Individual Research Projects

Source: https://australia.stanford.edu/individual-research-projects Parent: https://australia.stanford.edu

The Individual Research Project (IRP) is an opportunity for students to conduct original research under the supervision of experts. Prior to arriving in Australia, students will be provided with a list of possible project topics and areas and will be invited to correspond with University of Queensland faculty to develop project ideas that combine their own personal interests and career goals. Topics can be chosen within Coastal Ecosystems, Terrestrial Ecology and Conservation, Coral Reef Ecosystems or Australian Studies. Past projects were as varied as the effects of ocean acidification on seahare embryos to a consideration of diabetes in Indigenous communities. Projects will be developed over the quarter with specific days set aside for research and analysis. IRPs culminate in a project report and presentation to students and faculty.

Past Topics

Below are some examples of topics that students have covered in the past. These will provide a general idea of the size and scope of research projects students may undertake. This is not an exhaustive list of topics.

Australian Studies

The Australian history war
The changing face of Australia
Tribal law in contemporary Australia
Australia's health system
Sites of indigenous significance
Kyoto Protocol: US and Australia
Great Barrier Reef - 2050

Coastal Forest Ecosystems

Climate change and tidal wetlands
How do Lianes get into the canopy?
Leaf physiognomy of sclerophyll vegatation
Temperature vs light and angrove establishment
Mangroves as shoreline protectors

Coral Reef Ecosystems

Zooplankton abundance in zones of the reef
Fish populations around coral colonies
Sea cucumber distribution
Coral Zonation
Coral Morphology
Symbioses, mutualisms, commensalisms and parasitisms
Signs of change at Low Isles sand flat
Survival in the intertidal zone
Tourism and sedimentation rates
Life in an underwater sandy desert
Island life
Anemone fish and anemones
The physiology of coral bleaching