Summer research assistants programme
Spend your summer vacation working with us. Our summer research assistants experience working in a team environment and solve real world problems.
As a summer research assistant with Paihau—Robinson Research Institute you will work alongside some of the top research scientists and engineers in Aotearoa, and contribute to a range of cutting-edge research projects that involve the development of new concepts in materials and manufacturing.
Who can apply
We take students who are currently studying at New Zealand tertiary institutes and universities.
Research assistant positions are open to undergraduate students (usually before their final year) and run from November to February. Generally students are based on site with us at the Gracefield Innovation Quarter in Lower Hutt or our Petone premises.
Available projects
Applications for 2026/27 summer research assistant projects have now CLOSED.
How to apply
If you are a highly talented applied science or engineering student, we’d like to hear from you.
You can register your interest for 2027/28 positions by emailing rri-admin@vuw.ac.nz.
A comment from a 2025 summer research assistant
“I loved the freedom to design and build something from scratch, and I learnt how important it is to design things that can actually be manufactured.”