Acknowledgement of Country
CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

Role highlights

• Showcase your strong technology research and quantitative analysis skills
• Inform senior business and government decision making across Australia
• Work across a broad range of national challenges and science domains

About CSIRO

As Australia's national science agency, CSIRO is solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. Many of our iconic innovations were once considered impossible until someone, just like you, joined us and took on the challenge.

Visit CSIRO.au for more information.

The Opportunity

Our Undergraduate Vacation Studentships are run over the Australian summer holidays and offer high achieving and promising undergraduate students the opportunity to collaborate with CSIRO researchers in our world class facilities.

Participation in a CSIRO Vacation Studentship offers access to real world experience that provide insights into future study and career directions. Many previous vacation students have gone on to pursue a PhD and build a successful research career within CSIRO, universities, or industry.

CSIRO Futures is the strategic and economic advisory arm of CSIRO. They inform public policy and private investment decisions through robust, evidence-backed analysis. This involves translating research, industry, government and economic insights into tangible actions for senior decision makers. Analysis focussed on national challenges and opportunities across energy, minerals, agriculture and biosecurity.

Project: The purpose of the studentship is to learn about strategic consulting and the underlying skillsets including literature review, economic analysis, critical thinking and report writing through a student placement as part of the CSIRO Vacation Student program.

Relevant Field/s of Study: Applications are welcomed from a broad range of disciplines, including science, engineering, economics, and related fields. Familiarity with quantitative analysis and the ability to effectively leverage AI-enabled tools are highly desirable.

Supervisor/Contact: Greg Williams at Greg.Williams@csiro.au

Location: Melbourne (Clayton), VIC
Stipend: $2,056.32 per fortnight
Duration: Placements are for 8 weeks between November 2026 and February 2027
Reference: 103683

To be considered you will need

• To be enrolled in an undergraduate degree at an Australian university.

• Have completed at least 2 years (full-time equivalent) of an undergraduate course at the commencement of the studentship.
• A strong academic record (credit average or higher) and/or known capability in the field.
• An interest in pursuing a research career in science or technology, or a career in a related discipline.
• The ability to undertake a full-time placement for 8-12 weeks over the university summer vacation period.

Eligibility

Applications for these studentships are open to: Australian and New Zealand Citizens; Australian Permanent Residents; and International students who have full work rights for the duration of the placement (do not require visa sponsorship).

Appointment to this role may be subject to conditions including provision of a national police check as well as other security/medical/character clearance requirements.

Inclusion and belonging

Solving Australia's greatest challenges takes a diversity of minds and lived experiences. We know diverse teams are more effective and deliver more innovative outcomes. As an equal employment opportunity organisation, we are committed to creatingdiverse and inclusive teams where people feel they belong. We recognise true diversity encompasses all ages, abilities, cultures, faiths, levels of education, genders, sexualities, diversity of thought and much more. We focus on hiring people who share our values of People First, Further Together, Making it Real and Trusted.

CSIRO holds Platinum Status for the Australian Workplace Equality Index for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and a Science in Australia Gender Equity Bronze Award.

Child Safety

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy.

How to Apply

To apply you will be required to:

Please note that applications through this advertisement will only be accepted for CSIRO Futures. If you wish to be considered for multiple Vacation Studentships across different research areas, please make your additional applications through the relevant advertisements from the Studentships page.

Applications Close

Monday 10 August 2026, 11:00pm AEST