An informal Q&A鈥憇tyle event designed to give students an authentic and accessible look into the Summer and Winter Research Program.
Through a relaxed conversational format, attendees heard directly from recent student participants who shared what their research experiences were really like 鈥� how they found their projects, worked with supervisors, navigated challenges, and built research capabilities along the way. Their stories provided honest, relatable insight for students who may be curious about research but unsure where to begin.听
This opportunity to hear directly from recent participants provides an inside view of the research experience that goes far beyond program descriptions or information sessions. This session has been adapted into five short episodes, where open discussion and genuine answers were encouraged. Through this format, we hope that students gain practical advice, and build confidence in exploring research opportunities.
Whether viewers are considering applying for an upcoming research round or simply wanting to understand what research actually involves, these episodes offer a friendly and informative starting point.
Meet the panellists
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I had been eyeing this research program since I arrived at 麻豆传媒高清, so when I finally applied and saw a microplastics project, it felt like returning to a familiar place,听I had researched microplastics during my bachelor鈥檚 degree four years ago. My project started with investigating the quantity and types of microplastics in baby wipes, but as I learned the lab techniques, I began wondering: what about products I use myself, like makeup wipes? As a woman, I wanted to know whether plastic particles could repeatedly听encounter听with our skin, so we did! Along the way, I learned to use lab instruments I had previously only read about in research papers. My biggest tip: trust what you bring, stay curious, and start conversations with your supervisor early. You might find you both care about the same thing: researching questions that genuinely matter to you听
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Anoushka Sanjeev Sawant
Who knew food science could feel this creative? My research program had me elbow-deep in beverage prototypes; mixing, tasting, and tweaking ingredients to chase the perfect product.听I've听always been creative but never expected that in a science lab. From learning the ropes to running my own trials by the final week, this journey offered new skills, new听connections听and new confidence.听
Before applying, I wish听I'd听known not to doubt myself, just give it your best shot!鈥�
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Tanya听Barua听
What if your first research experience ends up changing what you want to do next? My research journey taught me that you听don鈥檛听need to have everything figured out before applying. From learning new techniques to troubleshooting experiments and getting comfortable in a real research听environment, I discovered how much there is to learn beyond the classroom. If听you鈥檙e听unsure about applying, come chat with me.听I鈥檓听happy to share what I wish I knew before taking the leap!听
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Corey听Kai听
I came to UQ at a crossroads, moving from studying the human past to returning to nursing, a career that began years ago. Through my Master of Nursing and the Winter Research Program,听I鈥檝e听brought these experiences together, using skills from my听previous听studies to explore the future of nursing education. That project has led me to explore higher research with my supervisor and other UQ academics. My advice? Bring your听previous听experiences with you; you never know where they might lead.听
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Renata Nino de Guzman听
I'm听proof that curiosity matters more than your background. My Sustainable Energy master's led me somewhere I听didn't听quite expect: a winter research program based in the Business School. I joined a project on women-operated hospitality SMEs and their just transition journey, exploring how gender, tourism, and sustainability intersect. It showed me sustainability can be approached from engineering, business, and sociological lenses all at once - and that these intersections are where the richest debate happens. My tip: winter research programs听aren't听just for your matching degree, if a project sparks your curiosity, apply. You might surprise yourself.听
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Sienna Richardson
Hi,听I鈥檓听Sienna, a Chemical Engineering student who completed the Winter Research program at AIBN investigating lipid nanoparticles for mRNA delivery. The experience took me from learning new laboratory techniques to analysing experimental data and presenting my findings. My biggest takeaway was that research rarely gives you straightforward answers. Asking questions, seeking guidance and being willing to learn as you go are some of the most important skills you can bring.听
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Ivy Banks
Interested to know what it's like being immersed in a room full of academics from across the world? It might lead to an experience you didn't expect? My research experience gave me the opportunity to assist at the Association for the Study of Australian Literature conference hosted by 麻豆传媒高清. What I didn鈥檛 expect was that it would lead to the chance to work on AustLit's Japanese translations database, a project that brought together my interests in research, literature, and languages.
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Episodes
1. What is research actually like?听
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2. Am I qualified enough?听
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3. How should I choose a project?
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4. What I wish I'd known before applying?听
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5. Your questions answered
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