Modern scientific research to many outsiders often seems non-transparent and distant due to the sophisticated techniques scientists nowadays use to carry out their research. As such, many young students sometimes find modern scientific research intimidating or even confusing.
Our programs focus on making students the scientists, the communicators, the programmers, the role models.
We train students in a variety of different fields to equip them with a unique set of skills. Not only that, we want students to unlock their potential and be inspired by the accomplishments of others.
Modern astrophysics research incorporates many skills that can be applied in separate fields in industry, from data analytics to programming, to design and, most importantly, teamwork.
Students have an innate curiosity for the world around them, and we use astronomy to spark creativity within young students while learning these skills.
Image: Prof. Matthew Bailes explaining how to analyse stellar data from the Gaia space telescope.
83 107 105 108 108 115 32 83 116 117 100 101 110 116 115 32 76 101 97 114 110
Astrophysics projects offer a blend of key STEM skills, including data analysis, programming, research and problem-solving skills.
Students get access to Australia's premiere supercomputing facilities here at Swinburne, Ngarrgu Tindebeek and OzStar.
Students learn STEM skills using a variety of programming languages, including Python, C and specialised tools such as Unity.
Students analyse real data and investigate real problems alongside astronomers. They gain real-time insights and learn data science skills.
All projects have a leadership component. Project management, communication and public speaking skills are taught alongside each project.
112 114 111 103 114 97 109 115
Work Experience
Week long work experience program at the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at the Swinburne University of Technology. Click below for the application form
Work Experience Application Form
Work Experience Application Form
The MilliPHeDe (milli-PhD) Summer Program
This 3-week summer internship allows students the paid opportunity to participate in active research in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav), focusing on accomplishing a focused research task during those three weeks.
Students acquire skills in a multitude of areas, such as programming, supercomputers, documentation, data analysis, automation and much more. Students also get to learn about astronomy topics related to the research task. Some examples are pulsar astronomy, gravitational waves, black holes, fast radio bursts, etc. Additionally, they learn how to work in team environments, manage stress, and the environment of workplaces through this three-week internship, skills that can be applied in any career of choice.
This program runs during December and January (during summer in the southern hemisphere) and are run at Swinburne University of Technology's Hawthorn Campus in Melbourne.
Weekly Engagement During The School Term
In these weekly sessions, we continue to work on mini-projects throughout the term in a similar format to our MilliPHeDe (milli-PHD) program, with the aim of keeping students engaged and working on something new.
These sessions are typically run online for a maximum of 2 hours a week, and are hosted, organised and run by ASTRAL mentors, where students join virtually to update each other on their components of the project and to continue to work on research.
Public Lectures and Social Media Content Development
Throughout the year, students are taught how to use the exclusive content creation tool created by OzGrav (The ARC Centre of EXCELLENCE for Gravitational Wave Discovery), called OzVU, and get the opportunity to create outreach content to inspire other students about the potential for them to learn new skills through astronomy.
82 101 118 105 101 119 115
2024
2024
2025
2025
2026
ASTRAL is out of this world (literally)! The ASTRAL program allowed myself to learn what it really feels like to do research, especially in an amazing team environment. It was fun, engaging, and through this program, I was able to fully realise why I love astronomy. It's fun, challenging and very rewarding!
“ASTRAL was such a beneficial experiences for me. Space has always fascinated me yet I came into the program with little knowledge of how astrophysics works. I learnt about supercomputers, leadership, coding and the science behind the constellations we see every night. ASTRAL is an experience I will always remember and I am very grateful for it.”