Develop research and professional experience by working at the forefront of the energy transition.
The Gas & Energy Transition Research Centre provides opportunities for undergraduate students, researchers and professionals that will help develop unique industry-specific experience, expand their skillsets, and allow them to apply degree-specific knowledge on meaningful projects.
Opportunities cover a wide range of topics and disciplines, broadly aligning with the Centre's research themes: Communities & Coexistence, Environment, Decarbonisation, and Energy Security.
Opportunities for researchers and professionals
In order to deliver impactful research on the energy transition, the Centre draws on the combined expertise of engineers, geoscientists, economists, social scientists, programmers, modellers and more.
Below you will find a list current job opportunities as well as 'areas of interest' which the Centre is seeking expressions of interest for.
Current opportunities
There are currently no research or professional opportunities within the Centre. Please check back later.
Opportunities for students
The Centre provides undergraduate and postgraduate students with opportunities to develop valuable research experience, expand their professional horizon, and apply degree-specific knowledge to meaningful projects.
Summer and winter research programs
UQ's Summer and Winter Research Programs provide students with an opportunity to gain research experience working on projects alongside leading academics and researchers. Projects are available in both Summer (mid-January to mid-February, for 6 weeks) and Winter (mid-June to mid-July, for 4 weeks).
Projects at the Gas & Energy Transition Research Centre will provide valuable experience in energy and natural gas-related fields, and develop analytical, critical thinking, and communication skills.
For more information about the Summer and Winter Research Programs, including eligibility requirements and application details, visit the Program website.
Current opportunities
The below projects were available to UQ students as part of the 2026 Summer Research program. Applications have now closed.
Understanding future Australian energy demands
Supervisor: Dr Joe Lane
Characterising future energy demands is a crucial step for planning the infrastructure needed to deliver deep decarbonisation of Australia’s energy system. This project will explore and characterise statistical relationships between peak and average daily demands for electricity and gas, enabling these to be incorporated into existing team software for demand scenario development.
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How could disruptive demand-side change affect infrastructure planning for Australia’s energy transition
Supervisor: Dr Joe Lane
Assessing deep uncertainties over future energy demands is a crucial step for planning the infrastructure needed to deliver deep decarbonisation of Australia’s energy system. This project will utilise existing software for assessing risks for Australia’s electricity and gas sector systems, focussing on the implications of large uncertainties around the evolution of future energy demand.
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Great Artesian Basin springs: aquifer attribution
Supervisor: Dr Julie Pearce
Great Artesian Basin (GAB) groundwater supports many unique springs with both cultural significance for first nations people's, and hosting unique ecosystems. Protecting the springs necessitates correct attribution to the aquifer water source. This project will involve analysing groundwater data collected from GAB aquifers and springs.
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Petitioning Transition: Public Voices in Australia’s Energy Politics
Supervisors: Associate Professor Kathy Witt & Dr Debashish Dev
This project examines how Australians utilise parliamentary petitions to engage with issues related to energy and resource transitions. Petitions are one of the few formal channels for public participation in federal decision-making; yet, little is known about the concerns raised and how Members of Parliament respond.
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Across Boomtowns Spread Tracker
Supervsiors: Associate Professor Kathy Witt & Dr Debashish Dev
Track how far apart Queensland’s boomtowns are, year by year. This project builds a simple gap monitor across housing, income, crime, population and employment by calculating dispersion measures (range, interquartile range, standard deviation and coefficient of variation) for each indicator and year.
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For more information, such as how to apply for a project, visit the UQ Summer and Winter Research Program website.
Postgraduate opportunities
Many of the Centre’s researchers supervise postgraduate students. If you are interested in their field of work and would like to enquire about postgraduate opportunities, contact the researcher directly or send an e-mail to gas-energy@uq.edu.au.
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