Who we are

The department protects Australia’s natural resources and helps develop strong agricultural industries. We work with others to ensure our land, water and heritage are well managed, protected and productive. For today and into the future.

We have a committed, dynamic and positive workforce and our people are supportive, energetic and encouraging. You will develop your personal and professional skills doing meaningful work and be valued for your contribution.

The Jobs

We are looking for enthusiastic students to join our University Vacation Employment Program (UVEP). The UVEP is a great way to gain paid work experience prior to graduating and offers you the opportunity to work on interesting projects with professionals and researchers in your field of interest. It also provides you with insight into future career opportunities with the department including the Graduate Development Program.

The UVEP includes:

• a six-week paid work placement
• the opportunity to complete a specific project/work for the department relevant to your studies and interests
• mentoring opportunities with peers, professionals, and researchers in your field of interest.

Who we are looking for

The various projects we have on offer for the 2026 UVEP are diverse, spanning a range of issues and business functions including but not limited to:

• Research and map key stakeholders in aquaculture, fisheries, and biosecurity.
• Develop and test an interactive geospatial mapping tool.
• Contribute to evaluation planning for national animal health diagnostics.
• Analyse strategic policy priorities and propose innovative policy sprint ideas.
• Develop metrics and visuals linking plant pest preparedness to response phases.
• Analyse cargo inspection data to improve biosecurity protocols.
• Conduct fungal lab work including media prep, DNA extraction, PCR, and sequencing.
• Perform bioinformatics analysis for fungal identification.
• Support soil policy integration through research, stakeholder engagement, and reporting.
• Review pet import verification processes and analyse non-compliance data.

The UVEP commences 5 January 2026 and runs for six weeks to 13 February 2026. These dates cannot be changed, and if you are unavailable, you will not be able to participate in the program.

Flexible employment arrangements are available with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.