Why research experience is worth your time
A degree teaches you what is already known. Research teaches you how to discover something nobody knows yet. Spending eight weeks inside a working research group is one of the most valuable things you can do as an undergraduate.
You will learn to turn a research question into a plan to test it, work with real data and its imperfections, and talk about your findings with researchers. Students who have done this consistently tell us it changed how they think about their degree, and it is exactly the experience that makes an application for honours or a higher degree by research stand out.
You will also be paid $4,000 for it.
At a glance
Length: A total of eight weeks.
Timing: Across the summer period at mutually acceptable dates, for a total of eight weeks, which can be non-consecutive, i.e. with a break.
Payment: Two payments of $2,000, i.e. $4,000, paid directly to you
Who can apply: Second-year students that by the summer are likely to have completed 400 credits, with a course weighted average of 65. High-performing students at other stages of their undergraduate studies, including first- and third-year students with an interest in research, Honours or HDR pathways can also be considered.
How to apply: Browse the projects, then email the academic running the few that interest you most.
Places: 100 places will be offered. As soon as you and the supervisor agree to proceed and the supervisor lets us know, the place is yours.
Eligibility
You can apply if you are currently a Curtin second-year student and are likely to have completed 400 credits by the end of 2026, and you currently have a course weighted average of 65 or above. No prior research experience is expected: supervisors are looking for curiosity, reliability and genuine interest in the topic, not a track record. If you don’t fit this eligibility requirement you can ask the supervisor and see what they say.
Projects are available across every discipline, so browse widely. Some will be close to your own major; others may open a direction you had not considered.
What’s involved
Every project is different, but each one is built around the same core: a clear problem, a research question to test, techniques to learn, and a result to work towards. Over the eight weeks you can expect to:
- work alongside your supervisor and their research group on a defined piece of work
- learn and use the specific techniques, instruments or analytical methods the project requires
- collect, handle and interpret data, and understand why the method matters.
- contribute to a real research outcome, and be able to explain it to someone else at the end.
This is a paid placement rather than a full-time job, so you and your supervisor will agree a clear pattern of work and a realistic set of tasks before you begin.
How to apply
Step 1: Browse the projects
Go to the project catalogue, ensuring that the project type is set to “Undergraduate Student Experience” and search or browse what’s available.
Each listing includes the problem being investigated, the hypothesis, the techniques you will learn, the outcome anticipated and the supervisor’s contact details.
Step 2: Pick two or three that genuinely interest you
Choose on the basis of the question and the skills you will gain. Research the topic online before you make contact.
Step 3: Email the academic directly
There is no central application form – you contact the supervisor yourself. In a short, professional email, include: your name, student ID, degree and year; which project you are writing about; why that project interests you; any relevant units, skills or experience; and your availability across the eight weeks. Attach a brief CV and your academic record if you have them ready.
Step 4: Talk it through
Supervisors will usually invite you to meet or speak before deciding. Come with questions: what would my weeks look like, what will I learn, where will I be based, what does success look like at the end? This conversation is the selection process: treat it as you would an interview.
Step 5: Get confirmed
If the supervisor offers you the placement, they will confirm it with the program administrator and your position is locked in. Places are filled in the order they are confirmed and there are only 100, so do not sit on a project you are excited about. You will need to provide your bank details for payment at this time.
Expressing your interest
- Describe to the supervisor what drew you to the project.
- Be honest about what you do and do not know. Nobody expects a second-year student to have done research before.
- Be reliable from the first email: reply promptly, arrive on time, and follow through on what you agree.
- Apply early. Places are confirmed in order until all 100 are taken.
Key dates
Projects published on the website: 7 October
Contact supervisors from: 7 October
Placements confirmed from: 7 October
Placements can begin: From 16 November
Placements finish: On or before 26 February 2027.
Questions?
Contact Caroline Albury at EA-DVCR@curtin.edu.au