The University of Waikato Summer Research Programme
What's involved?
Summer scholars will have the opportunity to work full-time on a research project for a ten-week period during the C Trimester (November-February) under the supervision of well-established researchers at the University of Waikato.
Who is eligible?
The scholarships are open to students currently enrolled at any New Zealand University (or other tertiary provider) in an undergraduate or Honours degree, or taught postgraduate papers. Students are not eligible if they are currently enrolled in a PhD or have commenced a Masters Research thesis.
Download the Summer Research Scholarship Regulations for all eligibility criteria.
What is it worth?
Numerous scholarships are offered in various disciplines over the summer period with a stipend of $8,000.
Scholars are also enrolled in a credit-bearing paper over C Trimester, which in most cases can form part of their degree programme. The paper code will be confirmed prior to the scholar commencing the programme and is at the discretion of the Division/Faculty/School.
How do I apply?
To apply for the Summer Research Scholarship Programme, follow the steps outlined in our How to Apply guide. If you are a current student, you can skip to step 3.
Available projects
Projects for 2024/2025 available are displayed below.
Te Kura Toi School of Arts
School of Psychological and Social Sciences
No projects available.
School of Law, Politics, and Philosophy
Te Ngira Institute for Population Research
Te Puna Haumaru New Zealand Institute for Security and Crime Science
Te Kura Toi Tangata School of Education
10 - Integrating Computational Thinking and the Writing Process in Primary School
11 - Digital technologies in the New Zealand curriculum: A curriculum policy analysis
12 - Supporting postgraduate research
13 - Online safety education: global policy networks and agendas
Te Huataki Waiora School of Health
46 - Desirable attributes of future medical school graduates
48 - Some like it hot: Exploring thermophilic RNA ligases for biotechnology applications
Te Kura Mata Ao School of Engineering
34 - Engineering solutions for community-centric heritage building preservation
35 - Investigation of Microfluidic Electrolyser Architectures for Hydrogen Production
36 - Use of forestry waster biochar as an additive in New Zealand concrete mixes
37 - Software research and development for industrial process optimisation using pinch analysis
38 - Study of Phase Transformation in Titanium Alloys
39 - Kiwifruit detection and manipulator control system for an autonomous kiwifruit harvester
40 - Characterisation of new metallic biomaterials
41 - Testing Kava ‘Washdown’ Hepatotoxicity using ‘Organ on a Chip’ Technology – Pilot Trials
43 - 3D reconstruction and measurement of woody plant features
44 - Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems for New Zealand Factories
72 - Effects Driving the Escalation of 3 Waters Construction Rates in Tauranga
73 - Pipeline Adjustment Factors – Effects of Embedment on Material Degradation
74 - Nanocellulsoe Aerogel Towards High-Performance Insulation Materials
Au Reikura School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences
19 - Sustainability and Technology
21 - Designing better reading materials with the help of eye-tracking
23 - Analysing ICS-Specific Malware
24 - Predicting lung cancer from breath samples
25 - How tired are you? Using wearable devices to identify cognitive workload and cognitive fatigue
26 - Designing Smart Cities in NZ
27 - Phishing Identifier Annotation Game
28 - Using an Internet-in-a-box Approach to Experimentally Study Attacks against Networks
29 - GestureQuest: Crafting the Future of Gesture Recognition with Muscle-Machine Interface
Te Aka Mātuatua School of Science
49 - Genetics of Breast Cancer in the Waikato Region
50 - Investigation of the effect of heavy metals on bee larvae
52 - Do post-surgical antibiotics assist the recovery of chronic rhinosinusitis patients?
53 - Is climate change affecting the spread of Nothofagus in North Island upland forests?
54 - Down the drain – what is the real hydrological role of farm drains in peatland agriculture?
55 - Elucidating key mānuka genes determining honey value
56 - Streamside romance: investigating the ecology and mating behaviour of a Waikato fishing spider
57 - Warming and drought impacts on belowground faunal communities in geothermally warmed soils
58 - Investigation of potential ecological corridors throughout Tauranga City
59 - Understanding cross-boundary effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning
60 - Exploring the intersection of river flood timescales and community vulnerability
61 - Effects of nutrient regimes on hatchery performance of the kelp Ecklonia radiata (no longer offered)
62 - Computationally assisted engineering of antibody fragments
71 - Cut-&-Paste with an unnatural base how to assemble Xeno Nucleic Acids for synthetic biology
Te Mata Punenga o Te Kotahi: Te Kotahi Research Institute
63 - Decoding Minds: Using Deep Learning to Classify Brain Signals from EEG Data
64 - Ngā waiata o te roro: Building a non-invasive brain stimulator
66 - Pasifika Trade in Agricultural Products
67 - Taxing unhealthy products when consumers have choice over quality as well as quantity
68 - Biosecurity risk screening based on ocean vessel voyages: A big data, machine learning approach
69 - Addressing the Potential Adverse Income Effects of Artificial Intelligence: Policy Options
Te Puna Ako - Centre for Tertiary Teaching and Learning
9 - Exploring APA Writing Style’s Guidelines with Artificial Intelligence
Work-Integrated Learning
Te Mata Punenga o Te Kotahi: Te Kotahi Research Institute
63 - Decoding Minds: Using Deep Learning to Classify Brain Signals from EEG Data
64 - Ngā waiata o te roro: Building a non-invasive brain stimulator