Casual Research Assistant

• School of Chemical Engineering – Faculty of EAIT

• Casual position with an hourly rate in the range of $50.24 to $53.27, plus superannuation of 12% (HEW Level 4)

• This project will be for approximately 3 months - average of 10-15 hours per week

• Based at our St Lucia Campus

About This Opportunity 

We are offering an exciting opportunity for a Casual Research Assistant to participate in an exploratory research project to examine how water and energy are used and consumed within AI data centres, and to explore the extent to which this information is accessible through publicly available documents.

The role will focus on Australia but may involve a comparison with other jurisdictions. The work will be desktop-based, entailing a review of academic literature on the topic, and an analysis of publicly reported data by major technology companies. The end goal of the project is to prepare a research report and contribute towards an academic research paper. 

The successful applicant will join an interdisciplinary research team led by Dr Nadja Kunz. The project will be implemented in an advanced, well-equipped and supportive research environment within the School of Chemical Engineering (ranked #1 in Australia for chemical engineering). They will be based in the modern, and recently built, Liveris Building.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Searches and analyses academic and grey literature.

• Applies engineering skills to analyse diverse datasets​.

About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you'll have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world.

Everyone here has a role to play. As a member of our professional staff cohort, you will be actively involved in working towards our vision of a better world. By supporting the academic endeavour across teaching, research, and the student life, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to activities that have a lasting impact on our community.

Join a community where excellence is at the core of our culture, contributions are valued and a range of benefits and rewards are available, such as access to exclusive internal-only vacancies and affordable parking from just $6.15 a day.

About You

This role involves desktop-based collection and analysis of literature and datasets. It is well suited to a senior undergraduate or current master's student. Experience in academic publishing is highly regarded, and applicants with an interest in the environmental impacts of large industrial sectors are especially welcomed.

• Foundational knowledge of environmental engineering principles.

• Excellent writing and editing abilities.

• Experience in analysing academic and grey literature and producing concise summarises of information relevant to core research questions.

• Proficient in using Excel; experience with other analytical software is highly regarded.

• High level inter-personal and communication skills.

• Self-motivated and ability to prioritise workload to meet research deadlines.

• Commitment to excellence and an ability to work diligently with a high level of accuracy.

The successful candidate may be required to complete background checks including, right to work in Australia, criminal history and education checks.

Questions? 

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Dr Nadja Kunz via

For application inquiries, please reach out to the Talent Acquisition team at , stating the job reference number (below) in the subject line. 
 

Want to Apply? 

We welcome applications from all individuals and are committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. To be considered, please ensure you upload:

• Cover letter summarising how your background aligns to the 'About You' section  

• Resume 

Our strength as an institution lies in our diverse colleagues. We are dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion, fostering an environment that mirrors our wider community. We are committed to attracting, retaining, and promoting diverse talent. If you require an alternative method to submit your application due to accessibility needs or personal circumstances, please contact

Other Information 

As a casual employee, and in line with Fair Work, please note that there is no commitment to ongoing work in this position. 

UQ is committed to a fair, equitable and inclusive selection process, which recognises that some applicants may face additional barriers and challenges which have impacted and/or continue to impact their career trajectory. Candidates who do not meet all criteria are encouraged to apply and demonstrate their potential. The selection panel considers both potential and performance relative to opportunities when assessing suitability for the role.

Applications close on Wednesday, 12 November at 11.00pm AEST (R

Please note applications will be reviewed as received. Candidates may be interviewed prior to the job closing date. We encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible. The University of Queensland reserves the right to close this application process early.