We provide an opportunity for members to become involved as volunteers in research studies offered through various organisations such as local universities and institutions.
The listings are provided as a free service and without recommendation by U3A Hawthorn. Members’ participation is entirely as their own undertaking.
TALES Project
Our research team is recruiting participants for a study exploring how technologies such as virtual and augmented reality might help older people preserve and share memories connected to meaningful homes and belongings.
We are seeking adults aged 65 and over who are planning to downsize or relocate, or who have relocated within the past five years. Participants will share their experiences and stories, explore demonstrations of new technologies, and contribute ideas for future memory-preservation systems. A $30 Coles gift voucher will be provided after each focus group, interview or workshop session.
Interested individuals should contact the research team directly at tales-project@unimelb.edu.au.
The study has received ethics approval from the University of Melbourne (Ethics ID 36157)
AI, technology, and monitoring devices in the home
A team at RMIT University is conducting a study on Australians’ feelings and perceptions of AI, technology, and monitoring devices in the home, and their potential to support future older adults in maintaining independence at home.
They are seeking participants aged 55-70 years old to take part in a workshop about their perceptions and feelings on these technologies.
About the study:
Participants will complete a short eligibility survey.
Eligible participants will be invited to a 2.5 hour Workshop, with five other participants and a member of the research group.
The workshop will take place in-person at RMIT Campus or a local meeting room (eg. at a library or hired space).
Discussions will focus on their feelings and perceptions on AI, in relation to technologies and remote health monitoring for ageing in place.
If you are interested in participating, click the link here to view more details of the study.
Listed September 2026
Vision Research Study
This study is aiming to improve vision testing for people with genetic eye diseases. Individuals without a genetic eye disease are sought to participate in the study; a PhD project.
To be eligible you need to be 40-80 years old with healthy vision and have no history of eye diseases affecting vision.
What’s involved:
A single research visit involving standard eye health exams, retinal imaging and a light detection test.
The visit is approx. 3 hours, and a $50 gift voucher will be available upon completion.
To register your interest please contact the study PhD candidate Lea Lim.
Email: lea.lim@student.unimelb.edu.au
Listed March 2026
Help design a Mindfulness intervention
The overall purpose of the research is to develop a mindfulness intervention with input from people with lived experiences. The first stage of this project involves completion of an online survey to obtain opinions to inform our design of the mindfulness intervention. Participants will have the option to express their interest for the future phases of the study (focus group to further design the intervention and participating in a pilot trial of the intervention).
People over the age of 60 who have noticed decline in their thinking and memory or been informed by a health professional that they have memory or cognitive difficulties (including those with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or dementia) can participate in this study.
For more information download a flyer here
The link to commence the online survey is here
Listed February 2026
The Eye as a window into Parkinson’s Disease
This study evaluates whether the eye can be used as a window to help diagnose, monitor and develop new treatments for Parkinson’s disease.
The study involves two sessions, the first test session being 2-3 hours and the second test session at your home/office for ~10 minutes. First visit includes some or all of the following, a screening eye exam, computerised vision tests, eye scan, eye recording which are commonly used in optometry/ophthalmology clinics. You may also be asked to perform a smell screening test and/or take a blood test. You will receive a $40 voucher to contribute to out-of-pocket expenses.
For more details, download the flyer here
Listed October 2025
Eye Research – older adults
originally listed 2024. Relisted 6 April 2025 – still recruiting
Sleep Study – tackling insomnia
originally listed on 13 June 2024. Relisted 31 October 2024 – still recruiting
This is an 8-week self-directed online exercise intervention to help people aged 40-79 reduce anxiety.
listed on 29 August 2024
More details are available on their website: RETREATTai Chi trial information
listed on 17 June 2024
The Tinnitus Project
The Bionics Institute, located in East Melbourne, is a not-for-profit research organisation that develops medical devices, therapies and diagnostic tools for unmet patient needs.
The Tinnitus Project aims to develop an objective measure of tinnitus (see see website for research details here.) using a safe and non-invasive brain imaging technique based on near-infrared light.
They are currently recruiting participants over 60 without tinnitus for their control group.
The link below is to a recruitment flyer outlining the project and the requirements for participants. Please consider assisting them by volunteering to be part of their control group..
listed on 24 April 2024
Investigating the relationship between ageing and long-term outcomes following traumatic brain injury
This project at the Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre (Richmond, VIC) aims to study the relationship between ageing and long-term outcomes following traumatic brain injury. To help us understand what changes might be related to a brain injury and what might be part of the normal aging process, we need to compare people with a brain injury to people without one. This allows us to understand how these two groups change over time, and how these changes might be similar or different.
We are currently recruiting individuals aged 79-89 years old with no history of brain injury.
What’s involved: You will answer questionnaires about your mood and lifestyle, do thinking skills tasks, have some blood taken, and have an MRI brain scan (to take a picture of your brain). The session will be completed at the Epworth Hospital in Richmond and takes about 4-hours.
You will be reimbursed $200 for your time, with the option to have your travel reimbursed if you choose (taxi vouchers, parking vouchers).
Interested? Please follow this link and fill in the short form.
Alternatively, you can email or call us at ageing.study@monash.edu / (03) 9426 8923
Ageing and eyes: identifying moving objects against their background
My name is Pooja Nandagopal and I am a PhD student at the Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, supervised by A/Prof Andrew Anderson and Prof. Allison McKendrick. I am currently conducting a study examining how healthy ageing affects our ability to identify moving objects against their background. I am actively seeking participants aged between 60 and 80 years who are in good health. Participants who volunteer will undergo a short series of eye tests to check their eligibility, followed by a series of computer-based tests over two sessions. All the tests in the study are non-invasive and present no risks greater than home computer use.
Contact details:
If you wlsh to participate in our study or require more details, please contact Pooja Nandagopal via email: pnandagopal@student.unimelb.edu.au
Download a flyer here for more details
listed on 27 October 2023