate social value in public projects, and measure that value in innovative ways. Such processes often use design led participatory engagement where end users are included as vital and active stakeholders in the design process - rather than simply considered users or consumers of a designed outcome. These considerations are framed by broader interests underpinned by Indigenous knowledges regarding social cohesion and mutually respectful engagement with the natural world, and how we support diverse intergenerational publics to thrive
Project Summary: The student will assist in developing and evaluating an animated short film as a part of a wider practice-based research project. This project seeks to investigate the integration of Generative AI alongside traditional methods of animation. AI has disrupted the landscape for creative practices globally, and the technology is developing at a rapid pace. Within the field of animation, AI and its integration into practical outcomes has limited understanding. This project seeks to research and investigate the way AI can be integrated into the complex pipeline of production. Working alongside researchers the student will work on the project to generate animation and collaborate on the documentation of creative research. The student will get exposure to and experience with various methods of practice-based research within the discipline of animation. This project seeks to discover if there are ethical and creative ways of integrating generative AI tools into practice-based non-traditional work.
Study Mode: Remote/online participation available
Contact person: Dr Ari Chand & Dr James Calvert
Project Summary: This project investigates the potential to increase the modal share of cycling in transit-oriented developments TODs) through examining the demand for bicycle parking and options for facilitating bicycle parking. Cycling as a modal share rarely exceeds 3% for the journey to work and education in metropolitan Adelaide, which reflects infrastructure limitations for safe cycling and a lack of bicycle parking, particularly for the end phase of trips. The project would involve two components: a review of literature relating to bicycle parking provisioning in TODs and centres, both in Australia and internationally; and a case study (such as Adelaide City Council or a similar local government area), investigating options for increasing bicycle parking for “end of trips” in public and private locations. Part of the second component of this project for determining bicycle parking potential, would be to determine the effect of modal share increase for cycling that could be achieved through maximising bicycle parking opportunities in TODs and centres.
Mode of Study: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact people: Dr Andrew Allan
Project Summary: The waste, pollution and human rights violations that arise from ever increasing levels of globalised design, production and transport of goods require response through new systems and practices of design. Bioregionality, the design and production of products from resources within areas defined by ecological limits, rather than political borders, is one framework seeking to generate new approaches to regenerative, circular and sustainable living. Cosmopolitan-localism is a framework that augments bioregional approaches with use of digital infrastructure for the generation and exchange of design knowledge across bioregions.
This research opportunity has a broad scope that can be tailored to the skills and interest of the student researcher, with projects including:
• research into regenerative or circular techniques of design or craft using digital tools.
• use of emerging technologies, such as 3D scanning or generative AI, for the production of sustainable design
• literature review and/or writing tasks for development of circular or regenerative design
Study Mode: Remote/online participation available
Contact person: Dr Guy Keulemans
Project Summary:
The CLLMM has been designated as a wetland of international significance, critical to the survival of waterbirds and native fish species. This important ecosystem underpins the livelihoods of local communities; therefore, its health has significant social, cultural, and economic impacts.
This research is part of a broader, multidisciplinary project led by a collaborative team from the University of South Australia and Flinders University. In partnership with local CLLMM communities, the team will use creative methods to document how communities have and hope to adapt to worsening droughts and floods under climate change. The team will apply participatory co-design methods, in collaboration with CLLMM communities, to co-create a creative artefact which communicates the impacts to the broader community and their responses. This artefact could take the form of a book, interactive web-based stories, exhibition of visual images and stories, and so on, depending on community needs and wishes.
This participatory action research project will facilitate two-way learning: 1) the research team will better understand community adaptation and response potentials, and; 2) communities will better understand the risks posed by climate change induced floods and droughts and their options to respond.
Students should have demonstrated environmental awareness and interests, basic research skills including development of literature reviews, and communication or illustration design skills.
Contact person: Dr Doreen Donovan
Project Summary: Increasing urban densities in centres and central business districts (CBDs) creates challenges in protecting view-sheds and solar access for buildings. With some building heights approaching 300m or more in some city centre locations such as Melbourne, wind effects, overshadowing and occlusion of desirable urban views becomes particularly problematic. Currently, planning controls are somewhat ineffectual in identifying occlusion of views and viewing corridors in CBD locations and the effects on CBD skyline profiles. In Manhattan, New York, there is recognition of the planning importance of protecting viewing corridors that could potentially be obscured by new tall buildings, and indeed, views can have significant commercial value to existing developments. This project has two components: a literature review that defines views that need protecting in urban settings and investigates planning and building controls applied in protecting views within CBDs and activity centres; and a case study of Adelaide CBD investigating the following: (1) view-sheds that require protection; (2) determining optimal skyline profile options; (3) determining the limits of overshadowing by taller buildings; and (4) developing planning recommendations for policy guidelines designed to protect view-sheds, facilitate preferred skyline profile options and limit overshadowing.
Mode of Study: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact people: Dr Andrew Allan
Project Summary:The aim of this project is to create a creative intergenerational arts program (IAP) as part of the first dedicated intergenerational play space in South Australia (SA), which focuses on building services for older Culturally and Linguistically diverse (CALD) people experiencing social isolation and associated mental health problems. Intergenerational services provided outside the normal confines of aged-care settings present novel inclusion and wellbeing opportunities for CALD seniors who are often excluded from public spaces.
Study Mode: Online/remote participation available
Contact Person: Associate Professor Fanke Peng
Project Summary:This study delves into the transformative capacity of design-led repair within creative higher education, viewing it as a potent tool for empowerment amid efforts to cultivate a sustainable culture in our higher education, ultimately charting a path towards circularity by 2030. Emphasizing the shift from fast fashion to slow fashion and from recycling to repairability, the study proposes a holistic approach centred on individual agency and the conscious repair and reuse of clothing/textiles from a systemic design perspective.
Study Mode: Online/remote participation available
Contact Person: Associate Professor Fanke Peng
Project Summary: In recent years, Australia’s housing market has witnessed soaring property prices and severe rental shortages. There is a pressing need to increase housing supply to address this crisis. However, due to increasing material costs, supply chain disruptions and severe labour shortages, construction costs are rising at records rates, further hindering the development of affordable housing projects. Prefabricated Construction (PC), also known as offsite construction, provides a viable and promising approach for enhanced delivery of housing projects, due to its various benefits, such as faster delivery, better quality control and greater sustainability performance. However the current adoption of PC is very low in Australia, and remains challenging due to a lack of suitable digital tools that can accommodate the aforementioned innovations in PC processes, especially in supporting design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA). The 3DEXPERIENCE platform developed by Dassault Systems, is a virtual twin solution that enables collaborative AEC professionals to work on the same platform to address complex PC projects, manage design models, drawings and documentation, and associated manufacture and production data. This project will be in collaboration with Dassault Systems. A summer scholarship student with an architecture background will develop a user case model using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. The developed model will be utilised at the next stage of the research project, to facilitate larger scale user studies. The project duration will be 8 weeks.
Study Mode: Remote/online participation available
Contact person: Dr Rongrong Yu
Project Summary:Climate change and an aging housing stock have resulted in a growing need to retrospectively upgrade our existing homes to provide an acceptable indoor environment. Retrofitting existing buildings presents an opportunity for emissions reduction and greater energy efficiency, to contribute towards Australia’s 2050 net-zero goal. Building retrofitting involves both passive and active approaches, including enhancing building user experience, using energy-efficient active systems, and generating required renewable energy, etc. As technology evolves, building retrofits can more significantly reduce energy; studies suggest that retrofitting residential buildings can save up to 86% of energy. Building performance analysis tools such as parametric modelling have been increasingly applied for retrofitting, to analyse and optimise building performance. Recent applications of augmented reality (AR)/virtual Reality (VR) technologies for retrofitting are also presenting new opportunities to visualise building performance and enrich users’ experience. However, there has been a lack of studies, and a lack of associated technology development, on comprehensive sustainable residential retrofitting analysis, simulation, and visualisation.
In light of the aforementioned gaps, this research aims to develop an end-user co-design toolkit for sustainable residential retrofitting, by utilising environmental sensors and VR/AR/MR technologies. As part of this project, a summer scholarship student with an IT background will be assisting the development of the digital interface utilising Unity software, and then interfacing it to the developed design simulation system. That connected interface will be able to interactively visualise building performance data across various scenarios to effectively engage end-users. The project duration will be 8 weeks.
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact Person: Professor Ning Gu
Project Summary: In Australia, and globally, women directors have been active in the production of autobiographical documentaries or essay films. Autobiographical films can be defined as those interrogating the maker’s own memories, history and/or experiences, which may be partially fictionalised. In Australia, directors such as Gillian Leahy, Margot Nash, Jeni Thornley, Phoebe Hart and others have explored aspects of their personal lives, addressing issues such as familial relationships, relationship with pets and gender identity. Their films are complex productions that draw upon archival materials and/or observational footage, and that are often framed by academic discourse. Moreover, they demonstrate a range of production methods and varied funding sources. This gives rise to an exploration of ‘the material and emotional legacy of the past to navigate a kind of reckoning or revelation’ (Dank 2015).
This proposed student project involves desktop research into these autobiographical films and their creators, to interrogate the ways that Australian female directors have approached the creation of these works with autobiographical elements. Students will conduct a review of literature that interrogates this body of work, and a close reading of relevant films with reference to identified criteria, which will be summarised in a report. This work aims to highlight the qualities and specificity of this body of work produced in Australia.
Study Mode: Remote/online participation available
Contact person: Associate Professor Kath Dooley
Project Summary: The revival of interest in mid-century Modernism is everywhere from Eames chairs and Aalto vases to Richard Neutra houses and Arne Jacobsen cutlery. Its popularity has renewed an interest in the local architectural culture and its production within the period, with the Architecture Museum and other repositories fielding many inquiries on the topic.
The proposed project involves the assembly of material into both bibliography and handlist of sources for the study of South Australian mid-century Architecture. The list would work towards a browsable directory of known copies of drawings and articles, drawing upon previous scholarly publications and containing links to selected projects, descriptions, and digital facilities of items available for download.
In the Post war period, Modernism in Adelaide boomed within an industrialising economy and an emerging consumer culture. Design knowledge about this period remains limited. The handlist will assist in this area by expanding these sources by variously linking available published and unpublished material to provide the reader a handlist in which one could learn about post war architecture and design in Adelaide.
The project aims to have impact and will lead to multi-year digital humanities project as the Architecture Museum moves towards open access (OA) digital humanities project to put information of this kind on the web starting with the architects of SA database. The handlist would mix both physical material and bibliography, combining it with digitally available materials where possible linking institutions that preserve both data and material on this period.
Contact person: Dr James Curry
Project Summary: As a leading future-focused museum within UniSA, MOD. serves to connect research and the public.
The MOD. exhibition for 2024 was BROKEN. With a focus on hope, visitors explored distinct possible futures and reflected on the way that our world could better support human flourishing.
Visitors responded to questions underpinned by hope theory throughout the exhibition, and we now have a large dataset that can help us understand the way that the public think about the future.
This project will see a student researcher studying this data to answer one of the following questions:
Study Mode: Remote/online participation available
Contact person: Dr Lisa Bailey & Associate Professor Erik Champion
Project Summary:This project investigates how Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports for urban development projects can be used in a more proactive way to quantify and appraise carbon emissions, with the objective of ensuring the achievement of net zero carbon emissions through applying the EIA process to urban development projects. Currently in Australia there is no systematic way to include carbon emissions assessment into the development assessment of urban development projects, with a view to achieving net zero carbon emissions performance across a project’s complete life cycle from inception to decommissioning or rebirth. The project components of this project include: (1) a literature review on net carbon emissions appraisal in urban development projects; (2) developing a carbon emissions appraisal technique to achieve a net zero carbon emissions outcome across the project’s life cycle; and (3) developing one or more case studies detailing the application of the carbon emissions appraisal technique that achieves net zero carbon emissions.
Mode of Study: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact people: Dr Andrew Allan
Project Summary: Students will be involved in various tasks to undertake the following: An investigation of digital media methods to represent, curate, narrate visually, a select Nukunu Nation story already in the public domain. As a form of intangible cultural heritage, the translation of the story to a documented visualisation provides another means of record and form of engagement for future generations of Nukunu. We are already in collaboration with UniSA researchers in STEM and Creative working n projects such as the Wilmington Kinship Place and cultural mapping scope, co-designed with NWTAC. The aim for this next phase of the project is to explore an extension of the co-design process, to develop a comprehensive brief, Nukunu mob-specific research method, and implementation process to document a story from Nukunu Country. As part as a Nukunu-led strategy for future generations' to have access for multiple means and records of Culture as forms of entertainment, engagement and prosperity through mixed media digital techniques. This approach, at the request the NWT AC Board will enable UniSA multidisciplinary design-focused students to have a variety of co-design experiences: such as yarning, camping on Country, learning about Nukunu Culture, story-boarding sites of significance, brief preparation and creative artefact production. We invite applications from any of UniSA Creative’s Design based programs interested in developing skills and understanding from working with First Nations communities.
Study Mode: Remote/online participation option available
Contact person: Dr Julie Nichols
Project Summary: This project is aligned with the development of a research proposal for the Race for Zero 2030 CRC (https://racefor2030.com.au/). The aim is to create models for sustainable retrofitting of individual homes to suburban streets, in particular the process of developing community engagement and advocacy for improved environmental performance. Overall the project proposes the renovation of a streetscape of residences, including communal assets associated with the street (public areas: footpath, street trees and planting, stormwater swales) as well as individual residences through comfort performance internally and external associated planting. It is the position of our group that the road to net zero must come from a transformation of suburban life-style practices suitable for the changing demographics of 21st century living.
The research work undertaken by the scholarship recipient will focus on developing a knowledge bank of case studies including similar projects, successful and otherwise, that challenge communities to implement sustainable, water-wise and carbon-reducing communal strategies.
In addition to landscape initiatives, the research project anticipates the retro-fitting of participant houses to implement net-carbon zero energy use strategies. This will include audits of environmental performance, improvement strategies and an assessment of positive initiatives as well as identifying impediments to change. Whilst focusing on human comfort gains, these design initiatives aim to increase health resilience and wellbeing of occupants, as well as enriching social value at individual home and collective suburban levels.
It is anticipated that the successful applicant will form part of an extended team from UniSA and Local Government representatives currently in discussion to apply for funding to the Race for Zero 2030 CRC in the general category of Race for Change, Theme 9: ‘Incorporating end-users in whole-of system design’. Because this category specifically targets end-user/consumer behaviour, the project has a significant opportunity to identify social trends in energy consumption as part of an overall change in social participation.
Contact person: Dr Sean Pickersgill & Dr Katica Pedisic
Project Summary: This research aims to explain a complex issue so that it is easily understandable by lay persons. The word ‘interoperability’ is lengthy and abstruse, consisting of eight syllables and not widely understood by architects. However, essentially it is quite simple, as explained by Patrick MacLeamy, former Chair, buildingSMART International – it is when ‘…my computer understands completely what your computer program is saying’. But why should this be of interest to architects? Chiefly because data loss and errors across a building’s lifecycle, especially during the operations stage which accounts for 80% of lifetime costs, will have a negative effect on sustainable architecture. And yet there is a lack of research evidence and quantified data to support this hypothesis. Sustainable architecture depends on accurate information about materials, safety, logistics, equipment, and performance. This information is itself based on reliable data about many building properties including spatial, loading, fire, energy, lighting, heating, and cooling. Hence, the combined economic, social and environmental impacts on architecture due to poor interoperability are presently unknown. These impacts can be better understood through more extensive and thorough research. Provided with more accurate information about the impacts of poor interoperability on design architects would be better informed during the design process thus mitigating the impacts of poor interoperability on society and the environment. Hence, some of the questions are: how can architects be better informed about poor interoperability?; what tools and methods are available to assist with information flow and data analysis?; and where are the gaps in our knowledge that need to be filled? But you may have even more questions than this.
Study Mode: Online/remote particiation available
Contact person: Dr Robert Doe
Professor Anna Sullivan: Vacation scholars will have to opportunity to undertake research in the Centre for Research in Educational and Social Inclusion. A range of project possibilities are available including literature searches, literature reviews and data analysis. Topics include early career teachers, casual teachers, induction, classroom management, school discipline and school exclusions. Scholars will learn about large research projects and collaborate with teams. Please contact me to discuss options.
Dr Jamie Manolev: Vacation scholars will have an opportunity to undertake research associated with the Centre for Research in Educational and Social Inclusion. A range of possible projects are available including literature searches, annotated bibliographies, literature reviews, and data analysis. Topics include school discipline and school exclusions (e.g. suspensions, exclusions, expulsions), school discipline and (school) middle leaders, and school discipline and digital education platforms. Scholars will have the opportunity to work in, and collaborate with, a research team
Project Summary: As part of a larger project, this project will investigate to what extent diverse cultures and languages are represented within the picture books on offer to children within early childhood settings. Scholarship holders will learn research skills in conducting a book audit within an early childhood setting and will have an opportunity to engage with the research team in theoretical discussions, analysis of data, review of the relevant literature and contribute to a publication.
Contact person: Dr Jamie Sisson
Project Summary: The goal of this project is to develop a novel web-based learning application that uses Artificial Intelligence to support students and teachers. The Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning (C3L) at UniSA Education Futures has recently started developing an AI platform for supporting students. This project extends the existing platform to provide more complex AI functionality, such as automating feedback, assignment grading and generating of learning materials.
The intended outcome of the project for the prospective student is to get experience in developing modern AI-based software using Python programming language and experience with popular web frameworks such as Django. The student should have a solid understanding of Python programming and familiarity with web technologies (HTML, CSS). The prior experience with AI technologies is not required.
Contact Person: Associate Professor Vitomir Kovanovic
Project summary: This project aims to enhance human-AI team synergy by equipping teams with AI competence, aligning with the growing objective of cultivating effective and innovative teams in today’s workplace. Currently, teams collaborating with AI agents face the growing risk of excessive dependence on cognitive offloading to AI, leading to detrimental outcomes such as compromised decision-making, the reinforcement of biases, cognitive stagnation within teams, and diminished performance quality. Educating teams to be AI literate will promote constructive interactions with AI agents, thereby improving decision-making processes and reducing the risk of mental atrophy.
The goal of the project is to leverage cutting-edge technologies and advanced research methodologies using learning analytics to identify optimal strategies and disseminate essential knowledge, ensuring that teams utilising AI are well-prepared to meet the demands of the contemporary workplace. This project can potentially empower teams in their interactions with AI agents by addressing the pressing need to educate an AI-literate workforce, contributing to the global mission to advance human-AI interaction.
As part of the Vacation Research Scholarship, your specific role in this project may include:
The scholarship will also offer the following opportunities:
Join us in this innovation project to help empower teams in their interactions with AI agents and contribute to the advancement of human-AI collaboration!
Mode of Study: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Dr Andrew Zamecnik
Project Summary: While much research has been conducted in education regarding the impact of specific pedagogies and initiatives on learning outcomes, less work has been done in the area of affective measurement. That is measuring the changes of attitude and feeling on students' learning intentions and how these change over time. Our research team currently has over 1 million affective data measurements across a number of schools collected over a 4 year period. We are seeking vacation scholars who can assist our existing team in identifying, analysing and hypothesising explanations for the trends seen in this dataset. This would be an ideal project for a student in Education, Psychology or Data Science. Some familiarity with the use of R would be advantageous. As part of the process, the scholar(s) will be expected to contribute to NTRO reports which will later become published journal articles. The process of co-authoring journal papers will likely extend beyond the period of the paid scholarship.
Contact Person: Dr John Kennedy
Project Summary: Mathematics is often encountered as a curriculum of dry nouns, but there are increasing calls to reconceptualise mathematics education to move beyond the acquisition of knowledge and skills to a focus on the rich verbs—mathematical practices and habits of mind such as questioning, exploration, sense making, problem solving, and intuition. Interviews with mathematicians frequently highlight the importance of these practices in their work, demonstrating their vital role in authentic mathematical thinking. As such, cultivating these habits in students is essential for developing their mathematical proficiency, deep understanding, and positive disposition towards mathematics.
This project will analyse published online interviews with mathematicians to gather qualitative data on their experiences and perspectives. The goal is to identify and analyse recurring themes related to mathematicians’ feelings, attitudes, beliefs, and practices, and to create a rich resource that may inform and enhance the teaching of mathematics in schools.
The project would suit students with a background in mathematics and, preferably, experience in thematic analysis.
Mode of Study: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Professor Amie Albrecht
Project Summary:This research aims to investigate how university students’ use of AI tools to support their self-regulated learning at university. As AI tools have become prolific and are readily becoming more available, it is timely to explore how university students use them to support their university learning. The findings will help inform universities on how AI tools can be better integrated into the curriculum and the support provisions necessary for students to use the tools effectively to support their learning. The Vacation Research project will involve conducting a literature review and contributing to writing a journal article.
Mode of Study: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact people: Associate Professor Negin Mirriahi
Project Summary:Homework is a contested practice and, despite persistent perceptions about the effectiveness of homework, a consensus about its usefulness has not been reached within the research of this field. Family involvement in children’s education, which can be in the form of homework, has been shown to have a positive influence on educational outcomes (Goodall, 2018; O’Sullivan et al., 2014; Silinskas & Kikas, 2019). Yet, consideration must be given to how education policies position and impact families differently. In terms of equity, examining the influence of education policies on families is particularly pertinent for those facing various forms of disadvantage (Hartas, 2012). We know that education policies rarely account for the differing contexts in which they are enacted (Baak et al., 2023).
In this study, we explore the range of homework policies across primary and secondary school contexts in SA, with a particular focus on English and Mathematics.
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Associate Professor Lisa O'Keeffe
Project Summary: This project recognises the importance of international students to Australia’s future, highlighting their strong contribution to cultural diversity, people-to-people relations, economic productivity, and soft diplomacy. Funded by Bupa and City of Adelaide, the project aims to: (1) nurture international student resilience and wellbeing in the face of significant challenges, and (2) embrace them as a vital thread of the socio-economic and cultural fabric of local communities. The project will pioneer the first evidence-based, practice-guiding, and community-grounded international student resilience and wellbeing Framework to foster the shared future of international students and local communities.
South Australia is an ideal context for the project. The State is a designated region for skilled migration, benefits economically from international education as one of its largest export sectors, and hosts the new Adelaide University that will appeal strongly to international students. The State capital, Adelaide, hosts many tertiary campuses and proudly brands itself as a welcoming community for everyone to live in, and flourish.
Dr Hannah Soong and Associate Professor Michael Mu lead the South Australian International Student Wellbeing Network (ISWN) involving key personnel from the international student services sector of major public and private tertiary institutions, as well as community engagement leaders and practitioners working in government and health sectors, non-/for-profit agencies, and faith-based organisations. Michael and Hannah invite Vacation Research Scholars to join this project and offer student scholars the opportunities to:
(1) work with local partners within the ISWN;
(2) involve in the mapping of existing resources that support international student resilience, wellbeing, and community engagement;
(3) develop skills in research information retrieval, literature organisation and review, and academic writing for research purposes; and
(4) learn to use research tools such as EndNote for referencing, NVivo for qualitative data analysis, and SPSS for quantitative data analysis.
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Associate Professor Michael Mu & Dr Hannah Soong
Project Summary: Ainscow (2020) defines students’ inclusive education with three pillars: “presence, participation and achievement” (p. 127), pillars informed by policies (OECD, 2007; Education and Children’s Services Act 2019, 2020; UN, 2006, 2016; UNESCO, 2019). Yet, despite the advocacy of inclusive education at a global policy level, students remain systemically excluded, encountering challenges in schools across each of these pillars. Educators continue to struggle to ensure all learners are attending and their needs are met in their mainstream neighbourhood schools. Aligned with UniSA’s strategic priority 4, ‘Shaping a better world together’, the aim of this project is to identify practices that educators can employ to include students with disabilities ensuring their presence, participation and achievement.
The vacation research scholar will work closely with Dr Foteini Pasenidou to conduct a desk-based research coding and analysing NCCD podcasts offering support strategies for educators teaching students with various types of disabilities. The aim of this project is the production of an academic publication and in the spirit of research translation, a key summary of the identified enabling practices for educators.
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Dr Foteini Pasenidou
Project Summary: This critical policy study aims to investigate the ways in which middle leaders in Australian schools learn to interpret and enact policies guiding the management of student (mis)behaviour. The project seeks to generate new knowledge into how middle leaders learn to translate behaviour policy into practice in ways that optimally support all students to learn.
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Dr Neil Tippett
Project Summary: Linear approaches towards the efficacy of interventions in education are important but not sufficient. A more complex, wholistic approach to research is needed. The research team have developed a new approach, known as Pragmatic Adaptive Modelling (PAM). This project will assist the research team in developing an RShiny application to be made publicly available to generate PAM diagrams in a consistent and useful format and to use this diagram to suggest linear models for use in PAM analysis. The Scholar, will lead the development of the RShiny application and contribute to a theoretical proposal paper outlining its application. Familiarity with R or Python Pandas is essential and this project would be very suitable for a computer science or data science student.
Contact Person: Dr John Kennedy
Project Summary: This project is significant because scant empirical evidence is available on how schools establish an inclusive community. In particular, the OECD (2020) has reported that there is a “sign of absence of clear guidance on how teachers should behave in order to create an inclusive environment for all students”. Aligned with UniSA’s strategic priority 4, ‘Shaping a better world together’, this project aims to collect empirical evidence on how an inclusive community can be established.
This study employs a single case study design at primary school, which includes three main research design components: identifying empowering opportunities provided by the school leadership/organisation to the staff; capturing educators’ perceptions and experiences of driving change; and development of a Framework of Leadership for School Inclusion.
Scholarship holder will have an opportunity to engage with the research team, Dr Foteini Pasenidou, Dr Deb Price, Dr Deb Green, Prof Anna Sullivan in coding and analysis of data (interviews, artefacts), review of the relevant literature and contribute to a publication.
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Dr Foteini Pasenidou
Project Summary: Increasing numbers of regional education students are taking on the complex and demanding challenge of balancing university study with work as a Special Authority Teacher [SAT] while completing their final pre-service placements in regional schools.
This project seeks to explore the experiences of regional students as they complete their education degree courses, fulfil final pre-service teacher placement requirements, while at the same time working independently and autonomously as SATs. We want to understand the impact these multifaceted and inextricably linked roles have on professional/teacher identity. We have a lot to learn from these experiences, gaining insights and recommendations from regional education students working as SATs will enable us to better support subsequent cohorts as they work towards completing their education degree in regional communities, and their subsequent transition to the qualified teacher workforce.
Defining [regional] teacher identity is a dynamic process, a merging of the personal and the professional, identity and self, situated in the locationally specific context [of regional communities] (Beauchamp & Thomas, 2009). Green and Reid (2004) suggest that teacher education, educational research, and schooling itself is best understood as situated practice. The geographic and conceptual intersection of teacher education and being a teacher living and working in regional communities, is underpinned by the alignment of collegial and pedagogic relationships across education sectors (Jones & Foran, 2024). Walker-Gibbs et al., (2015) describe this as a “Pedagogy of the rural … an approach to conceptualise rural understandings as a pedagogy … not ‘for’ or ‘about’ but rather ‘of’ the rural” (p. 1).
The Vacation Research Scholar will actively engage with a small regional research team, conduct interview analysis, review relevant literature, and contribute to a publication.
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Sharron Jones (Whyalla Campus)
Project Summary: Small schools have a long history in Australia and are often found in communities with substantial social capital and rich relationships. In regional areas, small schools are more prevalent compared to metropolitan areas. National and international numeracy assessments indicate that students in regional areas underperform compared to their urban peers. Furthermore, the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC, 2022) reveals that students living in regional and remote areas are more likely to be developmentally vulnerable than those in metropolitan areas. Approximately 30% of all Australian primary schools have a student population of fewer than 200 students which often results in multi-year class structures throughout the school. However, there is still so much to learn about the composition of small schools across Australia. This project seeks to gain more significant insights into small Australian Schools. Potential VRS students could explore data around student attendance rates, index of social disadvantage, historical changes of student numbers at particular sites and geographical relationships. The vacation scholarship can be involved in various components of the research, including using MySchool and ABS data to collate, organise, display Australian school population data over time and produce a summary of findings. It is anticipated that an outcome of the VRS project will be a journal article and conference presentation(s).
Mode of Study: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Dr Kate Quane & Dr Bec Neill
Project Summary:Acknowledging the collective responsibility (UNESCO, 2008, 2016, 2019), a systemic reform has been suggested in promoting students’ inclusive education (Ainscow, 2020; UN, 2006). Therefore, focusing on the “mechanisms of schooling” rather than students’ “constructed difference(s)” (Migliarini et al., 2019, p. 755), and aligned with UniSA’s strategic priority 4, ‘Shaping a better world together’, this project aims to move beyond an individualistic approach, thereby exploring whole school/school-wide programs that promote the inclusion of students with Autism in Australian schools.
The vacation research scholar will work closely with Dr Foteini Pasenidou to conduct desk-based research. The vacation research scholar will receive support to develop skills in identifying and reviewing various types of research literature. They will also learn how to extract and code key data from publicly available sources, including literature and Departments of Education websites to identify inclusive practices for students with Autism. The aim of this project is the production of an academic publication.
Mode of Study: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Dr Foteini Pasenidou
Dr Eric Hsu Vacation research scholarship recipients supervised by Dr Hsu will have the opportunity to undertake research in the discipline of sociology. Project topics include the sociology of sleep, the social analysis of smart-home technologies, and the social theory of housing. At the conclusion of their scholarship, students will have the opportunity to produce an scholarly publication in an international journal.
Project summary:Recently the BBB, using a survey, conducted a study to gain an understanding about trust and artificial intelligence from a general population perspective. Artificial intelligence can be found in our everyday lives, for example, in our home, our transport, and at our work. We know trust takes time and is valuable, but we do not know enough about how people perceive trust when considering it in the context of artificial intelligence. Data from the survey will provide the groundwork for understanding and identifying any gaps in the knowledge of trust and artificial intelligences. The survey has generated a large database of both quantitative and qualitative data. The potential scholar may assist with collating, cleaning, and analysing data, undertake a literature review and work with the team to identify gaps in the questionnaire and potentially refine the questionnaire to address these gaps. The BBB includes students as part of the team and they will be welcomed to participate in team meetings, professional development sessions and social activities. Students will learn about working on industry projects as part of a large team, and how to translate the research to real world contexts.
Contact people: Dr Linda Grosser, Dr Crystal Yates& Professor Siobhan Banks
Project summary: Deaf Trauma is trauma specifically related to deafness. Deaf Trauma typically involves six key areas experienced young Deaf individuals: language deprivation, communication barriers, inadequate social interaction, educational delays, insufficient parental bonding, and identity conflict as a result of varying communication methodologies imposed upon the deaf child. Trauma often continues into adulthood. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence based treatment for trauma. EMDR may be ideally suited for use with the Deaf populations due to its somatic focus.
The Vacation Research Scholarship offered will involve completing a literature review involving Deaf Trauma (basic information from the USA and special information from Australia) as well as the use of EMDR for trauma (focusing upon Australian resources but citing key USA research). Specific information regarding psychological treatment involving the Deaf will be reviewed as well (especially EMDR).
It is hoped that the literature review will serve as the basis for a research trial of EMDR for Deaf Trauma.
Mode of Study: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Dr Nadine Pelling
(Nadine is hard of hearing. The project will involve contact with Deaf community members and when needed an Auslan interpreter will be provided. The main contact for Nadine with the Deaf community is Dr Donovan Cresdee).
Project summary: Delirium is a common Neurocognitive Disorder in hospitalised older adults. It is associated with a range of poor outcomes, including a 9-fold increased risk of dementia. Vacation Scholars would be embedded within two funded delirium projects.
Please get in touch before applying.
Study Mode: Remote/online participation is an option for this project
Contact person: A/Prof Hannah Keage
Project summary: This project is a collaboration between the Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre – Justice and Society, and the Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments – STEM, to develop a standardised assessment tool to provide a measure of people’s aptitude in virtual reality (VR). Many VR studies, tools, and systems attempt to understand or improve how people use and interact with VR. However, people’s base aptitude in VR can vary greatly. Factors of this aptitude—including navigation, mental rotation, and interaction—can impact how well they use VR systems.
Current methods for determining VR aptitude are ad-hoc, being custom questionnaires with no standardised questions or ranges. For example, many studies will ask participants questions such as “How often do you use VR?” and “How long do you spend in VR?”. These questions have no benchmark understanding of how answers correlate to the significant factors of VR aptitude.
In this project, the successful applicant will help design, develop, and validate a tool for measuring VR aptitude. The project will propose potential significant factors and proceed to test these factors. The eventual tool may take the form of a validated traditional questionnaire or be supported by an immersive VR-based test.
The applicant will be supported jointly by the Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre – Justice & Society, and the Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments – STEM.
Mode of Study: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Dr James Baumeister & Dr Andrew Cunningham
Project Summary: On 6 May 2024 amendments were made to the Family Law Act which change the way decisions are made for children. Among these changes were new duties imposed on Independent Children’s Lawyers (ICLs) who are appointed to represent children’s best interests.
These new duties are that an ICL
ICLs do not need to perform these duties if the child is under 5 years old, or there are ‘exceptional circumstances’.
Previously, ICLs were under no obligation to meet with children, which had implications for how children’s voices are heard and their ability to participate in proceedings.
The scholarship research will involve reviewing judgments of the Family Court decided after 6 May to analyse:
This research will form part of a wider study investigating the impact of these new duties on court practice and procedure. It will make an important contribution to the understanding of the impacts of the new amendments on Australian family law and will contribute to the literature on children’s voices.
Study Mode: Remote/online participation is an option on this project
Contact person: Dr Michelle Fernando
Project Summary: Universities have a responsibility to assist first year students to transition well into university (Birbeck et al., 2021). This aligns with strategic priority 2 and action 2.1 of the UniSA Academic Enterprise Plan and the recommendations of the Universities Accord Report, with a focus on the student learning experience and embedding strategies to foster student engagement and belonging. Yet, at present, figures show that one third of commencing students will still fail to graduate from an Australian university (Wilson et al., 2016).
The first few weeks of a semester determines whether a student opts to engage with or disconnects from their studies (Fewster-Young & Concoran, 2023). Universities propel students into unfamiliar academic learning environments which can be overwhelming, intimidating, and isolating (Schutze, Bartyn & Tapsell, 2021). Most universities hold orientation programs in an attempt to ameliorate this issue. However, orientation programs have been criticised for overwhelming students with large volumes of information and, as they are often non-compulsory, students may not attend (Heath et al, 2018).
The purpose of our research project was to extend the traditional orientation program by implementing and evaluating an embedded skills-based intervention in an SP2 2024 first-year course. The aim of the intervention was to increase student engagement through short tutorial activities to support students in learning academic skills, university systems, and how to access student support systems. We are currently analysing pre-post intervention survey responses to determine impacts on student confidence levels and which modules students found most valuable.
The Vacation Research Project will further enhance our understanding of the impacts of the embedded transition skills intervention through conducting interviews and analysing interview data from teaching staff, PASS leaders, and students who participated in the initiative to further explore their experiences and perceptions of the embedded modules and whether/how these facilitated greater student confidence and success.
Contact Person: Associate Professor Elissa Pearson & Dr Amanda Richardson
Project summary: Recommendations from the Disability Royal Commission and the NLAP Review clearly set out that the legal needs of priority groups within our community are not being met. People with lived experience of disability form a significant priority group, with 1 in 5 Australians living with disability.
There is a powerful argument that specialist legal services provide unique and tailored legal assistance to specific cohorts. The existence of ALRM,Women’s Legal Service are exemplary examples of this. In South Australia there is no specific free legal service that supports people with lived experience of disability.
This project set out to provide evidence-based support for such a service:
The legal needs of people with lived experience are often complex and involve family members and/or carers. This makes the seeking legal support more difficult.
In collaboration with Disability Rights Advocacy Service this project aims to provide an exploration and evidence base for stakeholders to seek recognition and resourcing of the need for a specialized service.
Mode of Study: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Associate Professor Caroline Ellison & Dr Sarah Moulds
Project summary: The Adoption Act 1988 provides the legal framework for lawful adoption of children in South Australia and contains a range of provisions that seek to protect the human rights of adoptees, birth parents and adopting parents. However, the legislation conceptualises of ‘adoptees’ as children – both as a matter of law, and in terms of how adoptee’s legal rights are understood and protected – and this leads to significant gaps when it comes to protecting and promoting the human rights of adopted adults adoptees. Given the potential impact the Adoption Act has on the lives and dignity of South Australians, review and reform of this law is urgently needed. This project aims to identify the gaps in human rights protection for adopted adults, with a view to informing future calls for legislative reform.
Research questions
Key tasks
Research Outputs
Mode of Study: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Dr Sarah Moulds
Project summary: Recently, our team at the Behaviour Brain Body Research Centre (BBB) has focused on teaming within different operational environments. These teams can made up of individuals, assistive technology, and machines themselves. Our research focuses on the ability of the team to work cohesively, and to cope with complex safety and security issues while in a fatigued state. We have a large database from recent studies examining teams during sleep deprivation in the lab. The successful vacation scholar would help to collate the data and work with the team to begin analysis. The potential scholar may also work with the team to develop a questionnaire relating to people’s experiences using AR/VR technologies which is being introduced as an aid teams in the operational context. The BBB Centre includes students as part of the research team and they will be welcomed to participate in centre meetings, professional development sessions and social activities. Students will learn about working on industry projects as part of a large project team, and how to translate the research to real world contexts.
Contact people: Dr Crystal Yates, Dr Linda Grosser & Professor Siobhan Banks
Project summary: PSC-GO dedicated to translating research into high quality industry relevant programs with strong evidence. The project aims to explore the importance of a psychosocial working environment on organizational effectiveness and productivity, which is importance evidence for nurturing a healthy workplace. This project involved a data linkage between an existing Australian population based data with 10,000 workers and their experience on Psychosocial Safety Climate (i.e., work climate for workers’ psychological health) and organizational outcomes, e.g., profits. PSC is a leading indicator of worker psychological health, linking to lower burnout, higher work engagement, and performance. High PSC also related to positive social relational aspects of work including lower bullying rate, and higher level of support. Evidence has consistently highlighted the importance of PSC and the need to nurture a high PSC at workplaces. Nonetheless to further establish the evidence, this project extends the idea to examine the benefits of having PSC beyond individual psychological health but to organisations. Through this project student has the chance to learn the latest development in organizational psychology literature, the best practices, and principles of conducting research and data gathering, learn advanced data analysis method, and having opportunities to involved in research paper write up. Student will be supervised by researcher who actively involved in high quality research and skillful in complex data management. Engaging in the project provides an exceptional learning experience that prepare the students for further pursuing a HDR degree.
Contact person: Dr May Loh
Project summary: Nurses are an essential workforce and form the largest profession within the global healthcare system. They significantly contribute to the delivery of quality healthcare services and assist in the improvement of health outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. Although nursing is described as a rewarding profession, it is not without physical, mental, emotional, and ethical challenges. Therefore, maintaining the health and well-being of nurses is essential. However, a primary challenge affecting nurses’ health and well-being is insufficient and poor-quality sleep. It is unclear whether the sleep deficits reported in nurses are due to an ageing workforce, mirrors trends in the general population or are unique to the nursing profession because of higher rates of occupational stress and emotional exhaustion (secondary to staff shortage and escalating caring demands). We propose to undertake a review of studies which have included nurses as participants from 1980-2024 and report sleep quantity and sleep quality. Compared with population norms, this data will be used to test whether sleep parameters have demonstrated a secular decline. This information will help inform workforce management policies and strategies for supporting the sleep needs of nurses.
Contact person: Professor Kurt Lushington
Dr Gary Owens: General Environmental area
Dr Andrew Cunningham: Virtual reality, Augmented Reality, Data visualisation, Physicalisation and 3D printing, Autonomous robot interaction
Project summary:
• These projects will provide students the opportunities to work in an advanced laser physics lab and to engage with the new $ 35M Centre of Excellence in laser frequency combs (combs.org.au). The students will work in a well-supported ‘state of the art’ laser laboratory at Mawson Lakes and develop skills in laser devices, the broader photonics area, and numerical simulations.
• Specific projects will be tailored to the students strengths and interests.
• A background in physics/ maths or STEM based engineering is preferred.
Project Duration: 6 weeks
Contact Person: Professor David Lancaster
Project Summary: Environmental pollution is a global issue severely limiting food production and endangering human health. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop sustainable remediation technologies which are simple, highly efficient, cheap, and which generate no secondary pollution. While phytoremediation, which uses plants to clean up contaminated soils, has been proposed as environmentally friendly option; it is extremely slow and limited by contaminant phytotoxicity. What is required is a plant-like device capable of removing contaminants from soil quickly, but which is immune to contaminant toxicity. This project combines our recent advances in biomimetic and photothermal technologies to achieve enhanced in situ soil remediation, where inspired by natural plant evapotranspiration enhanced photothermal driven water sampling will be achieved using bionic plant-like structures to increase water evaporation and hence contaminant removal efficiency. In this project we will apply our newly developed prototype solar-driven water evaporators to demonstrate efficient solar driven environmmntal remediation (SDER) of contaminated As, Cu or Pb soils.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Associate Professor Gary Owens
Project Summary: UniSA’s Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments is looking for a student to help work on projected augmented reality spray painting! This project will build on existing work to build a polished project similar to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bilGEwQgPo, allowing designers, students, and anyone, to virtually spray paint 3D objects. Ideal applicants would have at least some knowledge of Unity, as well as a relatively good mathematical background. The project will involve learning the existing project, refining the calibration system, designing a 3D spray can to 3D print as the controller, and integrating with a tracking system. Upon completion, the project will serve as a deployable demo at open days, industry events, and as a permanent fixture within the research centre.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Dr James Walsh
Project Summary:
The project will investigate different forms of representation for a conversational agent to assist in manipulating and synthesising CAD designs in Virtual Reality (VR). The student will work towards effectively representing conversational agents to assist designers in working and exploring their designs in VR, such as investigating human-like representations, different voice synthesises, personifications, and agent behaviours. Students will be situated in the Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments (IVE) at Mawson Lakes, having access to state-of-the-art VR technologies, as well as learning the Unity Game Engine, Chat-GPT and NLP integration into Game Engines, and Rhino/Grasshopper. Students will also have the opportunity to collaborate with and showcase their work to stakeholders at architectural firms in collaboration with the project.
Large-language models (LLM) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) have recently gained traction within the design community, enabling designers to use prompts to generate and guide their designs for ideation and manipulation. Currently popular are the textural interfaces prevalent in Chat-GPT and Llama, where users enter prompts via text or voice and receive feedback from a conversational agent via text or a synthesised voice for their designs. Often, the conversational agent is either a) not represented visually to the user other than text (invisible) or b) through a human-like avatar. Thus, we are seeking to explore a wide range of possibilities for representing conversational agents in VR.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact Person: Dr Adam Drogemuller & Dr Andrew Cunningham
Project summary: The Australian Rainfall and Runoff (ARR) guides design-flood estimation in Australia using rainfall-based and streamflow-based methods. These methods involve rainfall-runoff routing and flood frequency analyses, both dependent on flow data derived from 'flow rating curves.' Any uncertainty in these curves impacts the reliability of flood estimates. Recent studies indicate that ARR methods often underperform in South Australia due to inaccuracies in rating curves and flow data (Kemp and Hewa 2018).
This project aims to investigate the most appropriate methodology to improve the rating curve at a site of interest. The selected student will explore the power of data modelling techniques and 2D-hydraulic modelling in developing highly reliable rating curves. For this project, gauge station A5030529 of Burnt Out Creek near Mount Bold Reservoir and A5060500 of Wakefield River near Rhynie will be taken as case study sites.
By participating in this project, the student will gain hands-on experience in advanced hydrological modelling techniques, contribute to improving flood estimation accuracy in South Australia, and help enhance the overall effectiveness of the ARR guidelines. This project provides a unique opportunity to address critical issues in hydrology and flood management, potentially leading to publishable outcomes and significant contributions to the field. We are seeking a motivated and diligent intern with a background in civil engineering, hydrology, or a related field to join our team and help drive this important research forward.
Please note that this project involves some visits to the study sites.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Dr Guna Hewa & Dr David Kemp
Project Summary: A significant number of patients with COVID-19 experience prolonged symptoms, a condition known as Long COVID. A study in the UK reported that on average, 20% of COVID-19 patients developed Long COVID. However, few studies have investigated this population, so relatively little is known about the causes, especially the genetic causes of Long COVID, and the treatments for these patients. In this research program, we aim to identify the genetic causes of Long COVID using AI models.
Students will have the opportunity to learn key tasks associated with answering a specific research question. These include processing Long COVID data, understanding new AI models, and writing code (in R or Python) to identify the genes that cause Long COVID from data.
Study Mode: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Associate Professor Thuc Le
Project Summary: Breast cancer is a devastating disease that presents a significant challenge to medical professionals. One of the biggest obstacles facing doctors is determining the best treatment approach for each individual patient. This requires answering complex "what if" questions, such as "what would be the optimal treatment for this patient?" and "what would be the survival time if this patient was cured with chemotherapy?"
While current computational approaches can identify gene signatures associated with breast cancer subtypes, they are unable to infer causation between treatments and patient outcomes. To address this gap in knowledge, we aim to leverage recent advances in causal inference research to develop an AI system to recommend the optimal treatment plan for each breast cancer patient.
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Associate Professor Thuc Le
Project Summary: Worldwide, the excessive consumption of water, compounded with a general deterioration in the quality of both surface and ground waters due to anthropogenic activities, is a major threat to water security and ecosystem health. Industrial pollution of water continues to be a major issue; especially in developing countries where limited water resources are already stretched to breaking point and governments lack the resources to implement full wastewater treatment. Consequently, in many developing countries access to clean drinking water is not always guaranteed due to the high costs associated with water treatment. Thus, access to cheap but efficient adsorbents for water purification is essential and consequently there is a need to develop cost-effective and efficient adsorbents for a variety of inorganic, metallic and organic pollutants.
This project adopts a multi-faceted approach which considers water contaminant issues on a case-by-case basis and recognizes that there is no wonder adsorbent that would suit every potential contaminant situation. Thus, contaminant issues that may potentially be considered include 1) the removal of azo dyes, which are common to the waste streams of textile and tanning industries, 2) the treatment of As contaminated drinking water in Bangladesh, 3) reducing excessive nitrate, phosphate or pesticide levels in farm effluents, or more simply, 4) excessive heavy metal efflux from ongoing industrial processes. In all cases the project will develop a tailored cost–effective treatment technology suited to the specific contaminant issue and prevailing environmental conditions.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Associate Professor Gary Owens
Project summary: Plant-based medicines are increasingly in demand in the healthcare sector all over the globe, where they are used, not only for the treatment of various diseases, but also for maintaining good human health. In particular, the use of traditional herbal medicines (THMs) continues to be widely used globally as a popular alternative or supplement to modern western medicines. This is often due to the relatively lower costs of THMs compared to western medicines and a perceived similar efficacy with lower side effects of these natural products.
However, there is growing concern that this practice can potentially inadvertently lead to detrimental human health effects due to heavy metal exposure when medicinal plants are consumed. This can result inadvertently during plant growth, as some plants can also accumulate high levels of heavy metals, or due to deliberate or unintentional adulteration.
This project will determine the magnitude and severity of heavy metal contamination in a selection of traditional medicinal plants and their potential bioavailability when consumed at recommended rates. This study could be applied to medicinal plants from India or traditional Chinese medicines, or indeed any cultural background that has a tradition of medicinal plant use.
Proejct Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Associate Professor Gary Owens
Project summary:The strong relationship between teaching and research may contribute to increase the rank of a university. The teaching research nexus is visible in many ways including research – led teaching and teaching – led research. Research outputs are usually taught to students at universities. Teachers who are active in research are also well positioned to demonstrate the latest advances of a discipline to students. However, suitable approaches of teaching research nexus to enhance students’ learnings are not well structured. Exiting literature will be searched to identify the published articles on teaching research nexus. The various dimensions of teaching research nexus will be understood by performing a systematic literature review. Thereafter, the most suitable approach of teaching research nexus will be formulated to enhance students’ learnings. A manuscript based on literature review on teaching research nexus will be prepared and submitted to a suitable journal for possible publication.
Project Duration: 7 weeks
Study Mode: Remote/online participation optional availble
Contact person: Dr Faisal Ahammed
Project Summary: The Magazine Creek Wetlands provides and an important local habitat for many rare species of migratory birds. However, these wetlands, which are located in an industrial estate, also experience significant influxes of stormwater runoff leading to concerns of microplastic and heavy metal pollution. This is of specific concern because the wetland efflux into the local marine environment.
Due to such industrial discharges and urban drainage, sediments typically have elevated concentrations of microplastics and metal(loid)s, which can affect surface water quality and threaten aquatic fauna and flora through bioaccumulation and biomagnification. Therefore, it is necessary to routinely monitor the concentrations of contaminants in sediments to determine ecological risk.
In this project, field work will be initially conducted together to collect water and sediment samples across the wetlands. These samples will be subsequently analysed for the presence of microplastic and heavy metals using well established techniques in our laboratory. The bioaccessibility of the metals in selected sediments will also be assessed and the potential ecological risk determined. We are particularly interested in assessing if there is a relationship between macroplastics and heavy metals and sediments and whether macroplastics can absorb heavy metals, thus acting as a vector for transport and increased wildlife exposure.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Associate Professor Gary Owens
Project summary: This project focuses on the development of environmentally friendly and flame-retarding elastomer composites. Our primary aim is to create composite materials that exhibit superior flame-retardant properties while maintaining low or negligible levels of toxicity and chronicity. Utilizing non-toxic, sustainable additives, we aim to replace conventional hazardous materials commonly used in elastomer composites. The new formulations will be rigorously screened to ensure they meet environmental safety standards and are safe for human exposure.
The research involves enhancing the mechanical properties of these composites to ensure they do not compromise on essential strength and durability, making them suitable for applications such as window seals. Additionally, we will optimize manufacturing processes to reduce environmental impact, focusing on minimizing energy consumption, waste production, and promoting the recycling and reuse of materials.
By integrating advanced material science with sustainable practices, this project aims to pave the way for next-generation elastomer composites that are both environmentally responsible and industrially viable, meeting the growing demand for safer, more sustainable materials in various sectors.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Study Mode: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact people: Professor Jun Ma
Project Summary: Rare earth elements (REE) have been growing in importance due to their pivotal role in modern, advanced technological and industrial applications in the 21st century global economy. This group of elements form a major constituent of many advanced materials, especially in the high tech and green energy sectors where robust performance, durability, and low carbon emissions are so important. REE generally occur in deposits with other elements (such as copper, gold, uranium, phosphorus, and iron) and compounds as trivalent cations in carbonates, oxides, halides, phosphates, and silicates. In processing complex ores, preconcentration techniques (e.g., froth flotation, magnetic separation) are required to produce REE rich concentrates for subsequent hydrometallurgical extraction.
Recent studies have identified elevated concentration of REE in a typical saprolite ore located in the Curnamona Craton, South Australia. The value REE mineral in the ore is bastnasite and the dominant gangues are clay and silicate minerals. The clay and silicate minerals break readily, thus producing fine or ultrafine particles (slimes). Typically, these slime particles can interfere with flotation by forming a coating on the surface of valuable minerals. This subsequently results in the entrainment recovery of ultrafine gangue minerals, lowering valuable minerals recovery, and increasing reagents consumption. Preliminary mineralogical studies have shown that REE minerals in the are concentrated within the fine ore fraction (< 38 µm). Also, initial flotation tests have shown poor recovery and no upgrade of REE minerals.
Review of literature has suggested that the use of dispersants and high-intensity conditioning (HIC) have played significant role in minimizing slimes coating thus resulting in improved flotation recovery of valuable minerals. In this work, the use of dispersants and HIC as methods of removing slime coating in REE minerals flotation will be investigated, with the view of maximizing REE minerals recovery and upgrade.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Dr George Abaka-Wood
Project Summary: UniSA’s Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments is looking for a student to help the blind see, giving vision to UniSA’s robot quadruped robot, Clive! This project will be working in a Linux environment to integrate a 2D/3D LiDAR sensor with the university’s Unitree Go 1 robot. Ideal applicants will be confident in Linux, or confident in their ability to teach themselves Linux quickly, whilst having a strong curiosity and confidence in their ability to tackle new problems and learn along the way. Upon completion, we will have a self-navigating robot dog that will be able to not just explore new terrain on its own as part of our research projects, but hopefully even do a coffee run!
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Dr James Walsh
Project summary: This world faces the pressing issue of unsustainable food consumption. It seems very hard to stop consuming what we are used to or influenced to eat. Changing to sustainable food consumption requires understanding how people learn about food and their preferences for different types of food. Among various food issues, coffee is a significant concern. Each day, 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide. Coffee cultivation and consumption have significant environmental impacts, including deforestation, water usage, and pollution.
Suggested by Aboriginal Elders and the industry, acacia uses minimal water and nutrients to grow, can enrich the soil, and has been used by Native people for over 50,000 years. This study examines acacia seed coffee as a substitute for traditional coffee beans and investigates how people would learn about and shift to acacia seed coffee.
The project may use linguistic data (word expressions) and brain activity (measured by electroencephalogram (EEG)) to build machine learning models that analyze how people react to tasting the two types of coffee, their preferences, and changes in learning. The results aim to illustrate how to improve sustainable acacia seed coffee to encourage more people to shift away from coffee bean coffee.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Study Mode: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact Person: Dr Masud Karim & Dr Li Meng
Project Summary: Research has shown that a disproportionately high number of serious and fatal road crashes occur on rural and remote roads in Australia and that the majority of these accidents involve people who live in rural and remote areas. Driver error is known to be responsible for around 90 per cent of all road accidents (Green and Senders, 2004), and the Fatal 5 (speeding, drunk and drug driving, seatbelts, fatigue, and distraction) is a significant contributor to most of these accidents. Understanding driver behaviour is key to reducing serious and fatal road accidents in rural and remote areas. In this project, we will investigate driver behaviour in rural and remote Australia in relation to serious and fatal road accidents and make recommendations to improve road safety in remote and rural areas.
Research Objectives
This research will support South Australia’s goal to improve safety on rural and remote roads by making recommendations for driver behaviour on the rural and remote road network. The research will specifically address the following objectives:
Research Questions
R1) Who are the at-risk groups, and do the geospatial and socioeconomic profiles of the crash drivers differ from those of the general population in those postcodes?
R2) What are the risk factors for fatal crashes in rural Australia
R3) Which geographic areas are priority targets?
Overview of research methodology
Project Duration: 8 weeks (Two weeks in December, four weeks in January, two weeks in February)
Contact person: Dr. Sekhar Somenahalli
Project Summary:
This project focuses on extending our understanding of the relationship between people and the environment. Positive relationships between people and the environment led to a myriad of benefits for human health and environmental health. The project lead, Dr. Brianna Le Busque has a background in conservation psychology, where her expertise is on biophilia (connection to nature) and biophobia (fear of nature) and how these two concepts can impact how people interact with the natural environment. This specific project involves evaluating peoples’ experiences of a marine ecotourism experience via pre, post, and follow up mixed method surveys and journals. This is a collaboration with The Salty Tribe which runs various marine experiences including Shark Retreats, Whale Retreats, and Dip Challenges- all of which we are collecting data from.
At a top level, we are interested in if these experiences increase peoples’ connection to nature (biophilia), decrease peoples’ fear of the ocean and/or sharks (biophobia), and increase pro-environmental behaviours and subjective wellbeing.
The student would be immersed in the data collection and analysis phases of this research, as some of the data is already collected, and simultaneously new data collection phases will be starting during the summer period. As both qualitative and quantitative data is collected, the student will obtain experience in quantitative data analysis (via SPSS), automated qualitative analysis (via R studio), and manual qualitative analysis (via thematic analysis). This project is in collaboration with senior staff in Justice and Society at UniSA, HDR students, and The Salty Tribe team (whom have marine science backgrounds), and therefore the student will have the opportunity to work alongside researchers with various experience.
This project fits within the UniSA research themes of Healthy Futures & Transforming Societies, as increasing peoples’ connection to nature through tourism experiences can lead to healthier people, and healthier environments.
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Dr Brianna Le Busque
Project summary: Rare earth elements (REE) are essential elements used in high-technology products such as catalysts, mobile phones, hard drives, hybrid engines, lasers, magnets, batteries, and televisions. The unique and many physicochemical properties of REE (e.g., chemical, electrical, optical, magnetic, and catalytic), in tandem with their rapidly expanding range of applications, has placed them in high demand globally, with strong growth forecast. Typically, REE extraction process involves three major steps including comminution, beneficiation processes consisting of flotation, gravity, and magnetic separation methods to generate REE concentrate; and hydrometallurgical extraction. Hydrometallurgical extraction processes are attractive methods for mineral processing because of reduced energy consumption and production of high-purity products. This method has been widely used in the treatment of REE-bearing ores using an alkali or acid solution.
In effect, this study involves the use of hydrometallurgical processes (including leaching) to extract REE from a low grade saprolite ore. Specifically, the research will constitute determining the modes of occurrence of REE in the ore via sequential chemical extraction procedure. Furthermore, the effects of lixiviant type and concentration, liquid–solid ratio, leaching duration, and reaction temperature on the leaching efficiency of REE will be investigated. Overall, the results of this study will be useful in developing a strong theoretical and practical foundation for the extraction of REE in complex ores.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Dr George Abaka-Wood
Project summary: Bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment are identified as common workplace health and safety hazards. Research indicates that construction workers on sites, remotely, as well as in office environments face these hazards very often making these hazards some major contributors to the deterioration of psychological and physical wellbeing of construction workers. There are many federal and South Australian legislations and guidelines to manage these hazards including some very recent amendments such as Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA), Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) to name a few. These legislations stipulate a number of legal requirements and best practices to be fulfilled by employers to manage bulling, discrimination and sexual harassments at workplaces such as drafting clear policies related to these hazards, providing regular training to raise awareness, conducting regular reviews and audits to name a few. However, anecdotal evidence from industry players indicates that these legislative requirements are not properly implemented by the employers due to numerous reasons such as lack of understanding or awareness, difficulty in translating general legislation to construction set-up, ignorance and complacency, lack of resources and so on. Therefore, there is a necessity to analyse the current level of implementation of such legislative requirements, guidelines and best practices to identify the strategies to strengthen the role of employers in managing bullying, discrimination and sexual harassments in construction. The background study and literature review have already done for this research and the candidate from the Vacation Research Scholarship will involve in the data collection and analysis phases of the project only. The candidate will reach already identified construction organizations to conduct interviews with human resource management personnel to understand the current level of implementation of the legislative requirements.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact Person: Dr Aparna Samaraweera
Project summary: Pillar arrays are attractive platforms for a wide range of applications in microfluidics, analytical chemistry, and biology, due to its large surface area, 3D morphology and versatile properties. In particular, powered by the capillary action (wicking), a micro/nanosized pillar array with a suitable geometry and wettability can sustain a well-defined small-volume liquid film between pillars and enable effective liquid transport. Pillar arrays can be prepared from materials like silicon, quartz and polymers by using various micro/nanofabrication techniques, including 3D printing. Engineering their surface properties (e.g., wettability), via surface functionalisation and (thin-film) coating, could render extra merits.
The research project aims to explore the applications of the pillar array platform in various areas, including molecular/particle separation, biochemical sensing, etc. For instance, micro/nanopillar arrays may act as an automatic chromatographic column for biomolecule separation or capture, enabled by chemical modification, and be tested with molecular separation or capture. Alternatively, electrochemical sensors may be included, providing advantages for small volume sampling and minimised matrix effects due to filtration. In this project, the student will study micro/nano-scale phenomena that could unlock new applications of these important structured surfaces.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact Person: Professor Craig Priest & Dr Bin Guan
Project summary: This project will investigate the role of micro- and nano-scale structures for the enhancement of optical sensing. Our group has observed an optical enhancement that requires further investigation. The student will be trained to carry out surface analysis (scanning electron microscopy, optical profilometry) on the samples to characterize the micro/nano-structures that are believed to create the optical effect. Clean room fabrication may also be carried out to test the reproducibility of the structures and their suitability for reliable chemical analysis. No prior experience in this area is required; all training on laboratory equipment will be provided as part of the project. This project will involve use of ANFF-SA facilities at Mawson Lakes Campus (https://www.anff-sa.com/).
Project Duration: 6-8 weeks
Contact Person: Professor Craig Priest
Project Summary:We will be modelling yearly Singapore Birth Rates in this project. The successful candidate is expected to pick up concepts of time-series modelling and apply them to this dataset. This project is suitable for students who are interested in data science. A good grade (D/HD) in MATH 2030 (or its equivalent) is required.
Project Duration: 7 weeks
Contact person: Dr Gerald Cheang
Project Summary: Native food has become a very important area of development in recent years. Typically, native foods are resilient, requiring minimal water and nutrients, making them sustainable. However, due to their current limited scale, they are rare to find in the market, and people are often unfamiliar with their taste. This presents a challenge for the growth of the native food industry.
This research aims to analyse restaurant feedback data from open data sets to identify the factors that influence people's taste preferences and consumption of native foods. The project builds on an initial study that analysed positive and negative sentiments after people ate native food in restaurants. The project may need to collect additional data and develop machine learning models, such as N-gram models, to complete the work by studying cultural or geographic factors, but it is not limited to these. The project is expected to provide clear patterns on what influences people to consume native food. Using the modelling results, business or policy suggestions can be developed to support bush food development. Therefore, a sustainable food future can be enhanced.
This project is suitable for Data Science students who have obtained good grades in the relevant statistics and programming courses.
Study Mode: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Dr Li Meng & Dr Gerald Cheang
Project Summary:This project aims to explore object detection and tracking from an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a camera, employing You Only Look Once (YOLO) deep learning network, a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) based object detection method. The objectives of the project are to develop a robust object detection algorithm for images captured by the UAV using YOLOv5, assess the performance of the developed YOLOv5 model on various datasets, and extract angle information for objects of interest from camera imagery. The project will start with a critical literature review of existing research on visual object detection from UAVs, as well as the YOLOv5 architecture and its applications. Publicly available datasets, such as UAVDT and VisDrone, will be utilized to collect training data for YOLOv5. The YOLOv5 model will be imported to Matlab where the labelled UAV images will be preprocessed to match the input requirements of YOLOv5. The YOLOv5 model will be trained using preprocessed images, and training parameters and augmentation techniques optimized through experimentation. The trained model will be assessed using metrics like precision, recall and intersection over union, in addition to its generalization performance on unseen images. This project will provide valuable hands-on experience with state-of-the-art object detection techniques and their application in UAV technology. It will also contribute to the growing field of autonomous systems and aerial surveillance.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Study Mode: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Professor Kutluyil Dogancay
Project summary: This project focuses on the development of multifunctional epoxy nanocomposite coatings enhanced with nanosheets that convert ultraviolet (UV) light into heat. The incorporation of these nanosheets into the epoxy matrix aims to significantly improve the coating's protective and functional properties. These nanocomposite coatings are designed to offer superior UV protection by absorbing harmful UV radiation and converting it into thermal energy, thereby preventing UV-induced degradation of the underlying material. Additionally, the thermal energy generated can contribute to de-icing and self-healing functions, further enhancing the durability and longevity of the coated surfaces.
The innovative use of nanosheets within the epoxy matrix not only bolsters the mechanical strength and thermal stability of the coatings but also imparts unique photothermal properties. This dual functionality is particularly beneficial for applications in outdoor environments where materials are frequently exposed to UV radiation and temperature fluctuations. The project explores the synthesis, characterization, and performance evaluation of these nanocomposite coatings, with a focus on their UV absorption efficiency, thermal conversion rates, and overall protective capabilities.
Through comprehensive testing and analysis, the project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of these multifunctional coatings in various industrial applications, including automotive, aerospace, and construction. The results are expected to contribute to advancements in coating technology, offering a novel solution for enhancing material performance and longevity in harsh environmental conditions.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Professor Jun Ma
Project Summary: Beam-column joints are critical components in moment-resisting frames, and their failure can lead to the collapse of entire structures. This project focuses on developing and optimizing non-corrosive precast dry beam-column joints using advanced, calibrated numerical models. These joints offer significant advantages over traditional monolithic and wet joints, including faster construction, better quality control, and reduced environmental impact. However, their application is limited by concerns regarding strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance.
The core objective of this 8-week summer scholarship project is to use calibrated numerical models to optimize the design of precast dry joints. Utilizing finite element modelling in ABAQUS, the project will simulate the behaviour of these joints under various loading conditions, including static, cyclic, and impact loads. The numerical models will be calibrated and validated against existing experimental data to ensure their accuracy and reliability.
Innovations include incorporating geopolymer concrete (GPC) and fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) to enhance the durability and sustainability of the joints. GPC helps reduce CO2 emissions and reuses industrial waste, while FRP materials offer non-corrosive reinforcement, increasing the lifespan of structures and reducing maintenance costs. The project will also explore the use of synthetic and steel fibres to improve load-carrying capacity, energy dissipation, and stiffness.
The scholarship will involve hands-on experience with numerical modelling, data analysis, and optimization techniques. The calibrated models will facilitate the optimization of joint designs, leading to improved performance and cost-efficiency. This research not only advances structural engineering but also supports sustainable construction practices. The outcomes will contribute to developing new design guidelines and standards for precast dry joints, promoting their wider adoption in the construction industry.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Associate Professor Thong Pham
Project Summary: This project focuses on the development and characterization of novel dielectric elastomer nanocomposites (DENs) incorporating barium titanate (BaTiO₃) nanoparticles to enhance their electromechanical properties for advanced applications in soft robotics, sensors, and actuators. By integrating BaTiO₃, known for its high dielectric constant, into the elastomer matrix, we aim to significantly improve the dielectric permittivity, mechanical strength, and flexibility of the composites. Comprehensive synthesis protocols are being established to ensure uniform dispersion of BaTiO₃ nanoparticles, maximizing the interfacial interactions within the elastomer matrix. Advanced characterization techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dielectric spectroscopy, will be utilized to elucidate the microstructural features and electrical properties of the DENs. The project also explores the scalability of the synthesis process and evaluates the performance of DENs in practical devices. The successful development of these novel nanocomposites is expected to lead to significant advancements in smart materials, offering high-performance solutions for next-generation flexible electronics and wearable technologies.
By leveraging the high dielectric properties of barium titanate within the elastomer matrix, this research aims to push the boundaries of material science, opening new avenues for innovative applications and setting a foundation for future research in dielectric elastomer nanocomposites.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Professor Jun Ma
Project summary:
Hosted at the Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments, the student will build a set of games for three novel 3D displays available in the centre. While the Centre has technical demonstrators for the displays, we do not have demonstrations that can reach and appeal to a general audience. The developed games will demonstrate the capabilities of the displays engaging a general audience. As a secondary goal, the games may seek to educate players on particular topics relevant to the University.
The three displays we have are:
These 3D displays are cutting-edge technology that are not readily available outside of research environments.
The student will research and develop a set of games that leverage the affordances of these displays. They will learn the Unity game engine and advanced Human-Computer Interaction Concepts. The project will be based in a rich research community at the Centre, with researchers, postgrad students and research engineers.
This project sits at the intersection of novel research and educational outreach, aligning with UniSA’s strategic intent of Shaping a Better World Together.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact Person: Dr Andrew Cunningham
Project Summary: Ocean beaches are dynamic ecosystems that provide critical habitat for biodiversity, including shorebirds and bivalves. They are subject to varying natural influences, but also a range of direct and indirect threatening processes from humans.
The Coorong Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth (CLLMM) region includes the 60-km Younghusband Peninsula and 15-km Goolwa Beach beaches on either side of the Murray Mouth. The nature and degree of threat varies along these beaches, including vehicle disturbance, recreational and commercial harvest of bivalves, pest animals and plants, pollution, erosion and habitat degradation and climate change.
Key to managing human threats and potential management conflicts is understanding people’s motivation for their use of beaches and their (sometimes mis‑)perceptions about the impacts they may actually be having. UniSA is running a research project assessing people’s understanding of and their motivations for using the ocean beaches in the CLMM region using a Public Participation Geographic Information System (PPGIS), where stakeholders map areas of the ocean beaches they use and value.
Starting in January, we have roles for two vacation research students to help test and roll out the PPGIS and then to help engage with and recruit stakeholders in the field at key locations over the summer (e.g. Goolwa Beach, fishing competitions, other community events). Part of the work will involve explaining the PPGIS and helping stakeholders to contribute where needed. While in the field students may also have the opportunity to survey stakeholders/collect data about what the public understands about threats to ocean beach ecology.
These roles would suit students interested in human dimensions aspects of environmental management and have an interest in coastal/beach ecology. Some field work may require overnight stays (transport, accommodation and food provided) including weekends. In the field students will always work as a team with academic staff (i.e. not alone).
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Associate Professor Craig Styan
Project Summary: Electricity retailers are shifting to time-of-use tariffs where the price of electricity varies across the day—cheap during the day when there is plenty of solar energy in the grid, expensive during morning and afternoon peaks when demand is high, and moderate overnight.
Air conditioning is a significant electrical load for most households. The cost of operating air conditioning can be reduced to some extent by pre-heating or pre-cooling—heating or cooling before peak periods so that less energy is required during the peaks. The thermal mass of the building provides inertia against temperature fluctuations. Another strategy is to store thermal energy in the air-conditioning system as well as in the building. For example, a heat pump could be used to store thermal energy when the price of electricity is low, and this thermal energy used for air conditioning when required.
This project will develop a mathematical model of an air conditioning system with thermal storage, and develop optimal control strategies for minimising the cost of operating the system.
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Professor Peter Pudney
Project summary: This research is part of a broader initiative in collaboration with CSIRO, Salisbury Water, and other industry partners. By integrating expertise and resources from these collaborators, the project aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of how to optimize stormwater treatment systems using absorbent materials. The findings will contribute to more efficient and effective stormwater management practices, ultimately leading to improved water quality and environmental health.
This research aims to investigate the impact of hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the efficacy of various absorbent materials, such as biochar, in removing contaminants from stormwater. By focusing on the dynamics of contaminant absorption, the study will explore how different HRTs influence the performance of these materials under various environmental conditions, including pH levels and the presence of other organic substances that can compete for absorption sites, impacting overall effectiveness.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Dr Baden Myers
Project summary: Internet of Things (IoT) technology has been demonstrated in various applications. Sensors that can detect changes in plant, soil and in the environment have also been around for many decades and have proven to be valuable tool in precision agriculture. The integration of sensors and IoT for optimum management in ornamental nursery is not fully explored. Through a nursery cooperator in Adelaide, we obtained a multiple-year dataset on plant water use of representative potted plants, soil moisture, VPD, solar radiation (photosynthetically active radiation). Regression analysis will be carried out to determine key parameters that underpins optimum irrigation decision. Validating this will also need to be carried out using current monitoring datasets.
Output will be used in an IoT-enabled sensor-based irrigation decision support system which can become an industry standard for managing water and valuable nursery resources.
Project Duration: 5 weeks
Contact Person: Dr Ben Umali
Project Summary: This project aims to develop and evaluate eco-friendly insulation boards made from timber waste from debarking or fibrous residue derived from timber processing. The focus will be on creating insultation boards and panel products that can match and even compete with synthetic insulation in terms of thermal and acoustic insulation properties. The project will;
The intended outcomes of this project will contribute a viable alternative to synthetic materials that aligns with sustainable building practices.
Project Duration: 6 - 8 weeks
Contact person: Associate Professor Ke Xing & Professor Rameez Rameezdeen
Project Summary: Artificial intelligence (AI) methods have been used in the decision-making processes in various applications because of their accurate predictions in the historical data set. However, most AI models are not reliable, i.e. they fail in data collected in a new environment or for real predictions, and lack accountability, i.e. they do not provide transparent and justifiable reasons for predictions. In high-stake decision-making applications, there needs human in the loop for reliable and accountable decision-making. People need an AI model that the underlying decision-making mechanism is consistent with domain knowledge and such a model needs to be selected by model selection from many possible models obtained by varying model building methods and parameters. People wish to understand and evaluate a prediction by an AI model to quantify the level of trust in the prediction via an evaluation module.
This project will review methods in model selection and prediction evaluation in high-stake decision-making processes. The methods will enable domain experts to understand predictions made by an AI system by generating supportive and counter examples of the predictions with the application in drought predictions and decision making.
Drought is a major natural hazard in Australia. Correctly predicting droughts has significant benefits to the Australian economy and society. AI methods have shown promise in drought predictions in various studies. However, making high-stake decisions related to droughts needs a trustworthy Human AI partnership.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Professor Jiuyong Li
Project summary: Students need to pick up stochastic calculus as part of this project. They will do a comparison as well as alternative pricing derivation of some option pricing models. Students need to have a D/HD grade in MATH 2030 Applied Probability
Project Duration: 7 weeks
Contact person: Dr Gerald Cheang
Project Summary: The development of thermally conductive thermoplastic composites is pivotal for enhancing heat exchanger efficiency in HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems, particularly for air conditioners in buildings. This project aims to explore innovative composites that offer superior thermal conductivity, essential for efficient heat transfer in air conditioning units. By integrating advanced fillers such as graphite, carbon fibers, and boron nitride into thermoplastic matrices, we seek to achieve high thermal conductivity while preserving the lightweight and flexible properties of thermoplastics. The research focuses on optimizing composite formulations, characterizing their thermal and mechanical properties, and assessing their long-term stability under operational conditions. The goal is to develop a composite material that not only meets but surpasses the thermal management requirements of existing heat exchanger technologies. Successful implementation of these composites could lead to significant energy savings, reduced environmental impact, and improved indoor climate control, supporting sustainable building practices. This project represents a crucial step towards the next generation of energy-efficient, high-performance HVAC systems for commercial and residential buildings.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
MODE OF STUDY: This project has the option for remote/online participation.
Contact person: Professor Jun Ma
Project Summary: The project investigates dieback in a population of red stringybark eucalypt trees, Eucalyptus macrorhyncha, and seeks to identify feasible management approaches to protect the population under increasing drought stress that is predicted as a result of climate change. The successful candidate would get experience collecting field data, undertaking laboratory analyses, and interacting with stakeholders. The efforts would contribute to protecting a unique tree population from the impacts of global change. The project would suit a student interested in ecology and/or conservation, who is thinking of undertaking an Honours or Masters degree. The successful candidate would be expected to participate in weekly meetings of our research group and would be encouraged to contribute to a scientific publication resulting from the work, if interested.
Project Duration: 8 weeks
Contact person: Associate Professor Gunnar Keppel
Project summary: Ecosystems provide a range of services to human societies – from food, to shoreline protection, recreational spaces, and more. Concerningly, the pattern of provisioning is being disrupted as our environment experiences human impacts at the global scale such as climate change, as well as more localised sources of disturbance including pollution. Despite the potential consequences of such changes, while there is a developing body of research in this area, our understanding of ecosystems and the services they provide, as well as how they will be modified under a globally-modified climate and locally impacted conditions, remains limited. Such lack of understanding in turn limits our capacity to identify and implement appropriate responses.
For this project, we will adopt research techniques that facilitate a better understanding of the ecosystem services we currently gain from natural systems, with a view to understand this in the context of the biological and ecological changes that will occur under human-disrupted conditions, and consequences this would have for humans and our societies. The project scope is deliberately broad to allow refinement to suit the interest and skills of the project team, and allow the pursuit of emerging research opportunities.
Project Duration: Up to 8 weeks
Contact person: Dr Laura Falkenberg
Open to domestic and international students enrolled at UniSA.
Application closing date: 22 September 2024
For further information or assistance, please contact the Research Student Services team, SAS at research.students@unisa.edu.au
Open to domestic students (Australian citizens or permanent residents, or New Zealand citizens) enrolled at an Australian University.
Application closing date: 22 September 2024
For further information or assistance, please contact the Research Student Services team, SAS at research.students@unisa.edu.au
As a condition of the scholarship, you are required to write a short Final Report (1 or 2 pages) on the research project undertaken and submit it within 2 weeks of completing your scholarship to your project supervisor(s), with a copy to the Research Student Services Team, Student and Academic Services: research.students@unisa.edu.au
For further information about this scheme you can contact your Academic Unit Research Team or the Research Student Services Team
You may also find answers to some of your questions in this FAQ document. (May require staff login details to access).
100% OF OUR ASSESSED RESEARCH RATED AT OR ABOVE WORLD-CLASS
2018 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA), 4-digit Fields of Research.
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Fields.
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Our research degree students solve real world problems, partner with end-users of research, and develop skills for research excellence.
We're committed to ensuring our research degree students experience excellent and contemporary research training and that they graduate with a skill set that improves their employment prospects.
Find out more about research degrees at UniSA.
Australian students
Phone: +61 8 8302 2376
Enquiry: unisa.edu.au/enquiry
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Phone: +61 8 9627 4854
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