Honours research opportunities

A project for students of human geography interested in human relationships with urban trees.

Primary supervisor: Associate Professor Jennifer Atchison

External stakeholders: Wollongong City Council

Discipline areas:

• Geography & Sustainability
• Social Sciences

What data and/or research methods will the project involve?

Qualitative data; survey and/or interview data

What skills and competencies can the student expect to develop?

Qualitative research skills, natural resource management, urban tree management and social conflict, community and stakeholder engagement, project management.

Who might be a suitable applicant? (e.g. does this project have any pre-requisites, research interests)

Suitable for those interested in natural resource management, environmental officer, social research consultant, community education and liaison officer.

This Honours project sits within a larger research project that aims to understand:

• how people of diverse backgrounds value the coast;
• how values are changing over time; and
• how coastal values are likely to be affected by sea-level rise and adaptation solutions.

This project will try to overcome biases of past research by specifically seeking the views of migrants, youth and/or renters who live in Batemans Bay, NSW.

The Honours project will involve a photovoice method, where participants take photos of what they value about where they live and then talk about them in an interview. It is anticipated that the student would undertake between 5 and 20 interviews, either face-to-face or online.

The data on coastal values will be compared with an Honours project completed in 2012 to see how coastal values have changed over time.

Primary Supervisor:  Associate Professor Sonia Graham

Co-supervisors: Associate Professor Leah Gibbs

Discipline areas:

• Geography & Sustainability
• Social Sciences

External stakeholders and agency partners Local Council

What data and/or research methods will the project involve?

• Photovoice
• Interviews (qualitative)

What skills and competencies can the student expect to develop?

• Literature review
• Qualitative data collection and analysis
• Use of NVivo qualitative data analysis software
• Academic writing skills

Who might be a suitable applicant? (e.g. does this project have any pre-requisites, research interests)

A student with an interest in community engagement and climate change adaptation

A student who is willing to talk to people they have never met before

This project aims to utilise an experimental vignette design embedded in the 2027 wave of the CommunityMATTERS survey, an annual longitudinal survey of residents across NSW and Queensland, to explore and examine public perceptions of fairness and legitimacy in police discretionary decision-making. The student will be involved in designing and finalising the experimental vignette instrument before the survey goes live, giving them direct experience of designing and piloting survey experiments.

Once data are returned, the student will then analyse how the manipulated features of discretionary police encounters influence and structure public judgements of fairness. The project sits within a procedural justice framework and will contribute new knowledge to a growing body of experimental work on public attitudes on criminal justice decision-making. 

Primary supervisor: Dr Cameron Langfield

External stakeholders: Local councils (CommunityMATTERS survey partners)

Discipline areas: 

• Criminology, Social Sciences

What data and/or research methods will the project involve?

Experimental vignette methodology embedded in a broader social research survey. The student will contribute to instrument design, including vignette construction and manipulation checks, before then analysing the survey data using appropriate quantitative methods (i.e., regression-based analysis). All analysis will be conducted using R.

What skills and competencies can the student expect to develop?

The student will gain end-to-end experience of a large-scale research project from instrument design through to analysis and write-up. The student will also gain experience in experimental survey design, vignette construction and piloting, quantitative analysis of experimental data, familiarly with survey methodologies and recruitment strategies, academic writing in the criminal justice attitudes literature.

Who might be a suitable applicant? (e.g. does this project have any pre-requisites, research interests)

Students with a background in criminology or adjacent social sciences, and some familiarity with quantitative methods and statistical analysis will be of benefit. An interest in public attitudes, policing, or criminal justice policy more broadly would be an advantage. No prior experience with experimental methods or the analysis of same is required as this will be developing during the project.

Clinicians are increasingly seeing referrals for adult male survivors of CSA who also present with complex drug and alcohol/mental health needs, and in some cases, violent/criminal histories, yet there is a clear and recurring question: “Where do adult survivors go who have also caused harm?” Current systems can exclude these clients from trauma-focused services or fail to address trauma within non-trauma services, producing gaps between men’s behaviour change programs and general counselling where “the two are not meeting.” Within current governance settings, PARVAN/ASP can provide trauma-focused input but cannot always engage holistically with the interplay between trauma histories and harmful behaviour, limiting integrated care. This is understood as a district-wide and statewide service challenge, affecting multiple settings (PARVAN, D&A, mental health, child/family services, ward social work) and generating workforce uncertainty about effective responses and referral options. This project presents a timely opportunity to invest in a rapid, practical evidence product that can immediately support ASP/PARVAN decision-making and reduce bottlenecks and inappropriate “default referrals.”

This honours project sits within a broader project commissioned to fund a rapid evidence review and systems review to:

• Identify international/national best practice for service models that hold survivorship + risk/violence + complex needs together safely.
• Map feasible referral pathway options and service design principles relevant to ISLHD (including low/no-cost pathways where possible).
• Summarise implications for workforce guidance, policy constraints, and opportunities for an ISLHD model/pathway and future evaluation.

Primary supervisor:  Dr Rachel Loney-Howes

Co-supervisors: Associate Professor Jacqui Cameron, Dr Alankaar Sharma

External stakeholders: ISLHD (ASP (Adult Survivors Program)/PARVAN (Prevention and Response to Violence Network)

What data and/or research methods will the project involve?

This is a desk-based research project where the student will complete a rapid literature review, and support the researchers with a systems review for PARVAN.

What skills and competencies can the student expect to develop?

Key skills and competencies the student will learn is how to conduct a literature review following a systematic approach. This is a vital skill for any aspiring researcher or policy professional.

Who might be a suitable applicant? (e.g. does this project have any pre-requisites, research interests)

Prospective applicants should have a background in criminology and/or social work, with a good foundational knowledge of the causes of gender-based violence.

This is an empirical investigation to examine progress towards, and barriers to, un-settling/de-colonising libraries. The project focuses on university, TAFE and public libraries across Aboriginal Countries in the South-Western Sydney, Illawarra and Shoalhaven geographical districts. The study will amalgamate Indigenous Standpoint and Critical Social Work Theories and incorporate Indigenous ethnographic and mixed-method research techniques.

The project will investigate the meaning of ‘safety’ and de-colonisation in libraries for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands people, in terms of physical space, collections, programming, staffing, strategy and decision-making. It will seek to also explore the role of social workers and social work praxis in relation to decolonisation of library services.

Primary Supervisor: Jennifer Penney

Co-supervisors: Dr Jennifer Thompson, Kathleen Cambourne

External stakeholders and agency partners

We will be working with WIC and the First Nations Research Collective around design.

• We will engage with the following stakeholders around site-access and data collection:
• Local Aboriginal organisations – IAC; Waminda; CUAC; Gawura/Illawarra Koori Men’s Support Group; LILAC; etc
• Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Shellharbour public libraries and UoW/TAFE library services in the Illawarra/Shoalhaven

What data and/or research methods will the project involve?

Will develop skills in research design, project design and delivery and in MMR methods:

• Audits of library spaces, programs and data re collections, staffing, membership, etc
• Analysis of quantitative data – eg: representation in membership; staffing; program participation
• design and delivery of a survey and qualitative interviews with individuals and groups
• data analysis of quantitative and qualitative data and integration / comparison 

It is anticipated that the student will be joining an existing team in the ‘data collection’ phase of a 4-phase project, for which initial, scoping review and initial ‘audits’ has commenced. These, initial, aspects of the project will be presented at the 2026 ANZSWWER Symposium

What skills and competencies can the student expect to develop?

AA plus skills for working with Aboriginal people and organisations; knowledge competencies re the function of libraries and their capacity to achieve social justice and de-colonisation outcomes; knowledge of the role of social workers in de-colonisation and transformation of libraries

Who might be a suitable applicant? (e.g. does this project have any pre-requisites, research interests)

We would welcome a student who has Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islands heritage; or a non-Indigenous student who has a strong capacity for allyship

This project looks at the experiences and stories of young people from refugee backgrounds in their first years of using community, education, health and employment services in Australia

Primary supervisor: Dr Rugare Mugumbate

Co-supervisor: Dr Surekha Nair

External stakeholders and agency partners: Warrawong High School Intensive English Centre

What data and/or research methods will the project involve?

Literature review, Photo voice or Interviewing

What skills and competencies can the student expect to develop?

• Searching and reviewing literature
• Analysis of existing data
• Using photographic research methods
• Interviewing

Who might be a suitable applicant? (e.g. does this project have any pre-requisites, research interests)

Someone interested in research with refugees and recent migrants or someone with lived experience.

Primary supervisor: Dr Delia Rambaldini-Gooding

Co-supervisor: Dr Lilian Aritzmuno

External stakeholders: Illawarra Multicultural Service

Discipline areas:

Social Science - Human Services or Global Languages

What data and/or research methods will the project involve?

Qualitative research including interviews with program educators and students (people from Karenni speaking backgrounds). Student will need to produce a report for IMS and Honours by publication is preferrable.

What skills and competencies can the student expect to develop?

Skills in qualitative research interviews, report and publication writing.

Who might be a suitable applicant? (e.g. does this project have any pre-requisites, research interests)

This project would be suitable for a student who is interested working with a community-based organisation and community-members from refugee and migrant backgrounds. The student would work onsite in two Wollongong locations, and also attend excursions with program participants. The program is delivered at two-sites within walking distance.

The Karenni community in Wollongong are former refugees from rural backgrounds in Myanmar. Due to displacement and conflict many have had no access to education and have very poor literacy skills in their first language and English. This presents particular challenges as there is an assumption when teaching English through TESOL the learner will be literate in their own language and have some level of education. IMS have developed an English language program in collaboration with a training provider to support the Karenni community to learn English language skills.

This is an empirical investigation to examine progress towards, and barriers to, un-settling/de-colonising libraries. The project focuses on university, TAFE and public libraries across Aboriginal Countries in the South-Western Sydney, Illawarra and Shoalhaven geographical districts. The study will amalgamate Indigenous Standpoint and Critical Social Work Theories and incorporate Indigenous ethnographic and mixed-method research techniques. 

The project will investigate the meaning of ‘safety’ and de-colonisation in libraries for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands people, in terms of physical space, collections, programming, staffing, strategy and decision-making. It will seek to also explore the role of social workers and social work praxis in relation to decolonisation of library services.

Primary Supervisor: Jennifer Penney

Co-supervisors: Dr Jennifer Thompson, Kathleen Cambourne

External stakeholders/ agency partners

We will be working with WIC and the First Nations Research Collective around design.

We will engage with the following stakeholders around site-access and data collection:

• Local Aboriginal organisations – IAC; Waminda; CUAC; Gawura/Illawarra Koori Men’s Support Group; LILAC; etc
• Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Shellharbour public libraries and UoW/TAFE library services in the Illawarra/Shoalhaven

What data and/or research methods will the project involve?

Will develop skills in research design, project design and delivery and in MMR methods:

• Audits of library spaces, programs and data re collections, staffing, membership, etc
• Analysis of quantitative data – eg: representation in membership; staffing; program participation
• design and delivery of a survey and qualitative interviews with individuals and groups
• data analysis of quantitative and qualitative data and integration / comparison 

It is anticipated that the student will be joining an existing team in the ‘data collection’ phase of a 4-phase project, for which initial, scoping review and initial ‘audits’ has commenced. These, initial, aspects of the project will be presented at the 2026 ANZSWWER Symposium

What skills and competencies can the student expect to develop?

AA plus skills for working with Aboriginal people and organisations; knowledge competencies re the function of libraries and their capacity to achieve social justice and de-colonisation outcomes; knowledge of the role of social workers in de-colonisation and transformation of libraries

Who might be a suitable applicant? (e.g. does this project have any pre-requisites, research interests)

We would welcome a student who has Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islands heritage; or a non-Indigenous student who has a strong capacity for allyship

This project looks at the experiences and stories of young people from refugee backgrounds in their first years of using community, education, health and employment services in Australia

Primary supervisor: Rugare Mugumbate

Co-supervisor: Surekha Nair

External stakeholders/ agency partners

Warrawong High School Intensive English Centre

What data and/or research methods will the project involve?

Literature review, Photo voice or Interviewing

What skills and competencies can the student expect to develop?

• Searching and reviewing literature
• Analysis of existing data
• Using photographic research methods
• Interviewing

Who might be a suitable applicant? (e.g. does this project have any pre-requisites, research interests)

Someone interested in research with refugees and recent migrants or someone with lived experience.

Sexuality is an intrinsic aspect of human life and its social context. Sexual rights, sexual health, and sexual justice are fundamental to achievement of human rights and social justice. Yet, sexuality remains a neglected area in social work theory and practice and the limited research that has taken place on this topic shows that social workers are underprepared to address sexuality-related issues in their practice. The limited engagement of social work with sexuality is largely deficit-oriented, centring illness, disease, risk, and violence whilst neglecting affirmative aspects such as rights and joy. This project will analyse social work codes of ethics from multiple countries across the world to examine if and how these codes address sexuality, sexual rights, sexual health, and LGBTQA+ rights. The broader aim of this research is to make recommendations to international social work governing bodies regarding inclusion of sexuality-related issues in codes of ethics.

Primary supervisor: Alankaar Sharma

Co-supervisor: Nandini Ray

What data and/or research methods will the project involve?

Publicly available data that is readily accessible, no human ethics permission required.

What skills and competencies can the student expect to develop?

• Critical understanding of sexuality from an affirmative, rights-based, and strengths-based perspective.
• Qualitative document analysis.
• Content analysis.

Who might be a suitable applicant? (e.g. does this project have any pre-requisites, research interests)

A student with a strong interest in sexuality, sexual rights, sexual health, LGBTAQ+ rights.

This qualitative study will interview women who are in cancer survivorship, to understand:

• Their persona; relationship experiences through cancer treatment and survivorship
• Experiences of IPV, before, during and after cancer treatment
• Changes to their lives, especially relationships, in cancer survivorship

Primary supervisor: Dr Chye Toole-Anstey

Co-supervisor: Siobhan Russell and Associate Professor Jacqui Cameron

External stakeholders/ agency partners

Siobhan Russell, Head of Social Work Liverpool Hospital

What data and/or research methods will the project involve?

Approx 8-10 qualitative semi-structured interviews with women

What skills and competencies can the student expect to develop?

• Develop skills in research interviews
• Develop thematic analysis research skills
• Understand and develop skills in writing and applying research ethics

Who might be a suitable applicant? (e.g. does this project have any pre-requisites, research interests)

This study does involve talking with women about their relationships and cancer experience. Students need to feel confident to talk to women above their experiences of IPV.

This project will examine how trauma-informed pedagogical approaches are described and applied in social work higher education when teaching emotionally challenging content. It will explore teaching strategies and their implications for student learning, wellbeing, and preparation for professional practice.

Primary Supervisor: Dr Kenny Kor

Secondary Supervisor: Stacey Donohoe

External stakeholders/ agency partners

Opportunities for consultation with the social work discipline may be considered during project development.

What data and/or research methods will the project involve?

Empirical survey: A small survey of social work educators and students exploring their perspectives on teaching and learning emotionally challenging content. The survey may include closed and open-ended questions examining pedagogical approaches, enablers and barriers, and considerations for student learning and wellbeing.

What skills and competencies can the student expect to develop?

The student will develop skills in research question development, literature searching and search strategy development, critical analysis, research synthesis, academic writing, and translating educational research into implications for social work teaching.

They may also gain experience in survey design, ethical research practice, participant recruitment, and qualitative and/or quantitative data analysis.

Who might be a suitable applicant? (e.g. does this project have any pre-requisites, research interests)

A student interested in social work education and research, trauma-informed practice, reflective learning, and the relationship between student wellbeing and professional identity and preparation for practice.

Someone who is willing to elevate their academic writing and research skills.

Project title

This Honours project sits within a larger research project that aims to understand: 

• how people of diverse backgrounds value the coast;   
• how values are changing over time; and   
• how coastal values are likely to be affected by sea-level rise and adaptation solutions.   

This project will try to overcome biases of past research by specifically seeking the views of migrants, youth and/or renters who live in Batemans Bay, NSW.  

The Honours project will involve a photovoice method, where participants take photos of what they value about where they live and then talk about them in an interview. It is anticipated that the student would undertake between 5 and 20 interviews, either face-to-face or online.  

The data on coastal values will be compared with an Honours project completed in 2012 to see how coastal values have changed over time.   

Primary Supervisor: Associate Professor Sonia Graham

Co-supervisors: Associate Professor Leah Gibbs

External stakeholders/ agency partners

Local Council

What data and/or research methods will the project involve?

• Photovoice 
• Interviews (qualitative) 

What skills and competencies can the student expect to develop?

• Literature review   
• Qualitative data collection and analysis 
• Use of NVivo qualitative data analysis software 
• Academic writing skills  

Who might be a suitable applicant? (e.g. does this project have any pre-requisites, research interests)

A student with an interest in community engagement and climate change adaptation   

A student who is willing to talk to people they have never met before