ISSR undergraduate research opportunities

Hours and delivery

Approximately 30 hours per week, Hybrid delivery (ISSR, Long Pocket campus and online). Students will work primarily between Monday and Friday during the Summer Research Program period. Some meetings may be scheduled online with collaborators from partner organisations across Australia.

About the project

Climate change is increasingly recognised as a major threat to mental health, yet responsibility for responding to these impacts is spread across multiple sectors and levels of government. In Australia, responsibility for climate policy, health policy, emergency management and mental health services is distributed across different agencies, creating challenges for coordination and implementation. Despite growing recognition of climate-related mental health impacts, it remains unclear who is responsible for leading action, how responsibilities and policies align across jurisdictions, and where important gaps remain. This project will examine how the intersection of climate change and mental health is addressed within Australia's governance system. The student will contribute to a policy and governance analysis of national and state strategies, adaptation plans and health frameworks to understand how institutions respond to emerging climate-related mental health risks. Drawing on concepts from governance and institutional analysis, the project will investigate policy responsibilities, accountability mechanisms, coordination pathways and implementation arrangements across sectors and levels of government. The findings will help identify opportunities to strengthen governance arrangements for climate-resilient mental health systems and inform future policy development. Student contributions will directly support an active research program focused on translating evidence into practical policy solutions.

What you'll do

The student will assist with a policy and governance analysis examining the intersection of climate change and mental health across Australia. Activities may include identifying and reviewing policy documents, extracting information about organisational responsibilities, coordination and implementation mechanisms, summarising findings, and contributing to comparative analyses across jurisdictions. Students may also assist in developing institutional maps that show how government departments, health agencies, environmental bodies and other stakeholders interact within the governance system. The project will involve literature searching, qualitative policy and governance analysis, data organisation and preparing summaries suitable for research reports and publications. Students will participate in regular meetings and receive guidance throughout the project.

What you'll learn 

Students will gain hands-on experience in policy and governance analysis and qualitative methods. They will learn how government institutions operate, how policies are developed and implemented, and how complex societal challenges such as climate change require coordinated responses across multiple sectors and levels of government. The project will provide training in document analysis, evidence synthesis, institutional mapping and research communication. Students will also develop valuable skills in critical thinking, data management and translating research findings into policy-relevant recommendations. These skills are highly relevant for future careers in public policy, health, environmental management, research and government.

Project outcomes 

The project will contribute to a systematic analysis of the intersection of climate change and mental health governance in Australia. Outputs may include institutional maps, governance frameworks, stakeholder networks, evidence summaries and contributions to a journal manuscript or policy report. Findings will identify strengths, gaps and opportunities within existing governance arrangements and inform reforms to improve policy coherence, accountability and coordination. Student contributions will form part of a broader research program examining how governance can support more effective and climate-resilient mental health systems in Australia.

Who should apply?

Students from public health, psychology, environmental studies, political science, law, sociology, geography, public policy or related disciplines are encouraged to apply. The project is particularly suited to students interested in climate change, health systems, governance, public administration or policy development. Strong analytical skills, attention to detail and confidence working with written material are desirable. Previous experience with literature reviews, policy or governance analysis, or qualitative research is beneficial but not essential. Students interested in understanding how institutions and governments address complex challenges will be well suited to the project.

Team and supervision

The project will be supervised by Associate Professor Fiona Charlson at the Institute for Social Science Research and Associate Professor Pedro Fidelman at the Centre for Policy Futures, The University of Queensland. Fiona leads a program of research examining the impacts of climate change on mental health and the policy and systems responses needed to address these challenges. Students will work within a multidisciplinary research environment that brings together expertise in mental health, climate change, public health, health systems, policy and governance analysis and science translation. Regular supervision, mentoring and opportunities for professional development will be provided throughout the project.

Additional opportunities

Students may have opportunities to contribute to academic publications, conference presentations and policy briefing documents. The project will provide exposure to nationally significant research in climate change and mental health and may offer pathways into honours, postgraduate research or future research assistant positions.

Additional requirements 

Familiarity with literature searching, Microsoft Excel or qualitative analysis software would be advantageous but is not essential.

Contact

Students may contact the supervisor before applying.
Direct enquiries to A/Prof Fiona Charlson (f.charlson@uq.edu.au)
 

Hours and delivery

30 hours per week, between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm from Monday to Friday on the Long Pocket Campus in Indooroopilly. 

About the project

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how research is conducted, including how researchers collect qualitative data. AI-assisted interviewing could make it possible to hear from more people, at greater scale and with greater flexibility. But will these new approaches make research more inclusive, or risk reinforcing existing inequalities in whose voices are heard?

This project will investigate how people experience being interviewed by a human compared with an AI-assisted interviewer. Participants will complete the same qualitative interview using both approaches and provide feedback on their experiences. The study will examine differences in participants’ comfort, trust, engagement, willingness to disclose, perceived quality of the interaction, and preferences between interview modalities.

A particular focus will be on equity and inclusion. The project will explore whether AI-assisted interviewing may reduce barriers to research participation for some people while creating new barriers for others, including people and communities who are under-represented in research.

The project forms part of a broader program of research exploring how emerging AI technologies can be used responsibly to expand participation and ensure diverse voices inform research, policy and practice.

What you'll do

Working alongside an interdisciplinary research team, you will contribute to an innovative study comparing human-led and AI-assisted qualitative interviewing. Depending on the stage of the project and your interests, you may:

• contribute to reviewing emerging research on AI-assisted interviewing, qualitative methods, inclusion and research participation
• assist with participant recruitment and research data collection
• work with qualitative interview and participant experience data
• contribute to comparing experiences across human and AI interview modalities
• explore whether experiences differ across participants and what this means for equitable and inclusive research practice
• participate in research team discussions about the ethical, methodological and practical implications of using AI in qualitative research
• contribute to a peer-reviewed journal article.

You will have opportunities to contribute ideas and help shape the analysis as the project develops.

What you'll learn

This project will provide hands-on experience at the intersection of AI, qualitative research and social science. You will develop skills in qualitative research design, interviewing, data management, analysis and interpretation, while learning how comparative research can be used to evaluate emerging research methods.

You will also develop a deeper understanding of important questions surrounding the responsible use of AI in research, including trust, privacy, accessibility, inclusion, bias and digital inequality. You will learn to critically evaluate not only whether a new technology works, but for whom, under what circumstances, and with what implications for equity.

Through working with an interdisciplinary research team, you will also gain experience in collaborative research, translating findings into practical recommendations, and communicating research to academic and non-academic audiences.

Project outcomes

The project will generate new evidence about how participants experience human and AI-assisted interviewing and whether these experiences differ across people and groups. Findings will help identify the potential benefits, limitations and equity implications of AI-assisted qualitative research.

You will contribute to analysis and research outputs arising from the project, which may include a research report, conference presentation and/or academic publication. More broadly, the findings will contribute to developing principles for the responsible and inclusive use of AI-assisted interviewing, helping researchers harness the potential of AI while ensuring that technological innovation does not come at the expense of participation, trust or voice.

Who should apply?

This project is open to applications from scholars with a background in social work, psychology, sociology, social science or similar disciplines. Some proficiency with qualitative methods would be preferred.

Team and supervision

Ms Elizabeth Kennedy and Associate Professor Jenny Povey

Additional opportunities

You will have opportunities to participate in seminars and other ISSR events, connect with researchers across the Institute, and build your professional and research networks. Where appropriate, you may also have opportunities to gain exposure to other commissioned research projects, providing insight into how applied social science research is conducted in partnership with government, industry and community organisations.

Contact    

Direct enquiries to: Ms Elizabeth Kennedy (e.kennedy@uq.edu.au) and Associate Professor Jenny Povey (j.povey@uq.edu.au)

Hours and delivery

Scholars will be available approximately 28 hours per week during the program. Tasks can be completed in the office, in hybrid mode, or fully online. The Institute for Social Science Research is on Meiers Road in Indooroopilly. Days of work can be flexible and negotiated.

About the project

This project supports the development of a collaborative health research agenda between multicultural communities across Queensland, World Wellness Group, researchers, and other key health sector stakeholders. The agenda aims to ensure future health research is shaped by community priorities rather than imposed on them.

The problem: Health research often overlooks the specific needs of multicultural communities or engages with them only after research questions and methods have been decided. This means research findings and health services can miss what matters to these communities, creating gaps in access, trust, and relevance. This project asks: what are the health research priorities of CALD communities in Queensland, and how can research be designed in genuine partnership with them?

Why it matters: Queensland is home to large and growing multicultural populations, many of whom face compounding barriers to accessing appropriate healthcare, for example, language, cultural safety, discrimination, and system unfamiliarity. A research agenda that starts with community priorities, rather than researcher or institutional assumptions, is more likely to produce meaningful, usable outcomes and to build long-term trust between communities and the health and research sectors.

Broader aims: The project aims to establish a foundation for future research and health initiatives that are co-designed with community input from the outset, shaping not just what gets studied, but how.

Student contribution: The Summer Scholar’s work will be foundational to this process. They will directly shape how the project engages with communities and contribute to the practical groundwork the project uses to reach and involve community members.

What you'll do

1. Literature review. The Summer Scholar will review academic and grey literature on best-practice approaches to community engagement in health research with multicultural and CALD populations, synthesising findings into a short report.
2. Engagement strategy development. Using the review's findings, the student will help shape the project's overall approach to engaging communities, ensuring it reflects evidence-based, culturally safe practice.
3. Instrument design. The student will design practical engagement tools, such as discussion guides, surveys, and workshop materials, tailored to the communities and stakeholders involved.
4. Recruitment planning. The student will develop a recruitment plan outlining how community members and stakeholders will be identified, approached, and involved in the project.
5. Implementation (time permitting). Where time allows, the student may support early-stage recruitment and engagement activities, applying the tools and plan they have developed.

What you'll learn 

The Summer Scholar will develop applied research skills directly relevant to community-engaged and health equity research. This includes conducting a structured literature review and synthesising findings into a usable strategy document; a core skill for evidence-informed practice.

The student will gain hands-on experience designing qualitative research instruments (discussion guides, surveys, workshop materials), tailored to culturally and linguistically diverse audiences.

They will also learn the practical mechanics of recruitment planning for hardly reached populations, including ethical considerations around consent, trust-building, and cultural safety.

Where implementation is possible, the student will gain direct experience engaging with community members and stakeholders, building communication and cultural competency skills.

More broadly, the student will develop an understanding of how collaborative, co-designed research operates in practice. This knowledge is valuable for careers in public health, community development, policy, or applied social research.

Project outcomes 

By the end of the project, the Summer Scholar will have produced a literature review synthesising best-practice approaches to community engagement in CALD health research, a set of engagement instruments (discussion guides, surveys, or workshop materials), and a recruitment plan for engaging community members and stakeholders. These outputs will directly inform the broader research agenda's engagement strategy. Where time permits, the student will also have contributed to early-stage recruitment or engagement activities.

Who should apply?

This project suits a student interested in health equity, community-based research methods, and applied research. 

Ideal candidates are studying public health, sociology, social work, psychology, or related disciplines, ideally at final-year level. Coursework in qualitative research methods, health equity, or community development is an advantage. Useful qualities include strong written communication, attention to detail, and comfort engaging with diverse communities. Lived experience or connection to multicultural or CALD communities is highly valued but not essential. Genuine interest in health equity and community-based research is more important than prior technical expertise.

Team and supervision

The student will be supervised by Dr Charlotte Young at the Institute for Social Science Research and will work as part of a collaborative team spanning researchers at universities in Queensland and World Wellness Group, with regular opportunities to update these partners and incorporate their advice into the project's direction. This provides valuable experience in stakeholder-responsive research.

Contact

Dr Charlotte Young (charlotte.young@uq.edu.au)

Hours and delivery

The project will take place over six weeks, from 11 January to 19 February 2027. The student will work 30 hours per week, generally between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm from Monday to Friday. The position will follow a hybrid working arrangement, with a combination of on-campus and online activities. Most project-related research activities will be undertaken at the Cycad Building, Long Pocket campus. Online meetings may also be scheduled when appropriate to support supervision, discuss progress, and coordinate ongoing project tasks.

About the project

Urban green infrastructure, including tree canopy, can reduce heat exposure, improve thermal comfort, and support health and wellbeing. However, access to these benefits is not evenly distributed. Evidence suggests that lower-income and disadvantaged communities often have less tree canopy coverage and may therefore experience greater exposure to heat and reduced access to green environments. Students may particularly benefit from access to tree canopy and green space. Previous research suggests that greater exposure to green environments can support mental and physical wellbeing, concentration, cognitive functioning, and academic performance. However, the relationship between tree canopy cover and educational outcomes, particularly in university settings, remains less well understood.

This project aims to investigate the relationship between tree canopy cover on university campuses and students’ educational outcomes. By combining spatial measures of campus tree canopy with university-level educational performance data, the study will examine whether greater tree canopy coverage is associated with better student outcomes. Socioeconomic and other contextual factors will also be considered where appropriate. The findings will provide evidence on the potential role of campus tree canopy in supporting academic performance and may inform future university planning and greening strategies aimed at creating healthier and more supportive learning environments.

What you'll do

You will work with spatial data on university campus tree canopy and shade access, together with socioeconomic, demographic, and student educational performance data. You will process, analyse, and visualise these datasets using appropriate quantitative and spatial methods to investigate whether there is a relationship between campus tree canopy cover and students’ educational outcomes. This may involve using tools such as the R programming language for data cleaning, statistical analysis, mapping, and visualisation. You will also consider relevant socioeconomic and demographic factors that may influence educational performance. The findings will be presented through clear maps, graphs, and tables to communicate patterns and relationships effectively and to provide insights into the potential role of campus tree canopy in supporting student educational outcomes.

What you'll learn

You will develop practical skills in data analysis while working with spatial data on vegetation and tree canopy, socioeconomic and demographic indicators, and educational performance data. You will learn about the value and limitations of administrative and spatial datasets, as well as key approaches to data management, cleaning, processing, analysis, and interpretation. The project will also build your skills in statistical analysis and data visualisation, including communicating results through maps, graphs, and tables. You will gain experience in identifying and interpreting relationships between environmental characteristics and educational outcomes while considering relevant socioeconomic factors. This is a hands-on opportunity for students interested in spatial analysis, urban greening, education, social equity, and evidence-based research.

Project outcomes

The project will provide a clearer understanding of whether tree canopy cover on university campuses is associated with students’ educational performance. It will identify patterns in campus greenness and student outcomes and explore whether these relationships differ across socioeconomic and demographic contexts. The results will help determine whether greener campus environments may contribute to better educational outcomes and highlight areas where further research is needed. The project may also provide evidence to support university planning and sustainability initiatives, particularly where improvements to tree canopy and shade could contribute to more supportive learning environments for students.

Who should apply?

This project is suitable for students who are interested in statistical analysis, data comparison, and exploring relationships between environmental and educational outcomes. Applicants should be comfortable working with quantitative data and have an interest in developing skills in data processing, analysis, and visualisation. Familiarity with statistical software such as R would be beneficial, but students who are keen to learn these tools are also encouraged to apply. The project would particularly suit students interested in spatial analysis, education, urban environments, sustainability, or socioeconomic research, and who enjoy working with different datasets to identify patterns, compare results, and draw meaningful conclusions.

Team and supervision

Dr Mahnoosh Hassankhani, Postdoctoral research fellow, Institute for Social Science Research
Dr Yibo Wang, Postdoctoral research fellow, Institute for Social Science Research

Additional opportunities

The student will have opportunities to engage with researchers at ISSR and other Summer Scholars, present and discuss their research findings, and gain exposure to how results is communicated to academic and policy audiences. 

Contact

Students may contact the supervisor before applying.
Direct enquiries to: Dr Mahnoosh Hassankhani (m.hassankhani@uq.edu.au)
 

Hours and delivery

Work will be conducted primarily on-site at the Institute for Social Science Research at the UQ Long Pocket Campus (shuttle available from St Lucia main campus; free parking available) in Indooroopilly. The summer scholar will work 30 hours per week for the period 11 Jan-19 Feb 2027.

About the project

This project is part of a broader Social Science Research Infrastructure Network (SSRIN) initiative to improve the discoverability of administrative data relevant to education research in Australia. Visualisation of the educational administrative data will help researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders quickly explore what data exist, who manages them, and which educational stages they cover.

As a summer student, you will work with an existing dataset of educational data sources and contribute to the design and development of interactive dashboards that filter, query, and visualise available data sources. You will explore effective ways to present complex information using maps, timelines, charts and other visual elements while ensuring the dashboard is intuitive, visually appealing and informative. 

Depending on your interests and experience, there may also be opportunities to contribute to user-centred design and dashboard usability.

You can find more information about the initiative on the SSRIN website.

What you'll do

You will work with an existing catalogue of Australian administrative educational data collections to develop engaging and informative data visualisations that improve the discoverability of these datasets. Working closely with the project team, you will:

• Explore the structure and characteristics of the existing educational data catalogue.
• Design and develop a suite of interactive dashboards and visualisations using appropriate software (e.g. R, Python or Power BI).
• Experiment with different visualisation techniques to identify the most effective ways to communicate complex information to researchers and policymakers.
• Refine the dashboards based on feedback from the project team.

What you'll learn

Through this project you will gain experience in designing clear and engaging data visualisations for social sciences research and policy. You will strengthen experience in developing interactive dashboards and other visualisations using contemporary data visualisation tools and programming environments. You will gain experience in working collaboratively within an interdisciplinary research team and responding to feedback throughout the dashboard development process. You will contribute to a research infrastructure project that supports social sciences research across Australia.

Project outcomes

• Develop a suite of interactive dashboards and data visualisations that enable users to explore Australian educational data collections from different perspectives, including jurisdiction, educational stage, collection type, data custodian and temporal coverage.
• Improve the discoverability and accessibility of data through clear, intuitive and engaging visualisations.
• Explore and evaluate different visualisation approaches using appropriate tools and programming environments (e.g. R, Python or Power BI), depending on the student's skills and project requirements.
• Produce a summary report documenting the visualisation approach, dashboard development process, key outcomes, and recommendations for future enhancements.
• Present the project and its findings at the ISSR Summer Scholars seminar, demonstrating the visualisations developed and reflecting on the project's outcomes.
• Provide recommendations to support the future refinement, maintenance and expansion of the visualisation platform.

Who should apply?

This project would suit students with a background in data visualisation, information design, computer science, or data analytics who enjoy solving real-world visualisation challenges and developing tools that support research and evidence-informed decision-making.

Applicants should have strong data visualisation skills and proficiency in R and/or Python. Experience with data visualisation tools such as Power BI , Tableau etc. is desirable but not essential.

Team and supervision

Principal supervisor – Dr Matthew Curry
Associate supervisor – Dr Vanda Nissen

Contact    

If students wish to ask any questions they can contact Dr Matthew Curry (matthew.curry@uq.edu.au)

Hours and delivery

Work will be conducted primarily on-site at the Institute for Social Science Research at the UQ Long Pocket Campus (shuttle available from St Lucia main campus; free parking available) in Indooroopilly. The summer scholar will work 30 hours per week for the period 11 Jan-19 Feb 2027.

About the project

Hosital electronic health records (EHRs) contain valuable information of information about patients and their care. But health is shaped by much more than clinical diagnoses and treatments. Factors such as education, employment, housing, socioeconomic circumstances and social relationships can influence health, healthcare access and outcomes across the life course. Yet we still know relatively little about how this type of social information is captured and used in research based on hospital EHRs.

This project will investigate how social and socioeconomic measures have been used in research drawing on hospital EHR. Through a systematic review, we will examine what types of social information researchers use, how these measures are defined and operationalised, and how they are linked to health and healthcare outcomes.

The project forms part of the broader Social Science Research Infrastructure Network (SSRIN) initiative and is a collaboration between health researchers at Monash University and social science researchers at UQ's Institute for Social Science Research. You can find more information about the initiatvie on the SSRIN website.

As a Summer Scholar, you will join an interdisciplinary research team and contribute directly to an active research project at the intersection of social science, health and data research.

Depending on your interests and experience, there may also be opportunities to contribute to proofreading of research reports.

What you'll do

You will contribute to a systematic review examining the use of social and socioeconomic measures in research using hospital EHR.

A key part of your role will involve working with information already extracted from included studies and checking it for accuracy, completeness and consistency. You will help organise and refine the extracted data so that patterns in the types of social measures used across studies can be identified and synthesised.

You will also gain experience working with academic literature and applying systematic and transparent approaches to research quality assurance. 

Throughout these 6 weeks, you will work closely with researchers from an interdisciplinary team spanning social science and health research.

What you'll learn

Through this project, you will gain practical experience in data extraction and working with research evidence in a collaborative academic environment. You will develop skills in reviewing and checking extracted research data, identifying inconsistencies, organising evidence systematically and synthesising information across studies.

The project will also introduce you to the opportunities and challenges involved in using hospital EHR for social science, including how complex concepts such as socioeconomic circumstances and other social factors are translated into measurable variables.

You will strengthen your academic reading, critical thinking, attention to detail and research communication skills, while gaining experience working as part of an interdisciplinary team involving researchers from UQ and Monash University.

You will also gain insight into how systematic reviews contribute to larger research programs and the development of new research questions.

Project outcomes

By the end of the project, the Summer Scholar will have contributed to a systematic review examining social and socioeconomic measures used in hospital EHR research.
Expected outcomes include a checked and consistently organised dataset of information extracted from the included studies and a clearer synthesis of the social measures represented in the literature.

The Scholar will contribute to identifying patterns, gaps and inconsistencies in how social and socioeconomic information is conceptualised and measured in EHR-based research.
Depending on project progress, the Scholar may also contribute to research outputs arising from the review. They will present their work and key findings at the ISSR Summer Scholars seminar at the conclusion of the program.

Who should apply?

This project would suit Psychology students with a strong interest in health and health-related research. Applicants should have strong quantitative skills and feel confident reading and interpreting empirical research, including study designs, variables, statistical analyses and reported results. These skills will be important for accurately extracting and checking information from published studies.

We are looking for a student with excellent attention to detail, strong written communication skills and the ability to work carefully and systematically with research literature. A good understanding of APA style is required. An interest in health research and social influences on health is important.

Team and supervision

Principal supervisor – Dr Vanda Nissen
Associate supervisor – Mr Matthias Kubler

Contact

If students wish to ask any questions, they can contact Dr Vanda Nissen (v.nissen@uq.edu.au)

Hours and delivery

Approximately 25-30 hours per week. Hybrid or on-site options are available.

About the project

This project asks what does the integration of immigrants and their children look like across several host countries (e.g., United States, Australia, Canada, and Britain)? Do immigrants and their children have similar outcomes to the host population in some host countries but not others?

What you'll do

Scholars will be involved in a range of different tasks. These can include conducting and writing literature reviews, generating tables, figures, and graphs for presentations, preparing materials for journal articles and books, and will have the opportunity to generate publications from the research. Students may also be asked to produce a report or oral presentation at the end of their project.

What you'll learn

Scholars will gain skills that allow them to think critically and gain independent research skills. These skills will be transferrable to other university research. Scholars will also gain a deeper understanding of immigrant integration across several host country contexts. 

Project outcomes

Outcomes from this project include conference or seminar presentations, book chapters, and journal articles.

Who should apply?

Open to students with a background in social science or related field. Students with experience with quantitative analysis is preferrable but not required. Students who have taken courses requiring independent research are preferred but not required. 

Team and supervision

Scholar will be supervised by Dr Rennie Lee. The scholar will meet weekly with Dr Lee. Dr Lee is part of a larger team and a research fellow in the Life Course Centre. As such, the scholar will have an opportunity meet other researchers though project work and supervision will be managed by Dr Lee. 

Contact    

Students are encouraged to contact Dr Lee before applying at rennie.lee@uq.edu.au.
 

Hours and delivery

Program dates: 11 January – 19 February 2027 (6 weeks)

Hours of engagement: 28 hours per week (7 hours per day, 4 days per week)

Mode: Hybrid — 3 days per week on campus (ISSR/Life Course Centre, Long Pocket) and 1 day per week remote

About the project

Sole parent families, most of them headed by women, are consistently identified as one of the most disadvantaged family types in Australia. Much research on this disadvantage focuses narrowly on income and employment, but sole parents' wellbeing is shaped by a much wider set of factors: financial strain, physical health, mental health, disability, and access to social support.

This project asks: what does the existing evidence tell us about sole parents' wellbeing across financial, physical health, mental health, disability, and social support domains, and how do these domains interact over the life course? The scholar will work with the project lead to build a structured literature review drawing together Australian and international research across these five domains, identifying how they compound one another and where the evidence base is thin. This review will directly inform an academic working paper and help shape the design of upcoming empirical analyses using the HILDA Survey. 

What you'll do

You will conduct a structured search of academic literature on sole parents' wellbeing, covering five domains: financial strain, physical health, mental health, disability, and social support/isolation. You will screen and synthesise Australian and international studies within each domain and pay particular attention to research examining how these domains intersect (for example, how financial strain affects mental health, or how disability status shapes access to support). You will organise your findings into an annotated bibliography and thematic summary tables organised by domain, and draft literature review sections for an academic working paper, incorporating feedback through iterative drafting with the project lead.

Students with an interest in quantitative methods are welcome to undertake supplementary data analysis using Stata or R, though this is optional and not a required part of the project.

What you'll learn

You will gain hands-on experience conducting a multidisciplinary academic literature review, including database searching (Scopus, Google Scholar, relevant sociology/public health/social policy journals), critical appraisal of empirical studies, and thematic synthesis across distinct but related bodies of research. You will develop academic writing skills: structuring an argument, integrating evidence from multiple domains, and using citation management software (e.g. EndNote or Zotero). You will build subject-matter knowledge of sole parent disadvantage, wellbeing measurement, and life course research, and gain insight into how a literature review is used to identify research gaps and inform grant applications and study design. You will also gain experience working within an active research team on a live, publication-oriented project.

Project outcomes

By the end of the project, you will have produced a structured, multidimensional literature review and annotated bibliography on sole parents' wellbeing, suitable for incorporation into an academic working paper and future journal submission. You will have identified key gaps in the evidence base, particularly around physical health and disability, which are currently underexamined in this research program, to help shape subsequent empirical analyses. Depending on progress and quality, there may be an opportunity to be acknowledged as a research assistant or co-author on the resulting working paper.

Who should apply?

This project suits students in sociology, social policy, public health, psychology, or a related social science discipline, ideally in their 3rd or 4th year. No quantitative or Stata skills are required. Strong academic writing skills, attention to detail, and an interest in family disadvantage, health inequality, and social policy are essential. Comfort synthesising research across several distinct fields (e.g. health and social policy literatures) is valuable. Prior experience with literature searching or academic referencing is helpful but not required, training will be provided.

Team and supervision

You will be supervised by Dr Sandra Buchler (Project Lead) with input from Professor Janeen Baxter (Project Advisor), both based at the Life Course Centre, Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR), University of Queensland. You will work closely with Dr Buchler on a weekly basis, with regular check-ins to review progress, discuss literature, and workshop drafts. You will join the Family Dynamics & the Life Course research program, working alongside other researchers examining social disadvantage in Australia.

Additional opportunities

Potential co-authorship or acknowledgement on a working paper/journal article; opportunity to present findings informally to the research group; possible pathway into further research (e.g. honours or postgraduate study).

Additional requirements 

If the summer scholar wishes to undertake data analysis (e.g. using HILDA), this can be arranged; however, data access will need to be applied for in advance, and applicants should flag this interest early so that the necessary approvals can be organised before the project begins.

Contact    

Please contact Dr Sandra Buchler (s.buchler@uq.edu.au) if you have any questions.
 

Hours and delivery

20 hours per week, Monday to Thursday, on campus at UQ Long Pocket.

About the project

Despite major increases in women’s workforce participation, the division of labour within different-sex couples remains unequal: women continue to perform a disproportionate share of unpaid domestic and care work, including when employed full-time. Understanding how this division is measured, perceived, and evaluated as fair or unfair is therefore central to research on gender inequality.

This project addresses an important practical gap in the existing survey landscape. Major cross-national surveys, such as the ISSP, WVS, ESS, and GGP, and national household panel studies, including HILDA, Understanding Society, SOEP, and SHP, contain valuable measures of gender role attitudes and sexism, the division of paid and unpaid work, and perceptions of fairness and satisfaction. However, these measures are scattered across questionnaires and codebooks, vary in wording and operationalisation, and have not been systematically mapped across studies.

The project will develop a structured directory of relevant survey items and variables, organised by study and theme, and identify measures that can be compared across surveys, countries and time. The student will play a central role in locating, extracting, coding and cross-referencing these measures. The resulting resource will provide a foundation for future comparative research on gender and work, while giving the student practical experience in survey research, measurement and the development of empirically feasible research questions.

What you'll do

You will systematically search the questionnaires and codebooks of selected cross-national surveys and national panel studies, focusing on three topic areas: attitudes toward gender roles and sexism; the division of paid and unpaid work (both time use and specific tasks); and how people assess that division in terms of fairness and satisfaction. For each survey, you will identify and copy the relevant items and variable names into an Excel sheet, organised separately by study. Once each survey has been catalogued, you will compare items across studies to identify matching or comparable questions, noting differences in wording, response scales, and survey waves, so the directory can support cross-national and longitudinal comparison.

What you'll learn 

You will gain hands-on familiarity with the world’s leading cross-national and panel surveys, understanding different survey design and learning how to access their data and documentation through data archives and the specific study portals. You will develop skills in reading and interpreting questionnaires and codebooks, in how items are constructed, coded, and structured into variables, and in organising this information in Excel. Working across studies will sharpen your sense of comparability: what makes items genuinely comparable across countries, time points, and studies, and where wording or scale differences limit comparison. You will leave with a concrete understanding of available data on gender and the division of labour, how they are structured and measured, and where they diverge, which is essential for judging what can and cannot be compared empirically. These are foundational skills for any student, especially when considering further work in these topics and/or quantitative analyses on secondary data.

Project outcomes 

By the end of the project, you will have produced a structured, searchable Excel directory cataloguing survey items and variables on gender attitudes, the division of paid and unpaid work, and fairness/satisfaction assessments, drawn from relevant repeated cross-national surveys and national panel studies. The directory will include matched, cross-study comparisons highlighting which items are directly comparable and which differ in wording, scale, or temporal and spatial coverage. The directory will directly support future comparative research on the gender division of labour, and will give you a well-developed understanding of the survey landscape to help formulate your own research questions going forward.

Who should apply?

This project suits students from sociology, gender studies, psychology, demography, or related social science backgrounds, ideally in their later undergraduate or honours years, with an interest in gender inequalities and quantitative social research. While prior experience with survey data is not required, working carefully and methodically is essential, as is strong attention to detail and patience when populating the directory and comparing item wording across studies. Excellent organisational skills and the ability to work independently on a structured task are also valuable. Curiosity about how social science concepts are translated into survey questions, and an interest in eventually using the directory to develop your own research project, will make you a great fit.

Team and supervision

The project is supervised by Dr Christina Bornatici, a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Social Science Research and a member of the ARC Kathleen Fitzpatrick Laureate Project, Bringing Equality Home: A New Gender Agenda. The student will work closely with Christina throughout the project, with regular meetings to discuss progress, resolve issues such as accessing survey documentation or reporting survey items, and refine the structure and scope of the directory. Depending on availability, the student may also have opportunities to engage with other members of the Bringing Equality Home research team.

Additional opportunities

As a Summer Scholar, you will become a member of the Bringing Equality Home: A New Gender Agenda research project and will be invited to participate in relevant Bringing Equality Home and ISSR research activities, including seminars and research meetings organised by the Family Dynamics Working Group, providing you opportunities to meet and learn from researchers across different career stages. You will also have the opportunity to present the project’s results and gain experience communicating research to an academic audience.

Contact

Dr Christina Bornatici (c.bornatici@uq.edu.au)

Hours and delivery

20 hours per week (5 hours per day/4 days)
On-site, ISSR/LCC, Long Pocket

About the project

Gender inequalities in adulthood are well documented, from differences in earnings and employment to the unequal division of unpaid work and care. Yet these inequalities do not suddenly appear in adulthood. Their foundations may begin much earlier, through differences in family resources and experiences, gender socialisation, health and development, education, and the early transition into independent and working life.

This project asks: When and how do gender inequalities emerge from childhood to early adulthood? Taking a life-course perspective, it will examine how gendered experiences develop and accumulate across the first quarter of the life course, from the early years through adolescence and into the twenties. It will consider multiple domains, including family resources and socialisation, education and aspirations, physical and mental health, puberty and reproductive health, and transitions into further education and employment. It will also consider leaving the parental home and forming new households and intimate relationships, when young people begin negotiating domestic responsibilities and creating households of their own. Particular attention will be given to key transitions and turning points where gender differences may emerge, widen, narrow, or change form.

By bringing together evidence across these different stages and areas of life, the project aims to build a broader picture of the early origins of gender inequality and identify where important gaps in our understanding remain. The project contributes to the broader Bringing Equality Home (BEH) research program on gender inequality and the life course.

What you'll do

You will work with the research team to explore how gender inequalities emerge across the first quarter of the life course, from childhood to early adulthood. Using a scoping review and evidence-mapping approach, you will help search for and identify relevant research across areas such as family life, education, health, household formation and employment. You will organise the evidence into a structured evidence database and look for patterns in when and where gender differences emerge, how they change across different stages of life, and what might explain them. You will also explore connections across different areas of life and identify questions that have received less research attention. Throughout the project, you will meet regularly with the research team to discuss emerging findings, develop the evidence map and contribute your own ideas and interpretations. 

What you'll learn

This project will provide hands-on experience in conducting a scoping review and evidence mapping within a multidisciplinary social science research environment, drawing on research from sociology, education, psychology, public health, demography and public policy. You will develop practical skills in designing literature searches, screening and critically evaluating academic research, extracting and coding evidence, and synthesising findings across different disciplines and stages of the life course. You will also learn how researchers move from a broad social problem to identifying patterns, mechanisms and gaps that can inform new research questions. Through regular discussions with the research team, you will develop your critical thinking, research communication and academic writing skills, while gaining familiarity with life-course and gender inequality research. The project will provide valuable preparation for Honours, postgraduate research and research-oriented careers.

Project outcomes

By the end of the project, the Summer Scholar will have developed a structured evidence map of research on the emergence of gender inequality from childhood to early adulthood. This will include a searchable database categorising studies by life stage, domain of inequality, population, methods and key findings. The Scholar will also contribute to a short summary identifying important gaps in current evidence. Findings will be presented to the research team and will provide the foundation for a working paper or review article, with potential opportunities for the Scholar to contribute to subsequent publication.

Who should apply?

This project would suit a later-year undergraduate, Honours or postgraduate student with an interest in gender inequality and the life course. Students from sociology, social science, public health, psychology, education, economics, public policy or related fields are encouraged to apply. Applicants should have some experience reading, evaluating and synthesising academic research through their university studies and be comfortable reading and organising a substantial body of academic literature. Previous experience with literature reviews or research methods is desirable but not essential. The project would particularly suit someone considering Honours, a research degree or a research-oriented career who is curious about how insights from different disciplines can be brought together to understand a complex social problem.

Team and supervision

The Summer Scholar will be supervised by Dr Suri Li, Postdoctoral Research Fellow on the project Bringing Equality Home: A New Gender Agenda at ISSR, and Professor Janeen Baxter, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course and Chief Investigator of BEH project. The Scholar will work closely with Suri on the day-to-day development of the scoping review and evidence mapping, with regular supervision and discussion of emerging findings. They will be embedded within the broader Bringing Equality Home research team and have opportunities to engage with researchers working on gender inequality, families and the life course.

Additional opportunities

The Scholar will be invited to participate in relevant Bringing Equality Home and ISSR research activities, including seminars, research meetings and the Family Dynamics Working Group, providing opportunities to meet and learn from researchers across different career stages. The Scholar will have opportunity to present findings from the project and gain experience communicating research to an academic audience. The evidence map will provide the foundation for a working paper or scoping review article, with potential opportunities for the Scholar to remain involved in developing the research for publication after the Summer Research Program.

Contact

Dr Suri Li (mengxuansuri.li@uq.edu.au) 
 

Hours and delivery

The project will take place over six weeks, from 11 January to 19 February 2027. The student will work 30 hours per week, generally between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm from Monday to Friday. The position will follow a hybrid working arrangement, with a combination of on-campus and online activities. Most project-related research activities will be undertaken at the Cycad Building, Long Pocket campus. Online meetings may also be scheduled when appropriate to support supervision, discuss progress, and coordinate ongoing project tasks.

About the project   

Social and environmental changes are reshaping how older people experience everyday community life. Opportunities for social participation, access to local activities and services, and connections with others can vary considerably across different neighbourhoods and population groups. These differences may influence older people’s sense of inclusion, independence, and ability to remain actively involved in their communities.

This project will explore older people’s experiences of community life and examine the factors that support or limit social participation and connection. Particular attention will be given to older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, whose experiences may be shaped by additional cultural, linguistic, and structural factors.

Drawing on existing research and qualitative interviews, the study will develop a better understanding of how older people engage with their communities and navigate changes in their social environment. The findings will contribute to broader research on ageing, social inclusion, and community wellbeing and help inform future research and approaches to developing more inclusive and age-friendly communities.

What you'll do

You will contribute to both the literature review and data collection of the project. You will search for, organise, and summarise relevant literature on ageing, social participation, community engagement, and social inclusion. You will also help prepare interview materials and support qualitative interviews with older people, including participants from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Throughout the project, you will discuss emerging findings with the research team and contribute to synthesising the evidence into clear research outputs that can support future research on ageing, inclusion, and community wellbeing.

What you'll learn

You will develop practical research skills across both literature-based and the process of data collection in research. Through reviewing existing studies, you will strengthen your ability to search for, evaluate, synthesise, and communicate academic evidence on topics such as population ageing, social participation, and community inclusion. You will gain experience in research processes, engaging with older people, organising data, and identifying patterns and themes across participants’ experiences. The project will also build your understanding of ethical and inclusive research with culturally and linguistically diverse communities. By discussing emerging findings with the research team, you will strengthen your analytical thinking and learn how evidence can inform broader questions about ageing, community participation, social inclusion, and age-friendly communities. You will also gain experience communicating research findings clearly to academic and policy audiences.

Project outcomes

The outputs of this project will identify key gaps in current knowledge and provide a clearer understanding of older people’s everyday participation in community life. The project will also develop evidence-based insights into the factors that support or constrain social connection, inclusion, and engagement, with particular attention to culturally and linguistically diverse older people. These outputs will provide a foundation for future publications, research proposals, and engagement with policy and practice relating to ageing, social inclusion, community wellbeing, and age-friendly communities.

Who should apply?

This project would suit students with a background in the social sciences and an interest in community life, ageing, social participation, or social inclusion. Applicants should have an interest in research and ideally some familiarity with interview-based research, including preparing interview questions, engaging with participants, and working with data. Students with strong communication, critical thinking, and organisational skills are particularly encouraged to apply. An interest in working with older people and culturally and linguistically diverse communities would also be valuable.

Team and supervision

Dr Mahnoosh Hassankhani, Postdoctoral research fellow, Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR)

Additional opportunities

The student will have opportunities to engage with researchers at ISSR and other Summer Scholars. The student may have opportunities to contribute to the presentation and communication of project findings and to gain insight into how research evidence can inform future research and policy development.

Contact    

Students may contact the supervisor before applying.
Direct enquiries to: Dr Mahnoosh Hassankhani (m.hassankhani@uq.edu.au)