Explore a range of chemical and biomolecular engineering research internships to complete as part of your degree during the semester break.
The following internships are due to take place across the Winter break.
Applications open 1 April and close 19 April 2026.
Supervisor: A/Prof Fengwang Li
Eligibility:
- Chemistry or chemical engineering background.
- Prior research experience in the field of electrocatalysis
- WAM>75. Students applying for projects within the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering must have completed at least 72 credit points at the time of application.
Project Description:
Many industrial processes rely on upgrading simple hydrocarbons into higher-value products, and small structural changes can make a big difference to performance in fuels, polymers, and specialty chemicals. Alkene isomerisation, shifting the position of a carbon–carbon double bond, is one of the most useful transformations, but controlling where the double bond ends up (and avoiding complex mixtures) can be challenging.
This project explores electrogenerated catalysis, where electricity is used to generate and control active metal catalysts directly in the reaction mixture. By adjusting practical process conditions such as catalyst generation rate, additive levels. The work aims to improve selectivity and consistency in alkene isomerisation, supporting more efficient and scalable hydrocarbon upgrading.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes *dependent on government’s health advice.
Supervisor: Dr Aditya Putranto
Eligibility: WAM>75. Students applying for projects within the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering must have completed at least 72 credit points at the time of application.
Project Description:
Transition of first year students to the university is vital to increase the students’ retention rate, enhance their performance, satisfaction and sense of belonging. Most of the first-year engineering units at the University of Sydney are large units and thus developing interactive units is essential to attain high engagement. Nevertheless, several units have records of nonoptimal students’ engagement, high failure rates, and inability of the students to grasp the key concepts. Based on the analysis, they are mainly due to characteristics of first year students, typical unit contents and delivery style. Therefore, it is crucial to improve first year engineering teaching considering the first-year students’ characteristics to allow their smooth transition to the university. In this project, the effective ways to design first year engineering units will be investigated. The project will focus on seeking the effectiveness of contextuality approach to maximise first year students’ learning experience. The outcomes of this study will be used as fundamentals of recommendations for revamping first year engineering units as a faculty-wide strategy to achieve University of Sydney’s transformational student-focused education.
Requirement to be on campus: No
Supervisor: Prof Yuan Chen, Dr Fangzhou Liu
Eligibility:
- Complete year 1 and 2 chemical engineering/chemistry-related courses.
- WAM>75. Students applying for projects within the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering must have completed at least 72 credit points at the time of application.
Project Description:
This research project focuses on the electrochemical expansion of graphite to achieve controlled interlayer spacing, creating a versatile carbon material with enhanced structural and surface properties. By precisely regulating the electrochemical conditions, the expanded graphite will exhibit tunable interlayer distances, making it a promising substrate for multiple advanced applications, including high-performance battery electrodes and durable carbon supports for hydrogen fuel cell catalysts.
Participants will:
- Investigate the relationship between electrochemical parameters and the degree of graphite expansion.
- Characterize the resulting carbon structures using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and nitrogen physisorption surface analysis.
- Evaluate the suitability of the expanded graphite in energy-related applications through preliminary electrochemical and structural assessments.
This project provides hands-on experience in materials synthesis, electrochemistry, and energy materials research, while exploring the potential of expanded graphite as a next-generation carbon substrate.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes *dependent on government’s health advice.
Supervisors: Jacopo Giaretta, Dr Sepehr Talebian, Dr Fariba Dehghani
Eligibility: WAM>75. Students applying for projects within the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering must have completed at least 72 credit points at the time of application.
Project Description:
Silicones are a class of elastomer regarded for their properties, such as hydrophobicity, adhesiveness, and elasticity, being used in fields from civil and structural to biomedical implants. With such a broad range of applications, it is important to tailor the physical, mechanical, and chemical characteristics of the silicone to the intended use.
The project will focus of the reinforcement of a commercial silicone using different fillers to improve mechanical and adhesive properties. The VRI intern will develop an understanding of how silicone is produced and how silicone-based composite work, including the relationship between silicone matrix and filler. Sample manufacturing and testing (uniaxial mechanical tests and others) will be the main tasks assigned to the student.
The candidate will join a multicultural and multidisciplinary team with experts in engineering, chemistry, and science. Our aim is to improve the properties of elastomers to improve the quality of life of millions of people.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes *dependent on government’s health advice.
Supervisors: Jacopo Giaretta, Dr Aeryne Lee, Dr Sina Naficy
Eligibility:
- Research interests: absorption and chemical organic synthesis
- WAM>75. Students applying for projects within the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering must have completed at least 72 credit points at the time of application.
Project Description:
Current heart valve (HV) prosthetics are not monitored remotely after implantation. This causes discomfort and possibly pain in patients when the HV starts deteriorating and losing functionality before failing. In this project, we aim to develop a smart polymeric HV replacement, which includes conductive patterns on the leaflets (the flaps that open and close to promote unidirectional flow) to monitor their movement. In particular, the nature and performance of these patterns is crucial to allow precise monitoring and data transferral. Different conductive materials will be tested first in two-dimension system, and then into a valve prototype. This project will give the intern experiences on advanced manufacturing (3D printing), electrical characterisation (electrical sensors), and mechanical characterisation, testing different materials and their electrical properties under stress.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes *dependent on government’s health advice.
Supervisors: Dr Eric Sanjaya, Prof Ali Abbas
Eligibility: WAM>75. Students applying for projects within the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering must have completed at least 72 credit points at the time of application.
Project Description:
This project evaluates the techno-economic performance of emerging waste conversion technologies, with a focus on their potential to support sustainable waste management and circular economy pathways.
The study will screen a diverse range of technological options and prioritise selected pathways for detailed assessment, utilising process modelling, mass and energy balances (MEB), cost estimation, and product yield analysis.
Technologies of interest include advanced gasification, pyrolysis, plasma-assisted processes, and emerging biological conversion pathways. Scenario analysis will be conducted to compare different configurations, considering technology readiness levels (TRL), feedstock variability, and scales of operation.
The outcomes aim to provide decision-support insights for waste management stakeholders, while improving understanding of EOL sector. The project will also support evidence-based policymaking aligned with UN SDG for Australian Context.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes *dependent on government’s health advice.
Supervisors: Prof Marjorie Valix, A/Prof John Kavanagh
Eligibility:
- Strong interest in Bioleaching & hands-on laboratory manipulations
- WAM>75. Students applying for projects within the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering must have completed at least 72 credit points at the time of application.
Project Description:
Electronic waste is the world's fastest-growing waste stream, but processes for the recovery of the critical metals they contain are limited, leading to pollution and economic losses.
This research develops an eco-friendly "bioleaching" process using microorganisms to extract valuable metals (Copper, Gold, Rare Earth Elements) from printed circuit boards and NdFeB magnets.
This 5–6-week project will focus on the downstream recovery phase: extracting these valuable metals from complex biological leachates via targeted chemical processes.
Depending on project needs, we will investigate selective recovery methods such as:
This is a good opportunity to gain hands-on laboratory experience in green hydrometallurgy, performing batch experiments, generating kinetic data, and validating sustainable recovery workflows.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes *dependent on government’s health advice.
Supervisors: Prof Marjorie Valix and Maria Aira Calma
Eligibility:
- Have interest in laboratory work
- Have interest in geopolymer
- WAM>75. Students applying for projects within the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering must have completed at least 72 credit points at the time of application.
Project Description:
This project will investigate the synthesis of sodium silicate, commonly known as water glass, through the dissolution of powdered soda-lime and borosilicate glass in sodium hydroxide. Sodium silicate is widely used as an adhesive, a binder in construction materials, and a precursor for geopolymer production. Typical production of water glass involves the utilisation of high-temperature fusion of silica and sodium carbonate, which is energy-intensive. More sustainable alternative methods are hydrothermal and alkaline dissolution of silica-rich wastes. Soda-lime glass is composed of approximately 70-75% silica and is used in windows and bottle containers. On the other hand, borosilicate glass has 80% and is used in laboratory glassware and cookware. Comparing these glass types, we can evaluate their suitability as silica sources for low-cost and sustainable water glass production.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes *dependent on government’s health advice.
Supervisors: Prof Marjorie Valix and Chunyang Deng
Eligibility:
- Student with great interest in cement and concrete and in lab work
- WAM>75. Students applying for projects within the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering must have completed at least 72 credit points at the time of application.
Project Description:
The project aims to development new low carbon cement (LCC) to replace currently using ordinary Portland cement (OPC) for the purpose of longer service life with better durability and lower carbon footprint. Cement emits 4-6% of global Co2 emission across all categories, reducing co2 footprint by using LCC becomes a more sustainable choice.
For sewer application, Micro-biologically Induced Concrete Corrosion (MICC) is main issue to determine the service life and durability of cement in the field. Greater resistance to MICC will be beneficial. It is important to understand this when considering using LCC.
This project will involve cement casting, characterisation, testing of strength, and a lot of laboratory tests to understand and evaluate performance of LCC. The results will be compared with OPC to see the difference and to check if the LCC outperforms the OPC.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes *dependent on government’s health advice.
Last updated 27 March 2026
