Internship programs offer you ways to gain academic credit whilst gaining valuable work experience in your chosen field. We know it is an important stepping stone in your transition from education to employment.
Internships
PSYC360 - Research internship in Psychology
Spring 2023
Wollongong - Flexible
- Credit Points: 6
- Pre-requisites: PSYC231 and PSYC234 and PSYC236 and PSYC241 and PSYC250
- Co-requisites: None
- Restrictions: Selected students will be enrolled manually by the Coordinator
- Contact Hours: N/A
- Coordinator: Professor Robert Barry (robert_barry@uow.edu.au)
This internship subject will provide outstanding students who have an interest in research with the opportunity to learn how research is done by working alongside researchers in an active research group. Emphasis will be on learning practical skills in the selected area, working as part of a team, achieving research objectives in laboratory or field work, accurately recording methods and results, and critically evaluating the research methods of others. Students will participate in ongoing research activities under the supervision of a staff member of the School of Psychology. This may occur on campus in a laboratory context or off-site at an appropriate research location. 150 hours participation in lab work or other approved activities is required.
This subject is graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory based on scheduled student journal submissions and an end-of-project report.
This year there are 18 places available across 11 projects, as indicated in the table below. For more information contact the academics running the projects.
Student applicants who currently satisfy all the prerequisites (PSYC231, PSYC234, PSYC236, PSYC241 and PSYC250) are invited to apply. Indicate your project preferences by ranking them in the table below from 1 (top) to 11 (lowest).
The top 18 applicants (defined by marks in the above prerequisites) will be allocated to projects in rank order. Each student will be allocated to their most preferred available project. Allocations are non-negotiable, and if not accepted, will be allocated to the next in line.
If you wish to apply, indicate your preferences in order below and return this table to the coordinator, Professor Robert Barry (robert_barry@uow.edu.au), by 5.00 pm on 26 May.
Academic's project by title
Academic |
Project |
Places |
Your rank |
Barry, Robert |
Cardiac and EEG entrainment to music tempo |
2 |
|
Byron, Tim |
Measuring hooks in popular music using continuous self-report |
2 |
|
Caputi, Peter |
Exploring student presenteeism (the behaviour of working while ill) |
2 |
|
Chan, Amy |
What makes us feel lucky? |
2 |
|
Hill, Harold |
Experiments on monocular stereopsis, the subjective impression of three-dimensional shape characteristic when viewing with one eye |
2 |
|
Leeson, Peter |
Emotional intelligence and need for closure |
1 |
|
Marceau, Ely |
Using language analysis as a window into the brain: Clinical applications to substance dependence and personality dysfunction in youth |
1 |
|
Palmisano, Stephen |
Virtual reality motion sickness |
1 |
|
Pickard, Judy |
Parent child attachment (N.B. data collection on some Saturday and Sunday mornings) |
1 |
|
Shira, Mark |
Functional organisation and connectivity in early visual cortex |
2 |
|
Woolrych, Tracey |
The role of self-compassion and rejection sensitivity in feelings of loneliness |
2 |
Geog292/352 Social Sciences Research Internship
This Spring semester, 2023, two research internships are offered in the School of Geography and Sustainable Communities. Please email Associate Professor Jennifer Atchison (subject coordinator) for an expression of interest form for this process on jennya@uow.edu.au, forms are to be submitted to Jenny by COB Wednesday 19 July. Please do not email project supervisors.
- Project: A social history of Bogong moths
- Project: Mapping ownership shifts and consolidation in Sydney’s live performance landscape
Position
Research Assistant at the Australian Centre for Culture, Environment, Society and Space (ACCESS)
Supervisor
Associate Professor Sonia Graham
Bogong moths are of deep cultural significance to many Indigenous Australians, are critical to the Australian Alps ecosystem but are also seen as a significant pest to wheat and barley crops. Despite their significance, we know remarkably little about their distribution and migration patterns. This project aims to unravel what information is contained in historical newspaper articles about the presence of Bogong moths, specifically where and when they have been reported over time.
This internship position contributes to a larger project being led by Dr Kate Umbers at Western Sydney University that is aiming to collect ecological data on Bogong moth distribution and migration. This social research project involves a media analysis to understand what historical newspapers can reveal to us about the presence of Bogong moths over time, such as what months they could be found and where, and whether this pattern changed over time. Activities will involve: using the Trove database to identify and collate newspaper articles that mention Bogong moths from the mid 1800s onwards; extracting relevant presence data into a table and possibly making maps to show where Bogong moths have been reported over time; and undertaking thematic analysis of the newspaper articles to see how experiences with Bogong moths have changed over time. There will be an opportunity to learn how to use NVivo qualitative analysis software to facilitate the analysis and comparison of newspaper articles. The internship will be supervised by Dr Sonia Graham and expressions of interest are now being sought. The internship will suit a third-year student. The internship is offered in a flexible mode for 80 hours, between July 24 to November 4. The work can be done online, and will involve about five project meetings.
Content for 80-hour placement agreement
Desired outcome
The media analysis will contribute social data to Dr Kate Umbers’ Australian Research Council Industry Mid-Career Fellowship. It is possible that the intern’s media analysis could be turned into an article for submission to the Australian Geographer journal.
Description of roles and tasks
- Search for and download the historical newspaper articles using the Trove database.
- If necessary, undertake training in how to upload documents into NVivo and undertake word frequency searches and thematic analysis.
- After consultation, use NVivo to analyse the newspaper articles
- Write a report that summarises the quantitative and qualitative data.
Maximum word count: 5000 words.
Planned timetable for 80 hours
- Read key articles provided by Dr Umbers followed by a meeting between student, Dr Umbers and organisation supervisor (4 hours)
- Use Trove to search for and collate newspaper articles from mid 1800s onwards and discuss at meeting (8 hours)
- Training session on NVivo if needed (3 hours)
- Preliminary coding of 10 newspaper articles in Excel and NVivo (10 hours) and meeting (1 hour)
- Coding of remaining newspaper articles (60 hours) and meeting (1 hour)
- Report writing (15 hours) and presentation of results meeting (1 hour)
Position
1x Research Assistant at ACCESS
Supervisors
Dr Peta Wolifson, Chris Gibson, Chris Brennan-Horley, Andrew Warren
This internship project stems from a large research program based at UOW that aims to understand COVID-19 disruptions to the economic geographies of Sydney through a focus on creative work. The creative industries were hard hit by the pandemic yet are being presented as central to urban economic recovery planning. Our research is revealing shifts in creative workers’ space use, work practices, economic diversification, networks, and on-the-ground adaptations. The research aims to generate new practical knowledge of reconfigurations of the creative industries in Sydney, and provide insights for urban policy to support resilient and inclusive recovery.
This internship will contribute to a discrete piece of work within this wider project. The role will involve collecting data on live performance venues in inner Sydney over the past 5 years to understand shifts in ownership trends of these spaces and the reasons behind these shifts. Across larger and smaller venues the intern will use publicly-available data to paint a picture of acquisitions, openings, closures, and consolidation of ownership in Sydney’s live performance landscape. The intern will also aim to contextualise these shifts in ownership in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, lockout laws and other impacts, noting evidence of policy and planning implications.
Content for 80-hour placement agreement
Desired outcome
The data collected by the intern will inform the Australian Research Council Discovery Project (DP220100756) being undertaken by Professors Chris Gibson and Pauline McGuirk, and Drs Chris Brennan-Horley, Nicole Cook, Andrew Warren, and Peta Wolifson at the University of Wollongong. The broader project is titled “Reassembling the pandemic city: shifting geographies of creative work”. The data collected will be analysed by the research team and mapped by Dr Brennan-Horley to demonstrate ownership trends and provide a richer understanding of the shifting dynamics of Sydney’s live performance scene.
Description of roles and tasks
- Conduct desk-based research to identify the ownership of live performance venues in Sydney, identifying major players in the process.
- Conduct a desk-based search for publicly-available media on venue ownership changes in Sydney’s live performance scene over the past 5 years, recording dates of ownership changes, acquisitions, openings, publicly-stated reasons for ownership transfers, and impacts of policy and planning interventions.
- Record venue data in an Excel spreadsheet suitable for filtering and geospatial mapping.
These tasks may be conducted in tandem. Sources may include major news outlets, venue websites and social media, gig guides, blogs and other music/live performance media.
Planned timetable for 80 hours
- Initial meeting and project discussion between student and supervisor (2 hours)
- Desk-based research to identify the ownership of live performance venues in Sydney (30 hours)
- Desk-based search for publicly-available media on venue ownership changes in Sydney’s live performance scene over the past 5 years (20 hours)
- Summarise and analyse data using maps, tables and graphs where appropriate (20hrs)
- Progress meetings and presentation of findings to supervisor and research team (8 hours)
This internship would suit a 3rd year student passionate about live music and nightlife, preferably with a lived familiarity with Sydney’s live performance scene. The tasks also require a methodical and detail-oriented approach requiring familiarity with spreadsheets. The 80 hours of desk-based work can be conducted over a flexible period between Weeks 2 and 13 of Spring Session and will involve project meetings that can be conducted online or in person.
Social Science Research Internships available: Autumn session 2023
GEOG292 and GEOG352
There are currently 3 (three) research internships available across three projects through the Australian Centre for Culture, Environment, Society and Space (ACCESS), School of Geography and Sustainable Communities in Autumn session 2023 as part of GEOG292 and GEOG352. Students should obtain and submit an expression of interest form (available from Associate Professor Jennifer Atchison) and submit it to Jenny at jenny_atchison@uow.edu.au by midday (12 noon) on Wednesday 22 , February 2023. Please do not email project supervisors directly.
- Charting the social history of plant introductions in northern Australia
- Following the funding – a social network of Landcare resourcing
- Settling Well: A longitudinal study of refugees in regional Australia.
Position
1 x Research Assistant at ACCESS
Supervisors
Associate Professor Jennifer Atchison (ACCESS)
The social history of plant introductions in northern Australia is full of intrigue and politics. An extraordinary number of plants were brought to Australia from across the world as part of agricultural and scientific development. Indigenous and migrant labour, often convict and/or poorly paid, assisted in plant trials and experiments to grow new plants. Many of these plants have since become serious weeds and threaten environments and landscapes by changing the nature of fire regimes and local ecologies. In this project the research team is documenting and examining archival records of early plant introductions to better understand how invasive plants became established in Australia and would like to engage an intern to assist in cataloguing photographic records and identifying key events, people and places for investigation.
Content for 80-hour placement agreement
Description of roles and tasks:
- Sorting and filing of photographs of archival records.
- Entry of archival files into archival index/code book.
- Literature searching and collation of historical documents.
- Identifying and describing key people, places and plants according to an established index/matrix for the research team to investigate.
- Present findings in a chosen output format (e.g. a written report, story map, presentation).
Planned timetable for 80 hours
- Initial meeting and project discussion (2 hours)
- Entry of archival files into reference manager (30 hours)
- Literature review identifying and describing key people, places and plants with reference to entries in an established index/matrix for the research team to investigate (30 hours).
- Present findings in chosen output format. Prepare and present findings (14 hours)
- Progress meetings (4 hours).
The project can be completed entirely via Zoom and there is flexibility regarding when hours can be completed. However, the intern would be encouraged to meet on campus where possible (COVID-19 restrictions permitting). This subject would suit a 3rd year student with an eye for detail, and a keen and demonstrated interest in the global history of Indigenous peoples and how environments change.
Position
1 x Research Assistant at ACCESS
Supervisor
Associate Professor Sonia Graham
There are over 3,000 Landcare groups across NSW. These volunteer groups bring together members of the community to look after Country. They care for one another and the environment by planting trees, pulling weeds, doing citizen science, holding social events, among many other activities. While the Landcare groups largely work autonomously, most groups rely on occasional grants from various government and philanthropic organisations. We know very little about these relationships between Landcare groups and their funders.
This internship position involves collecting data on funding provided to 10 Landcare groups across south-east NSW to understand how these groups are supported by government and non-government organisations. Activities will involve: downloading annual reports from local councils, Local Land Services, and other funding bodies; extracting data from the annual reports on funding provided to the 10 Landcare groups over time; and then creating a social network for each group using the data collected. There will be an opportunity to learn how to use UCINET and NetDraw software for producing social network maps. The internship will be supervised by A/Prof Sonia Graham and expressions of interest are now being sought. The internship will suit a third-year student. The internship is offered in a flexible mode for 80 hours, between February 27 and June 9. The work can be done online, and will involve about five project meetings, some of which will be conducted in person.
Content for 80-hour placement agreement
Desired outcome
The social network developed by the intern will form part of an Australian Research Centre Discovery Early Career Research Project (DECRA) project being undertaken by A/Prof Sonia Graham at the University of Wollongong. The broader project is titled ‘Catalyzing collective action for effective weed management’.
Description of roles and tasks
- Search for and download annual reports for key organisations who provide funding to 10 Landcare groups in south-east NSW.
- Extract data on how much funding was provided to each group each year.
- If necessary, undertake training in how to create a social network map using UCINET
- After consultation, use UCINET and NetDraw to create a social network map for each group
- Write a report that summarises where each group gets its funding from and how that has evolved over time. Maximum word count: 5000 words.
Planned timetable for 80 hours
- Initial meeting between student and organisation supervisor (1 hour)
- Follow up meeting to review documents identified and collated and discuss data format required for social network mapping (20 hours)
- Extraction of funding data (20 hours)
- Training session on UCINET and NetDraw if needed (3 hours)
- Creation of 10 social network maps and meeting (20 hours)
- Report writing (15 hours) and presentation of results meeting (1 hour)
Position
1 x Research Assistant at ACCESS
Supervisors
Associate Professor Natascha Klocker and Dr Olivia Dun
The Settling Well project aims to provide the first longitudinal, comparative assessment of the impacts of humanitarian migrants’ settlement in regional Australia. The project will use a mixed-method and multi-sited approach to generate new knowledge of the opportunities and challenges that regional settlement creates for humanitarian migrants and the regional communities in which they settle. It commenced in 2022 and is funded until December 2026 by the Australian Research Council Linkage Program [LP200100205] with contributions from five Partner Organisations (Department of Home Affairs, Multicultural NSW, Australian Red Cross, AMES Australia and Multicultural Australia). The six regional research sites for the project are: Albury and Cowra in NSW, Nhill and Mildura in VIC, and Rockhampton and Townsville in QLD.
We are seeking an intern to explore housing availability and affordability in the six study sites, as this has been identified as a key challenge for humanitarian migrants looking to settle in regional Australia.
Content for 80-hour placement agreement
Description of roles and tasks
- Search for publicly available policy documents and plans on humanitarian settlement across the Settling Well project’s six regional study sites, and review those documents for content on housing availability and affordability.
- Desk based research on housing prices and rental availability in the project’s six regional study sites.
- Conduct some preliminary analysis of the documents and write a brief report relating to housing availability and affordability in each location.
- Participate in a fieldwork trip to rural NSW or VIC to observe some key stakeholder interviews.
Planned timetable for 80 hours
- Initial meeting and project discussion between student and the research team (2 hours).
- Search for publicly availably policy documents and rental market review (44 hours).
- Conduct some preliminary analysis of the documents and write report (10 hours).
- Participate in a fieldwork trip to rural NSW or VIC and potentially observe key stakeholder interviews (20 hours).
- Progress meetings (4 hours).
The project can be completed entirely via Zoom with the fieldwork trip being optional. Note, if you opt not to participate in the fieldwork trip, an additional 20 hours will be added to another task to ensure the requirements for the internship are met. The fieldwork trip will likely be for 4 or 5 nights – but would not involve more than 20 hours of work time. Travel expenses will be paid for by the project.
The intern is encouraged to meet the researchers on campus (COVID-19 restrictions permitting) at the start of the project. This subject would suit a 3rd year student with an eye for detail, and a keen and demonstrated interest in regional Australia and/or migration issues.
- INTS302 - International Studies Internship
- POL 345 - Politics Internship
- POL 346 - Australian National Internship Program
- CACS302: Creative Arts Internships
- JRNL304: Journalism Internship
This subject provides academic credit to accompany the work placement (internship) which is on occasion organised by students with the permission of the Discipline Leader PAIS, in conjunction with the Head of Students for the School.
For full subject information, see the subject database.
This subject will enable Politics students to undertake internships in relevant political offices in the Illawarra or Sydney. Students undertaking this subject will be attached to the office of an elected politician, or work within a part of government bureaucracy. They will undertake duties as directed by their supervisor in that institution. Enrolment is conditional of approval being granted by Discipline Leader, PAIS.
For full subject information, see the subject database.
Admission to the Australian National Internship Program (ANIP) is highly competitive and by application to the ANU. If selected students will undertake two months or more full-time work in as a parliamentary intern based in the offices of Members of Parliament and Senators and engaging with a range of activities that shape national policy-making. Placements in the Public Service or other agencies are also possible. UOW will credit the completed ANIP with 12 credit points. Enrolment in POL346 is conditional on being selected for the ANIP.
For full subject information, see the subject database.
If you are a hard-working, high performing student committed to progressing to a career in the field of creative arts there may be an opportunity for you in the Creative Arts Internship Program.
Successful students will spend a minimum of 60 hours in an organisation, working on an agreed project with exposure to a fully operational professional environment.
Applicants must be mature, engaging, articulate and willing to serve as ambassadors for the University. You should aspire to benefit from the experience professionally, culturally and personally.
Students are eligible to undertake a placement with an organisation provided they meet the following criteria:
- current and enrolled student at the University;
- approval is obtained from the Faculty/Department; and
- the Faculty/Department confirms that the Placement is related to the student’s studies.
Expression of Interest
Expressions of interest should be made to Grant Ellmers in the first instance.
Students who wish to apply for this subject are required to organise their own internship. This will involve contacting local businesses and liaising with them regarding your start date, hours of availability and what you hope to achieve from the internship. Once the internship has been organised students will need to complete the documentation listed below and send it to TAEM administration.
Resources
To complete your enrolment, successful applicants are required to:
- Complete an Internship Checklist
- Complete a Subject Addition Form (enrolment is restricted and can not be done via SOLS)
- Complete a Student External Work Placement Application
- Read the University's Code of Practice - Student Professional Experience
- EOOnline: Complete Module 1 and print out the completion certificate
Enquiries
Please contact Grant Ellmers for further information or advice
Students enrolled in this subject should contact the Subject Coordinator to discuss internship options. View the subject description for detailed information and session availability.
Documentation
Applications must be submitted a minimum of five (5) workings days prior to the commencement of your placement. Failure to do so may delay and/or invalidate your placement plans.
Prior to commencing placement, students must complete and submit the following:
- JRNL304 Internship Checklist
- Student External Work Placement Application
- UOW Code of Practice - Student Professional Experience
- EO Online: Complete Module 1 and print out the completion certificate.
The Internship Evaluation Form is to be completed by your supervisor at the placement organisation.