UQ Summer and Winter Research Scholarships

Project duration, hours of engagement & delivery mode

Project duration – between 6-10 weeks – can be negotiated between the applicant and supervisor. Hours of engagement can also be negotiated – between 20-36 hours per week. Applicant can work from home, or on-site.

Description:

Supported by a national (NHMRC) research grant, the project fits within a sub-study to an RCT into medicinal cannabis and its effectiveness in controlling symptom burden in palliative care contexts. Specifically, this summer research scholarship will critically examine different measures/scales used to assess symptom burden and wellbeing in this setting, through a critical rapid review or similar form of review.

Expected outcomes and deliverables:

Scholars may gain skills in database searching, critical assessment of standardised tools such as scales and literature synthesis. There may also be opportunities to generate publications for the research. Students may also be asked to produce a report or oral presentation at the end of their project.

Suitable for:

This project is open to applicants in third year, fourth year and above with:

• Skills in database searching
• Skills in reviewing literature
• Comfort with qualitative and quantitative research

The project will be of most interest to students studying for a degree in the health (e.g., School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences; School of Public Health) or social sciences (e.g., School of Social Science).

Primary Supervisor:

A/Prof Rebecca E. Olson

Further info:

Please contact r.olson@uq.edu.au if you have questions about the project.

Project duration, hours of engagement & delivery mode

10 weeks during Summer Vacation, 30-36hrs per week (negotiable). The applicant will be required on-site for the project.

Description:

Phytoliths (silicified plant remains) commonly preserve in archaeological sites as evidence of human use of plants for food, craft, fuel and other purposes, as well as the palaeoecological setting for these ancient behaviours. Essential to archaeological and palaeoecological studies of phytoliths is a comprehensive understanding of the production and forms (morphologies) of phytoliths across plant families within a study region. For this project, a student will process modern plant reference material, and quantify and describe the phytoliths found within key taxa, to help develop a phytolith database and classification key for a study region (this can be negotiated depending on the available samples).

Expected outcomes and deliverables:

The student will learn phytolith extraction and identification techniques using light microscopy and will assist with data management. They will be required to produce a report detailing their findings, which has the potential to be published or contribute to a publication.

Suitable for:

Third year and honours level students in archaeology and/or palaeoecology with a high degree of enthusiasm for lab-based research. Some experience in microscopy would be advantageous.

Primary Supervisor:

A/Prof Alison Crowther

Further info:

Please contact A/Prof Alison Crowther (a.crowther@uq.edu.au) for further information; all enquiries should be accompanied by your CV and academic transcripts.