Student research programs

Benefits

Summer research at UQ provides a range of benefits, including:

• experience to ‘test-drive’ research before embarking on future research studies, such as Honours or Higher Degree Research projects such as Master’s, MPhil or PhD
• enhance your employability through opportunities to develop new academic and professional skills
• access to research networks and the opportunity to build connections with staff and postgraduate students;
• supervision by world-class UQ researchers
• access to world-class facilities 
• the possibility of obtaining credit towards your degree or the UQ Employability Award
• a scholarship for qualifying students to receive an allowance of $3,000

Eligibility

To be eligible to participate and receive a grant you must meet all of the following criteria:

• You are enrolled in an undergraduate, honours, or postgraduate coursework program at UQ at the time of application (internal or external study options apply); and
• You will maintain ongoing enrolment in a program at UQ for the entirety of the Research Experience Program (graduation will affect this, please check the FAQs for clarification); and
• Your area of study is relevant to the research project you apply for; and
• You have a high level of academic achievement during your degree; and
• You have at least 20 unused days of Unpaid Work Experience if applying for the Winter Research Program and 30 unused days of Unpaid Work Experience if applying for the Summer Research Program**

If you are due to graduate from your current program of study and will be commencing further undergraduate or postgraduate coursework study the following semester, you may be eligible to participate.  This will depend on whether you can demonstrate enrolment in your new program of study prior to the Summer or Winter Research Program commencing.  You may be asked to provide evidence of enrolment by providing an Enrolment Status Report, available through Si-Net

Students may be eligible to participate in the Program and receive a scholarship more than once at the discretion of QBI. However, if the number of applicants exceeds available places and funding, preference will be given to first-time applicants.

Assessment and selection

You will be assessed by QBI staff who will determine your suitability. Placements will be awarded on a competitive basis, taking into account:

•  eligibility
•  availability of projects and supervisors
• quality of the project
• academic merit 
• reasons provided for wanting to participate in the Program
• skills and attributes of applicants to meet project requirements
• available funding.

Scholarship support

All applicants will be automatically considered for a Summer Research Scholarship. If you qualify you'll receive funding of AUD$3000, paid jointly by QBI and the UQ SEC.  

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants are eligible for an additional scholarship. To apply for the additional Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander scholarship, please email collaborators@qbi.uq.edu.au indicating your interest, after following the how to apply instructions. Only some of the projects listed below are eligible for this additional scholarship. Check the details of the project you're interested in to see if the additional scholarship is included.

No scholars are permitted to participate in the program in a voluntary capacity.

If you withdraw from the Program, or your placement is terminated, your scholarship will need to be returned for the equivalent full weeks remaining unworked.

Time commitment and obligations

It is expected that you will be available and make a commitment to work on a full-time basis between 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday (up to 36 hours each week) during the Program.

You're expected to actively participate in an ongoing research project or to undertake a substantial piece of supervised research work. Where appropriate to the project, additional discipline-/project-specific obligations may also be required, such as training in research safety and ethics.

The research period is normally offered in two parts to allow for the Christmas/New Year holidays when the University is officially closed.

Summer research project work should not conflict with teaching weeks and should not commence prior to completing assessment or semester examination requirements.

If you're accepted to participate in the Program at QBI, you'll be asked to complete a Student Intellectual Property and Confidentiality Deed (SIPCA) for your research project.

Towards the end of the Program, you may be requested by your supervisor to prepare and provide either a short-written report or oral presentation during a lab group meeting, about their summer project work.

Welcome event and student induction

Scholars accepted for the program at QBI are strongly encouraged to participate in the compulsory UQ SEC Summer Research Welcome event and QBI’s compulsory student induction activities and requirements organised for that day including OHS training.

How to apply

You can only submit only one application but you can specify a second preference in your application.

Step 1 - Choose a project from the list of available projects listed below.

Step 2 – Check your eligibility.
Carefully read through all of the UQ SEC Summer Research Program information on the UQ Careers and Employability website. 

Step 3 – Email the relevant project contact person to express your interest in the project to ask if they will support your application. In this email, attach your detailed academic CV and complete academic transcripts. If they support your EOI you'll need to include their supportive statement in your application.

Step 4 – Submit an online application via UQ Student Hub and upload supporting documentation by 12 October 2025 at the very latest.The application period is from 22 September - 12 October 2025.
You must submit an online application form by 11:59pm, Sunday 12 October 2025 if you wish to be considered for this program.

This should include your:

• complete academic transcripts
• personal statement explaining why you wish to be considered for the project
• resume
• supporting statement from the project supervisor (this may be a copy of any email correspondence)

All applicants will be notified if they will be invited to participate in the Program.

Have questions?

If you have any questions regarding the Summer Research Program at QBI, please email collaborators@qbi.uq.edu.au.

Available projects
 

Investigating the role of ketamine in predictive coding in the fly brain

Primary Supervisor: Prof Bruno van Swinderen, b.vanswinderen@uq.edu.au (Prof van Swinderen Lab)
 

Description

The work will be on the Drosophila (fruit fly model), and the method will be electrophysiology. The goal of the project is to determine if ketamine exposure changes how the fly brain makes predictions, by way of a visual sequential expectations paradigms.

The project will be conducted on-site at QBI for six weeks. 

Expected Outcomes and Deliverables

The student will learn how to use Drosophila in neuroscience research. They will gain expertise in electrophysiology applications and analysis. This will include learning some Matlab coding for visual paradigms and data analysis. They will also gain an understanding of applying pharmacological approaches to understanding brain function, with focus on a compound that is attracting a lot of interest for understanding altered states of consciousness: ketamine.

Suitable for

This project is open for students interested in potentially conducting an honours or PhD project in the lab, on a topic related to this research area.

Time commitments and obligations

Hours of engagement must be between 20 – 36 hrs per week and must fall within the official program dates (12 January – 20 February 2026).

How the Microbiome and Epigenetics Shape Mitochondrial Genetics Across Generations

Primary Supervisor: A/Prof Steven Zuryn, s.zuryn@uq.edu.au (A/Prof Zuryn Lab)
 

Description

Our environment can influence genetics in ways that are heritable across generations. Environmental changes can modify the epigenetic state of the genome, and these alterations may be passed to offspring, thereby affecting gene function and physiology. Beyond epigenetics, the microbial communities that live within and on us can release metabolites that exert profound effects on the host. Recently, our lab discovered that both epigenetic modifications and microbiome-derived signals can reshape the mitochondrial genome in ways that are heritable. These findings open new questions about the plasticity of the mitochondrial genome and how such influences contribute to ageing and age-related diseases, many of which are tightly linked to mitochondrial integrity.

In this project, you will explore these discoveries and help unravel their underlying mechanisms and broader implications. You will gain experience with advanced genetic and genome-engineering approaches, microscopy, cell biology, and the use of C. elegans as a model system.

The project will be offered on site at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI, Building #79, St Lucia campus). Duration is six weeks. 

Expected Outcomes and Deliverables

You will gain firsthand experience in how a research laboratory investigates key questions in epigenetics, microbiology, mitochondrial biology, neurobiology, and ageing. As part of this work, you will be trained in modern molecular biology techniques, including gene cloning, CRISPR-based genome editing, and next-generation sequencing. In addition, you will develop skills in classical genetics using the model organism C. elegans. Beyond the bench, you will participate in regular lab meetings, present your findings, and strengthen your scientific communication skills. There may also be opportunities to contribute to publications and to pursue a project that could form the basis of your Honours year.

Suitable for

This project is suitable for any student interested in science and wishing to pursue higher research (e.g. honours, PhD).

Time commitments and obligations

Hours of engagement must be between 20 – 36 hrs per week and must fall within the official program dates (12 January – 20 February 2026).

Does the chemokine Lymphotactin regulate adult neurogenesis

Primary Supervisor: Dr Tara Walker, t.walker1@uq.edu.au (Prof Walker Lab)
 

Description

Physical activity strongly increases neural precursor proliferation in the adult hippocampus, an area important for learning and memory. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms of exercise-induced adult hippocampal neurogenesis are still unknown. Using proteomic screening, we found increased plasma levels of the chemokine lymphotactin (XCL1) in running mice. Our data show that XCL1 has proliferation-enhancing and pro-neurogenic effects on adult neural precursor cells in vitro, and a reduction in proliferation was observed in dentate gyrus primary cells isolated from XCL1 KO mice (Leiter et al., 2019, Sci Rep). It has been shown that XCL1 switches between two distinct protein folds that exert different functions in the immune system; however, it is unclear which of these affects neural precursor cells or microglia, both of which express XCL1 receptors.

The applicant will be required on-site at QBI for the duration of the project. Duration is six weeks. 

Expected Outcomes and Deliverables

Scholars will gain skills in histology and microscopy. This project may generate data that will be included in an associated manuscript on which the scholar will be an author. Students will be asked to present their work as an oral presentation to the research group at the completion of the project.

Suitable for

This project is open to applications from 2^nd-4^th year students with a background in molecular biology, neuroscience, biotechnology or other related fields.

Time commitments and obligations

Hours of engagement must be between 20 – 36 hrs per week and must fall within the official program dates (12 January – 20 February 2026).