Job Kit: Future Scientist

CAREERS

withSTEM JOB KIT ™

Future scientist Insights, information and advice on science careers of the future

Real is going from field trips to field work.

Study science at QUT to access practical, work-integrated learning from your first semester at uni.

QUT Bachelor of Science TEQSA Provider ID PRV12079 Australian University | CRICOS 00213J | © QUT 2025 27249

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FOREWORD

Build a brighter future

curing our future Innovations in science are se row. and building a brighter tomor e making?

Are you a future scientist in th

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d-in-hand – cience and progress go han al or medical almost every technologic in a scientist ts roo breakthrough had its g the scientific lyin app and n asking a questio r. method to find the answe llenges like climate cha bal glo t figh And as we crucial role of science has change and COVID-19, the n science is about more tha never been clearer – but is e enc Sci we already face. tackling the challenges eries, coming up with new cov dis new g about makin into the unknown. questions and venturing terials Science, we are At the QUT Centre for Ma cutting edge of materials conducting research at the orld outcomes in areas development, with real-w dical ration electronics, to me ranging from next-gene ry. ive plastics and drug del imaging, biodegradable us ps hel science that Of course, it’s not really around us and transform rld wo the nd sta better under , enc . Sci e is about people our lives – it’s scientists g our vin dri be to ple peo t bes and we need the very o organisations forward int scientific institutions and l wil o wh ists ure. Scient a better and brighter fut can’t even dream about we es eri cov dis the make ve the inevitable new sol p today, and who will hel l bring. challenges the future wil

it’s not really science that helps us better understand the world around us and transform our lives – it’s scientists”

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Professor Kathryn Fairfull-Smith, r Co-Director, Centre foT QU , Materials Science

If you’re curious about how the world works, a problem-solver who wa nts to make the world a better place, then a car eer in science could be for you. Whether you’re exc ited about cutting edge physics and chemistry, pas sionate about the environment or saving live s – there’s likely an education and career pat hway in science to suit you .

Read on to learn more and get inspired about becoming a future-focus sed scientist!

Professor Kathryn Fairfu ll-Smith, Co-Director, Centre for Materials Sci ence, QUT PS: Love the cover image ? So do I! It’s an image by Binodhya Wijerathne of the lining of a seed, and one example of how nature ins pires science through the power of biomimicry.

Check out Ca for more insights, inreerswithSTEM.com form advice about future ation, inspiration and scientist careers!

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FUTURE SCIENTIST

DEEP DIVE

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Beyond the future

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Cash advan

ent look like? A career in ym plo em e ur fut ur yo es do What rking at the cutting-edge wo an me uld co ce ien sc ed advanc n development, advanced ba ur to h alt he as se er div as in areas tion – or maybe your future va er ns co ife ldl wi to g rin tu manufac ted yet... career hasn’t even been inven

tage Want AU$9 0K–$110K* a year?

That’s the av er for scientist age an nual salary s an in Australia, d researchers depe you r specia nd in g on lity.

Cha-ching! *Stats: Seek

.com.au

an area gig. Especially when it’s fut ure scientist isn’t a bad n other tha almost two times faster where jobs are growing be the to ed ect next 50 years is exp industries and over the al! tot rs yea 0 40 ss than the previous n’t do t backbone of more progre tha ms ble pro g and inventing ce and From anticipating, solvin en sci al ion dit tra of g the landscape gin an ch to , yet st ead. exi n ah p eve ly one ste ure scientists are literal evolving the lab coat, fut

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What will you create?

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A fut ure scientist is a thi nker, a dreamer, and a doer. They ask bold qu estions and search for smart answers.

As a fut ure scientist, yo u might work in a forest or hospital, on a boat or in a lab. If you’re curious, like learni ng, often wonder how things work, and ha ve ideas about how to ma ke things better, yo u’re already thinking like a fut ure scientist.

Scientists are good at sea rching outside of the box. They’re the world ’s problem-solvers and they research and dev elop solutions to ma ke tomorrow better.

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

Science evolving

may be tasked with: As a fut ure scientist you • fighting climate change on another planet • helping to discover life nable world • creating a more sustai ent • protecting our environm eloping countries, dev in ter wa sh fre ng • securi • saving a species • building a smart cit y d with less waste • helping grow more foo w vir uses, and more!

• creating vaccines for ne

Take note... You don’t have to know all the answers, you only have to know where to find the answers!

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pick your pathway who’s hiring depends on who you want to work for. But one thing is for sure, jobs in the science sector are wide and varied. So, prep your resume!

#1

#2

Educators

Government

on Be a science teacher. Pass t your knowledge to the nex t gen of scientists and be par re. of evolving the futu

Hospitals

If research is your thing, look under the job ads for roles at the bigg est and most diverse organisation in the world, CSIRO. Good news? It’s righ t here in Oz. Or, aim for the boss’ chair and become a business development man ager, combining your science skil ls with people know-how, developing products in the food safety, medical testing, urban growth or ag-tech wor lds.

#3

place; it Traditional science still has its a white uire req just doesn’t necessarily ent than min pro e coat. Nowhere is it mor ing, test s, Lab ld. in the health wor description trialling are all par t of the job itute, a Inst van Gar the at places like institute. h arc rese ical med lass world-c

Skills session

If it applies to you, put a cross in the box an see what your skill d checklist reveals…s

#4 Startups

Behind every new idea is a per son – or team of people – with the pas sion, the skill and the willingness to put their hand up to solve a problem and find new ways to research, develop and implement change. Think: biot ech; geoscience; Artificial Intellige nce (AI); wearable tech and energy sec tors. And defs consider working for you rself! You are a star tup.

WHAT PROBLEMS WILL YOU SOLVE?

You no longer have to to be?’ is so last centur y.

Asking ‘What do you want re scientist, you’ll have kplace, one career. As a futu choose just one job, one wor of problems. industry, solving any number skills that you can apply in any can be led by your ’ll focus your energies? You How to choose where you w bet ter, or search for and do your bit to make tomorro interests, follow the money, at the same time... why not do all of these things create new opportunities. Or

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Hi nt: all road s lead

to science!

 Good communicator  Problem-solver  Diverse thinker  Curious  Creative  Good listener  Patient  Critical thinker  Shows initiative  Team player  Analytical

FUTURE SCIENTIST

REAL PEOPLE

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o t n i s c i t s a l Turn p virus-fighters with Rethink global health

out-of-the-box ideas

dr nathan boase SENIOR LECTURER QUT FACULTY OF SCIENCE

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virus fighters? Can we use hat if we could make our own And how can we use AI to k? robotics to speed up lab wor solutions? help develop new chemical ut these questions and more. abo k Dr Nathan Boase loves to thin re it is you can’t really know whe “The best thing about science try mis Che in r ture , who is a Senior Lec is going to go,” says Nathan can t tha ts shif m are so many paradig and Physics at QUT. “There we think about a field.” how e onis luti completely revo s scientist is reworking old idea A huge par t of being a future health. is a are ing mis pro One s. han say with new perspectives, Nat al used on finding new chemic foc tly ren cur is m tea “My .” ase dise t trea technologies to detect and

Ask the question

Nathan’s message to future scientists is clear: “If you’re curious, creative and want to make a difference, science can tak e you further than you ever imagine d.”

And he says QUT is a great place to star t. “Students at QUT are focussed on solving real-wo rld problems with cut ting-ed ge research. It’s a really inspirin g and suppor tive community.”

Add in undergrad research programs and work-integrate d learning, and Nathan says the opportunities to make change are everywhere. “I love doing rese arch to find out how things work or to create new things no one has ever made before.”

So, the nex t step is to ask the question: What change do you want to make?

Virus fighters

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s– m is looking at using polymer To treat viruses, Nathan’s tea icines. long-chain molecules – as med which e broad-spectrum activit y, hav to m see les ecu “These mol the n whe ics eut rap the as use them means we could potentially s,” Nathan says. rge eme ic dem pan l nex t vira tment would mean we’d have trea Preparing anti-viral meds now the t ven han says. “We could pre options for emergencies, Nat ic we had nearly no therapeut n whe period we had in COVID, released.” solutions before a vaccine was

I have always wanted to know how things work and why they do what they do.”

Bachelor of Science (Honours), University of Queensland

PhD (Polymer chemistry), University of Queensland

Co-leader of the Medicinal Molecules and Materials Group, QUT

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

Senior Lecturer, School of Chemistry and Physics, Faculty of Science, QUT

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… a f o e f li e h t in y a d A

T S I T N E I C S E R U T U F

us about a typical Chemist Vanessa Lussini tells stralia day at the Reserve Bank of Au

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1pm

for a strategy The team gets together again we’re working sure meeting. We need to make ensure we are to s ject on a diverse range of pro es. elin tim and es hitting key mileston

Here’s how she spends he r days at the RBA! 9am

Research Assistant, DMTC Ltd

Research Scientist, Reserve Bank of Australia

. gh with their ban k notes ustralians are rea lly rou e tak , ine washing mach We put them through the m to cook in the sun. the ve lea d them surfing an rs to ret urn her Aussie dolla One grandma even had . t the wrinkles after she tried to iron ou nk tra l ban k, the Reser ve Ba cen a’s ali Over at Austr d fin to job s ni’ ssi Lu nessa of Australia (RBA), it’s Va ure an ban k notes more sec ali str Au ke ma to new ways to es of new security featur through the development y str mi Vanessa studied che prevent counterfeiting. e interested in plastics. am at QU T, where she bec money!

Now, she literally ma kes m everywhere, including fro on ati She gets inspir the natural world. “Most toys, craft materials and ve,” she says. “I think it’s sciences are ver y creati . Looking at an idea and something people forget .” else is a rea lly cool thing applying it to something

I catch public transport to wor k. When I arrive at the office, the first thing I do is check my emails.

We have lots of overseas coll aborators, so lots of emails come in overnight. We work with other central banks with similar cur rencies to us on ways to improve our bank notes.

3.30pm

t I’ve had some time Back to the emails. Now tha reply to our overseas I s, ject to think about our pro questions or new collaborators with feedback, lab. results from the

10am

I spend some time reading new research and patents to look for new idea s we could apply to our bank notes. For example, could we use the technology from a colour-chan ging toy in some way? Or the chemistry of a cha meleon’s skin? I’ll use this research to design exp eriments.

5pm

e, I’ll work out at Unless I’ve got footy practic n in the evening the gym on the way home. The I catch up on Netflix!

12pm

Bachelor of Applied Science (Chemistry and Biochemistry), QUT

Our team eats lunch togethe r and then we go for a walk. We call it the jail walk because we’re surrounded by massive elec tric fences!

Sometimes we spot a kangaro o.

PhD (Chemistry), QUT

closely with other As a project manager, I work ir progress in the scientists and I’ll check on the t trials to prove afternoon. We undertake prin ensure the banknote scaling up processes and to able and tough features we develop are dur enough for Australians!

Research Assistant, CRC for Polymers

2pm

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FUTURE SCIENTIST

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Get the job!

Sci-Fi screen sesh

Excited about a future-focused science career? Start here

Future follows

what to your insta feed and see Add these scientist peeps in nce ld of all things scie goes on in the futuristic wor nts, new discoveries and eve oss acr real-time. You’ll be the know today, so you’re general info to keep you in work tomorrow. ready for study, inspo and nch Future Crunch @futurecru and tech future and ensuring science the Peeps with a passion for planet. our and ahead for humans are at the forefront of what lies QUT @QUT get involved in? Tick.

Uni courses? Tick. Comps to Tick. Following now? Tick.

Awesome learning avenues? rs.with.stem Careers with STEM @caree world of STEM and All you need to know about the e. plac opportunities galore in one Bug Girl @hybopterashasta science cts this gal will take you on a From field work to flying inse the future and nce scie combo of adventure like no other. The vision y craz ir the and is real! Think actual dragonflies drone st late the of e som for powers being the inspo n! dow low the has – girl tech. Shasti – AKA Bug

Choose th career if yois u…

> Love all things sci ence! > Are passionate ab out the future > Are logical and a problem-solver

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As if you needed an excuse to binge some of the best movies of all time, here’s our top pick of sci-fi films to cover all your scie nce bases...

MATHS Hidden Figures (20 16) Can you imagine a time with out computers? Back in the 1960s, the first comput ers were people, and this based-on-a-true-stor y film shares how three brilliant female mathematicians helped launch NASA astronauts to the moon. It’s a great reminder that behind every breakthrough are ordinar y people who dared to think differently.

SPACE The Martian (2015) What would you do if your spa ceship took off and left you alon e on Mars?

Inspired by actual science, this film is proof that science skil ls could one day save your life. Main charac ter Mark Watney must use all his smarts – and a limited supply of potatoes – to create enough food, water, oxygen and hope to stay alive.

Meanwhile on Earth, scientis ts are frantically trying to invent a workable rescue mis sion.

PHYSICS Radioactive (2019) Can you name the only person ever to win Nobel Prizes in two different areas? Spoiler alert, it was Marie Curie (and the Nobel Prizes were for Physics in 1903 and Chemistry in 1911). What did she win them for? What was the secret to her succes s? Grab the popcorn and find out. This film retells her insp iring true stor y.

ecklist Electives ch l electives?

h schoo Choosi n g h ig ts w il l set you on ec bj su er in These th to a care the right pa science: futu re ✔ Biology ✔ Ph ysics l v iron menta n E & ✔ Ear th s ie d stu ics ✔ Mathemat y ✔ Chem istr

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This edition was published on 12 September 2025.

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