UQ Summer/Winter Research Scholarships

Summer Research Scholarship Program 2024

Applications open 18 September and close 22 October 2023

https://employability.uq.edu.au/summer-winter-research

Digital transaction platform analysis – the case of Grab in Indonesia

Project Duration: This research project will take place over 6 weeks from 08 January to 16 Febraury 2024 with an average of 32 working hours per week (four days). The candidate will be required on campus for at least two days per week but some of the work can be done remotely.

Project Description: This project is part of the Digital Transaction Platforms – Asia (DTP-A) project, which is funded by the ARC – Discovery scheme.

The DTP-A project seeks to provide a comprehensive and authoritative account of the rapid shift towards digital payments in Asian economies. The project examines the technical and commercial organisation of the leading Asian transaction platforms in culturally diverse Asian markets through detailed studies of everyday norms and practices in India, Indonesia, China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines. One of the project’s objectives is to undertake a systematic analysis of digital transaction platforms in the leading countries and economies of Asia. This summer research assignment contributes to this objective by supporting the analysis of the Grab platform in Indonesia, which in turn will inform the ethnographic study done in rural areas in Indonesia in 2024.

The summer research assignment consists of:

Desk-top research: Conduct a literature review about the emergence, application and impacts of the Grab platform in Indonesia.
Report writing: Write a report capturing the findings from the literature review.
Presentation: Prepare and present the research to the UQ DTP-A team and interested HDR students.

Expected outcomes and deliverables: The expected outcomes for the student are (1) enhanced academic research, writing and presentation skills, (2) an understanding of how digital transaction platforms operate and impact society, with a focus on Indonesia, and (3) experience working in a UQ school-based research centre. Deliverables include a written report and oral presentation.

Suitable for: The assignment is suitable for students who are in the second half of their studies in one of the following degrees: Communication, Information Technology, Development Practice or (Agri-)Business, although others may be considered, as well. Applicants should have a strong interest in the digitalisation of transactions in society and their impacts on diverse users and non-users. The successful applicant will have good analytical, writing and visual presentation skills, and the ability to think across disciplinary boundaries. Ability to read literature in Bahasa Indonesia would be an advantage but is not a prerequisite.

Primary Supervisor: A/Prof Elske van de Fliert, Director, Centre for Communication and Social Change. Please reach out to Elske if you have any questions. An interview may be required prior to final selection of the successful candidate

The screenplays that wrote themselves: Writer invisibility in Hollywood

Project Duration: This research project will take place over 6 weeks from 08 January to 16 Febraury 2024. The data gathering work can be completed remotely but the analysis would be best conducted on campus, working with the supervisor.

Project Description: Hollywood has traditionally treated its writers poorly; the current writers’ strike over compensation from streaming services is the latest example. This study will provide a quantitative approach to a qualitative issue: appreciation. By analysing the acceptance speeches made at the Academy Awards since 1939, the study aims to quantify how frequently writers are thanked or recognised for creating the screenplays for which the actors, directors, producers etc receive their awards. The outcome will act as a dataset in a deeper exploration of the writers’ status in the Hollywood creative value chain..

Expected outcomes and deliverables: Students will gain experience in handling qualitative data, identifying key terms and creating a database that is searchable across multiple terms. They will also get experience in creative analysis and synthesis of the data set. The intended outcome is an article for a journal and/or broader publication (The Conversation, etc.).

Suitable for: This project would suit anyone wanting to work in the creative industries who also wants to build on their numerical and data analysis skills. They should have a logical mindset but also the ability to think laterally.

Primary Supervisor: Dr. Richard Newsome

Social Media Collecting: From content to object

Project Duration: This research project will take place over 6 weeks from 08 January to 16 Febraury 2024. It will involve a commitment of 30 hours per week (120 hours). The work can be competed remotely and there is no requirement to be on site.

Project Description: Despite the reality that over half the world's population use social media there is surprisingly little guidance for museums on how to collect such content in perpetuity. Currently, most social media content is housed and owned by third party platforms that continue to change and may not exist in the future as new platforms and technologies emerge. This research will support museum professionals to build a sustainable practice of collecting historically significant social media before it is lost. Within this overarching framework and theoretical context, in this research project we explore three key research questions which are framed around: (1) what can museums learn from social media, (2) how to collect and exhibit it, and (3) the practices, tools, policies and infrastructures needed to collect it.

Expected outcomes and deliverables: In this project we will be seeking to identify the different types of social media content that a museum might collect in terms of their different visions and mission statements. Scholars working on this project will develop greater understanding about museum practice as well as skills in seeking out suitable case studies. At the end of the project scholars will be asked to present a written and oral report.

Suitable for: This project is open to applications from students with a background in digital media, communications, journalism, museum studies or marketing. Ideally the candidate will be postgraduate or a 3^rd – 4th year student. We are looking for people with strong interest and experience with social media.

Primary Supervisor: Dr. Caroline Wilson-Barnao

Curating Histories for Cairns

Project Duration: This research project will take place over 6 weeks from 08 January to 16 Febraury 2024 involving 20-36 hours per week.

Project Description: The student will contribute to the large-scale Demons Land project, an unprecedented collaboration between UQ, Oxford University, and Queensland Indigenous artists in communities in Cairns and beyond. The project interweaves critical/historical analysis with film, painting, sculpture, drama, dance, storytelling, and explores the ongoing encounter between indigenous and colonial cultures. Dr. Andrea Bubenik (Art History, UQ) and Yidinji elder and activist Honorary Professor Henrietta Marrie (UQ) are among the chief investigators on this project. An especially important strand of this project is the development of educational resources for Cairns and art centres in regional Queensland. The student will work under the supervision of Dr. Bubenik and Hon. Prof. Marrie to research and consolidate Cairns and Yarrabah histories, oral, written, and visual. The goals is to curate a radical new time line for display and education. Sources to be explored will include: State Library Archives, the Hansard parliament reports, the Aboriginal Protection Act of 1897, and the 19^th century visuals of frontier wars and massacres scattered in various archives.

Expected outcomes and deliverables: The student will gain skills in archival research and exploration of primary source material including photographs and government reports. They will contribute to the development of a community focused educational resource, and the curation of written, visual and oral histories for an exhibition space to be situated in TAFE Cairns. The exhibition space will be designed to foster education and truth telling, as much as an emancipated community of storytellers and translators.

Suitable for: This project is open to upper level students of art history and curatorship. The successful candidate will have demonstrable independent research skills, and be able to commit to an intensive work period. Students with skills in archival research and/or curatorial practice are especially encouraged to apply.

Primary Supervisor: For more information, please contact Dr. Andrea Bubenik

THE CLOUDED KINGDOM—A literature review to aid creative writing about 2067

Project Duration: This research project will take place over 6 weeks from 08 January to 16 Febraury 2024 involving 20-36 hours per week. Remote work allowed.

Project Description: Dr Helen Marshall is writing a new science fiction novel, titled The Clouded Kingdom, scheduled to be completed for 2024. It explores ideas about land ownership, climate change, virtual reality, and Anglo-Sino relations, set in a near future which has mitigated the worst effects of climate change through widescale transformation and emerged with strengthened institutions and an impetus toward justice.

The scholar will be tasked with drawing together research materials related to the setting of the novel. The nature of this research is somewhat open-ended as it will be shaped by the writing. General research skills combined with a background in creative writing or English literature are essential, as is an open mind and willingness to explore topics outside your comfort zone. This project will also involve imagining the future, not simply focusing on the current state of technology.

The scholar will prepare a weekly report and we will meet to discuss the findings and to shape the next stage of the inquiry.

Expected outcomes and deliverables: The student will be shown how to compile a literature review, develop research questions, evaluate sources, and tackle complex problems as they relate to creative industries. The student will follow research questions to provide material to be used in the development of the setting for a new novel. This will give the student a chance to see what the process of drafting a novel involves in terms of research and preparation. I would also be happy to discuss the nature of the publishing industry and how novels are commissioned, edited and marketed. Finally, the student will also be invited to use the research for his or her own writing purposes, including, for example, the development of a science fiction story for his or her undergraduate major project (if desired). The student’s work will be acknowledged in the final publication

Suitable for: Students with experience with creative writing (can be informal or hobbyist), preferable science fiction; ability to work independently to complete research tasks; and a background in political science may be beneficial, but is not essential.

Primary Supervisor: Please contact Dr. Helen Marshall for further details

Preppers and Survivalism in the AustLit database

Project Duration: The project will be for 6 weeks in duration, from 8 January until 16 February at 30 hours per week, per scholar. COVID-19 considerations: although some of the project can be completed remotely, scholars will need to spend some time on-site in the AustLit offices.

Project Description: A “prepper” can be defined as someone who expects to experience some form of major disruption – from a natural disaster, to widespread societal collapse – within their lifetime, and who is taking active steps to prepare for that eventuality.

Searchers for “survivalist” or “preppers” do not return many hits in the AustLit database, but the concerns of survivalism and prepping can be seen everywhere from narratives of climate collapse to Indigenous cultural survival to accounts of self-sufficiency and off-grid living. This project will comprise the construction of a specialised dataset in the AustLit database on Australian stories about survivalism and prepping.

The intern(s) will undertake foundational work, focusing on identifying, updating and compiling records already within the AustLit database, developing dataset parameters, affiliating works into a searchable and discrete dataset, identifying future sources of data, and designing the dataset welcome page and other graphical and multimedia material (e.g. short videos).

The scholar(s) will work with AustLit and academic staff throughout. Parts of the project can be adapted to suit scholar interest and expertise.

Expected outcomes and deliverables: Scholars will work under the supervision of A/Professor Nolan and Dr Tom Doig. Dr Catriona Mills will provide training in the use of AustLit, A/Prof Nolan will provide content knowledge in relation to Australian literary studies and Dr Doig will offer subject expertise in relation to global narratives of prepping.

Scholars will:

Gain an understanding of the mechanics of databases
Gain skills in data collection and analysis, and in database design, including multimedia resources and their integration
Gain skills in designing database interfaces
Gain an understanding of the role of survivalism in Australian literary tradition
Learn about and contribute to Australian digital cultural heritage

  Scholars will be expected to:

Co-lead the establishment of the dataset
Complete a digital exhibition of the dataset and/or produce a peer-reviewed journal article.

Suitable for: This project is suitable for Arts and Humanities students with good qualitative research skills an interest in developing quantitative research skills, and an interest in survivalism as it has been represented in Australian writing.

Primary supervisor: A/Prof Maggie Nolan; Dr Tom Doig. Applicants are encouraged to look through recent AustLit projects to better understand desired outcomes. One such project is Australian Writing and Rock Music (https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/25559401). Applicants are welcome to contact A/Prof Nolan and/or Dr Doig with questions before applying

Australian AI in the Archive

Project Description: If you search “artificial intelligence” in the AustLit database, you get 469 results. “Robots’ gives you even more, with over 1400 results. This project is the first stage of the construction of a specialised dataset in the AustLit database on Australian writing about artificial intelligence and robots.

This first phase will undertake foundational work, focusing on identifying, updating and compiling records already within the AustLit database, developing dataset parameters, affiliating works into a searchable and discrete dataset, identifying future sources of data, and designing the dataset welcome page and other graphical and multimedia material (e.g. short videos).

The scholar(s) will work with AustLit and academic staff throughout. Parts of the project can be adapted to suit scholar interest and expertise.

Expected outcomes and deliverables: Scholars will work under the supervision of A/Professor Nolan and Dr Henrickson. Dr Catriona Mills will provide training in the use of AustLit, A/Prof Nolan will provide content knowledge in relation to Australian literary studies, and Dr Henrickson will provide content knowledge in relation to artificial intelligence and robots.

Scholars will:

Gain an understanding of the mechanics of databases
Gain skills in data collection and analysis, and in database design, including multimedia resources and their integration
Gain skills in designing database interfaces
Learn about design justice principles in working with data, archives and machine learning
Learn more about representations of artificial intelligence and robots in the Australian literary tradition Australia
Theorise the challenges generative AI pose for Australian writing, notions of authorship and the bibliographic endeavour
Learn about and contribute to Australian digital cultural heritage
If time permits, the scholar(s) may explore using large language models to experiment with the dataset

Scholars will be expected to:

Co-lead the establishment of the dataset
Co-author an article with the supervisors to submit for publication.

Suitable for: This project is suitable for Arts and Humanities students with good qualitative research skills, interest in developing quantitative research skills, and interest in artificial intelligence and robots as they have been represented in Australian writing.

Students who are interested in experimenting with generative AI (e.g. large language models, text-to-image models) are especially encouraged to apply.

Primary Supervisor: A/Prof Maggie Nolan; Dr Leah Henrickson. Applicants are encouraged to look through recent AustLit projects to better understand desired outcomes. One such project is Australian Writing and Rock Music (https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/25559401). Applicants are welcome to contact A/Prof Nolan and/or Dr Henrickson with questions before applying.

History, Fiction, and Truthtelling: Delivering Public Programs with State Library of Queensland

Project Duration: Students will undertake 6 weeks’ work independently, at SLQ (and be provided with an induction there), and at UQ’s St Lucia campus. They will be able to complete some work remotely while being on-site for other components.

Project Description: Professor Anna Johnston holds a 2023 John Oxley Honorary Fellowship to map the representation of violence in colonial Queensland writing. Many writers depicted colonial violence and Indigenous resistance and dispossession, sometimes directly, sometimes obliquely. This writing was controversial, because it drew attention to the troubling side of colonialism, but it was also ubiquitous. While the vast popular fiction about the colonial frontier published in newspapers and magazines has largely been forgotten, retrieving this writing is an important contribution to truthtelling as demanded by the Uluru Statement and the Path to Treaty.

This internship will provide the opportunity to work with Anna and the State Library of Queensland’s Queensland Memory team to deliver public programs that use the research to connect to broader audiences: it may include running reading groups, contributing to engagement activities, writing discussion notes and questions, and contributing to heritage displays and exhibitions.

Expected outcomes and deliverables: This internship will provide the opportunity to work with academics and cultural institutions (the State Library of Queensland’s Queensland Memory team) to deliver public programs that use of research to connect to readers and audiences outside academia. The successful student will develop project management skills, and collaboration skills between university and GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) sector professionals. Students may be invited to co-author blogposts for the State Library of Queensland reflecting on their experience.

Suitable for: This project would suit advanced level literature, writing, and / or history students with an interest in and sensitivity towards the complex process of truth telling about Queensland’s colonial past. Students should be advised that some of the content is confronting to read. Indigenous students are encouraged to apply, however reconciliation is a responsibility for all so we welcome broad involvement.

Primary Supervisor: Professor Anna Johnston

How to Apply?

Summer and Winter Research Scholarship Programs - https://employability.uq.edu.au/summer-winter-research

If you require further assistance, please contact the School of Communication and Arts Research research.commarts@uq.edu.au