Summer and Winter Research Programs

Hours of engagement & delivery mode

Duration of the Project: 12 January 2026 to 20 February 2026
Hours of engagement: Approx 20 hours per week

Flexible arrangement (on or off site, or hybrid)

Description:

In 2025, the High Court of Australia had a significant constitutional law caseload and handed down a number of important judgments on topics as diverse as: the acquisition of native title property ‘on just terms’; the implied freedom of political communication; immigration detention; judicial immunities, and more. This project takes a holistic look at the High Court’s constitutional judgments across 2025, reading each judgment closely and then stepping back to identify trends and themes, and to critically analyse the ‘Gageler Court’s’ interpretive approach to constitutional law.

Expected learning outcomes and deliverables:

Scholars will hone skills in reading and analysing case-law, including complex constitutional judgments, and understanding constitutional doctrine, principle and developments. This project contributes to the preparation of a keynote presentation and journal article. Scholars will develop research, writing and referencing skills and will receive mentorship not only in constitutional analyses, but in research design and publication.

Suitable for:

The project is open to students who have completed, and have an interest in, Principles of Public Law and Constitutional Law, and have particular skills in case analysis. Proficiency in the Australian Guide to Legal Citation is also required.

Primary Supervisor:

Associate Professor Rebecca Ananian-Welsh

Further info:

If you would like to discuss the project further, please contact A/Prof Ananian-Welsh at rebecca.aw@law.uq.edu.au

Hours of engagement & delivery mode

Duration of the Project: 12 January 2026 to 20 February 2026
Hours of engagement: Approx 30 – 36 hours per week

Engagement will be flexible—the project can be offered on-site, remotely, or through a hybrid arrangement. 

Description:

The use of data for training AI models raises significant concerns about potential copyright violations. Yet copyright laws are still evolving in this area, and the copyrightability of some AI training content is uncertain. Many intellectual property-related aspects of AI training data have been regulated through contracts. This project aims to understand how contracts are used to regulate input data for AI training, through an empirical analysis of contract terms of major foundational AI models. Key questions include:

• Whether contracts define ownership or copyright of input data? and how?
• Whether contract terms override fair use/fair dealing doctrine and general exceptions in copyright law? And how?
• Whether contracts impose restrictions to prevent unauthorised data scraping? On what legal basis?
• Whether contracts provide creators with the opportunity to opt in or opt out of content concerning AI training?
• How are creators/contributors renumerating?
• Format of the contract: click-wrap, scroll-wrap, or browser-wrap, and unfair contract terms.

By analysing selected contracts of major foundational language models, this project will obtain empirical insights regarding how contracts play a role in regulating AI training data, and problems associated with contracts as an instrument for private ordering.

Expected learning outcomes and deliverables:

From participating in the project, candidates can expect to learn to: 

• Develop skills in legal research and data collection, particularly in analysing online terms of service.
• Gain an understanding of the interaction between contract law, copyright, and AI regulation.
• Develop skills in the interpretation of contract terms.

At the end of the project, the candidate will be expected to complete:

• Collect and review a set of contracts and terms of service from major foundational AI models.
• Interpret and categorise terms
• Compile a basic data set for coding
• Undertake basic data analysis
• Prepare a short written report outlining findings, supported by empirical evidence.

Suitable for:

This project is open to UQ-enrolled law students with contract law and copyright law knowledge. Students having basic skills in Excel and empirical data analysis are preferred.

Primary Supervisor:

Dr Wenting Cheng

Further info:

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Dr Wenting Cheng (wenting.cheng@uq.edu.au) to discuss this project in more detail, prior to submission of their online application.

Hours of engagement & delivery mode

Duration of the Project: 12 January 2026 to 20 February 2026
Hours of engagement: Approx 36 hours per week

Description:

Bankruptcy research in Australia is scarce, whereas the concomitant research around corporates is extensive. Generally, no empirical research has been conducted in the past five years. Such research excludes the operation of small ventures, yet small ventures are of critical importance since they are becoming prevalent within start-up culture, the gig economy, and more generally with hobbies being converted to businesses.

The absence of information motivates the research question as to whether one regulator is necessary for effective business regulation around financial difficulty.

This means that the extensive research conducted in relation to corporates skews the understanding of financial difficulty for all business. The existing data is further skewed because the most information that can be found is with respect to corporates listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. Such corporates account for around 3% of all registered companies in Australia.

There is therefore a pressing need for mapping of bankruptcy and then understanding the role of small business for non-corporates. This will be legal in nature and the supervisor will be providing data points as reference and driving the research question.

The research addresses a gap in the literature for individual debtors in financial distress, including those debtors not in business but affected by a related party’s business failing and subsequent bankruptcy.

The research will be compiled and presented for publication. It will also be presented to Parliament for its current considerations of the operation of business failure to be supervised by one regulator rather than two (Australian Securities and Investments Commission for companies and the Australian Financial Security Authority for bankruptcy, including business bankruptcy).

Expected learning outcomes and deliverables:

Scholars may gain skills in data collection, and be involved in specific tasks. Students may also be asked to produce a report or oral presentation at the end of the peoject.

Suitable for:

The project prefers a student (as at the commencement of the project) to be at year 3 or more of their studies (if enrolled in a combined degree or straight law degree).

It is not necessary for the student to hold or be completing a business or commerce or economics degree in order to participate in the project.

Primary Supervisor:

Associate Professor David Morrison

Further info:

The supervisor wishes to be contacted by students prior to applying at: d.morrison@uq.edu.au

Hours of engagement & delivery mode

Duration of the project: 6 weeks (12 January 2026 to 20 February 2026)

Hours of engagement: 24 hours/week

The project can be completed on-site or remotely

Description:

This project examines the practice of the United Nations Human Rights Council in relation to the human rights of members of national armed forces. It focuses on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the peer review of the national human rights track record that the Council calls on each UN Member State to undergo every 4.5 years.

The project seeks to find out what types of issues in the human rights protection of service members the UPR has brought to the fore; what kinds of questions, comments and recommendations on these issues have been put to States under review; and how those States have responded. The broader aim of this enquiry is to better understand how the unique nature of military service is factored into assessments about the lawfulness of interferences in the human rights of service members.

Expected outcomes and deliverables:

The student will gain practical skills in legal research, especially into the materials of an intergovernmental organisation. They will gain an in-depth understanding of the operation the Human Rights Council, and limitations placed on human rights on national security grounds.

Suitable for:

This project is suitable for students who have completed, or who are currently enrolled in, Public International Law (LAWS3705 or equivalent). Completion of, or current enrolment in, Human Rights Law (LAWS5124 or equivalent) is a significant advantage.

Primary Supervisor:

Professor Rain Liivoja

Further info:

Please contact r.liivoja@uq.edu.au with any further questions.

Hours of engagement & delivery mode

Duration of the project: 12 January 2026 to 20 February 2026

Hours of engagement: 3 days @ 8 hours per week = 24 hours per week

The project will be offered remotely  

Description:

The year 2025 marks the 25^th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols against Firearms Trafficking, Smuggling of Migrants, and Trafficking in Persons.  This occasion marks a suitable opportunity to reflect on the content, interpretation, and implementation of these instruments and review relevant literature and supporting documents.  This may also involve examining national and regional developments in areas particularly affected by organised crime, smuggling, and trafficking.

Expected learning outcomes and deliverables:

The student research scholar will gain insight into the background, purpose, and operation of international treaties aimed at preventing and suppressing organised crime, their interpretation by courts, authorities, and the literature, and their adoption by selected States Parties.  The tasks involved are mainly research related but may also involve engagement with relevant international organisation and national authorities (all outside Australia).  The project serves to update existing and develop new academic material on the Convention and its protocol, chief among that the Oxford University Press Commentary.

Suitable for:

It is mandatory that applicants, at the time of applying, have completed LAWS2708 Criminal Law with an overall grade of 6 or higher and achieved a grade 6 or higher for their Criminal Law research paper.  Applicants must have excellent research skills, especially in relation to relevant UQ library databases for cases, journals, and books from a range of jurisdictions.  It is further required that the applicant has supreme English language skills and is familiar with the full suite of functions of MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

It is desirable that applicants have basic competence at least one other official UN language (excluding Chinese and Russian).  It is further desirable that students simultaneously apply to undertake LAWS5231 in semester 1, 2025, the UQ Transnational Organised Crime programme offered jointly with the universities of Cologne, Ferrara, Vienna, and Zurich.  Applications for this programme open in early September 2025.

Students applying for this project should ensure that they have no conflict with other personal or work commitments for the duration of the project.

Primary Supervisor:

Professor Andreas Schloenhardt

Further info:

Any person interested in this project, please contact a.schloenhardt@law.uq.edu.au before 29 September 2025 and prior to lodging your application.

Hours of engagement & delivery mode

Hours of engagement: 36 hours per week

Offered through a hybrid arrangement: onsite and remotely

Description:

This project will undertake a review of legal protection for mRNA inventions in selected jurisdictons (including UK, EPO, and the US). They will also review published material on the patenting of platform technologies. 

Expected learning outcomes and deliverables:

Students will develop skills in data collection, legal analysis and theorisation in the general field of comparative intellectual property law with particular attention to issues in molecular biology. The research will contribute to the development of publications in the field. The training provided to the student will enbale them to understand the methods and standards required for publishable research and HDR study. Benefits to the School include training of the student in advanced research methods and contribution to publications in highest quality law journals in the field.

Suitable for:

The research project is suitable for students who have an interest in law, science and technology. A background in science would be helpful, but this is not essential. 

Primary Supervisor:

Professor Brad Sherman

Further info:

Students are welcome to contact Brad Sherman at b.sherman@uq.edu.au if they have any particular questions.

Hours of engagement & delivery mode

Hours of engagement: Students will undertake a total of 120 hours work over the summer break. They can choose their hours, as long as they do not exceed 36 hours per week and work between 12 January and 20 February.

Students can undertake the work remotely but will be required to check in with Tamara regularly.

Description:

It is not uncommon for people experiencing homelessness to come to the attention of police. This can be for minor offences that are related to their survival, such as shoplifting, or for offences that are related to their presence in public spaces, such as public nuisance and loitering. Many are then sentenced by the courts, often inappropriately, with fines and onerous bail conditions.

The summer scholar on this project will assist Tamara and her research partners to prepare a review of the recent literature on the criminalisation of homelessness. They will focus particularly on policing and sentencing, and will analyse the impacts that the criminalisation of homelessness has on vulnerable individuals. They will be involved in assisting the research team to determine ‘what works’ in responding appropriately to visible homelessness.

Expected learning outcomes and deliverables:

Scholars will gain skills in socio-legal research and writing. They will work closely with Tamara and other partners in the research including academics and legal practitioners. They can expect their research and writing skills to develop during this project.

The scholar will deliver a completed report to Tamara by 20 February. If the work is of high quality, it will contribute to future publications, and the scholar will be named as a contributor in those works.

Suitable for:

This project is suitable for students who have completed their third year of study and beyond. Students who are interested in an academic or research career would benefit from this experience.

Primary Supervisor:

Professor Tamara Walsh