Published 11 September 2026
Australia's fight against fire ants will take centre stage at QUT's Nudgeathon this month.
The event will bring together students, government professionals, and industry experts to develop innovative solutions that support our goal of eradicating fire ants by 2032.
The behavioural science competition will be held at QUT's Gardens Point campus in Brisbane where registered teams will tackle challenges linked to one of Australia’s largest biosecurity programs.
Over 2-and-a-half days, participants will apply behavioural science principles to encourage greater community involvement in fire ant detection, reporting, and treatment activities.
Teams will explore ways to:
- build trust in surveillance and eradication activities
- encouraging community advocacy, participation, and action
- improving understanding of fire ant treatment safety and the environmental impacts of fire ants.
Emily Clasby, Director Customer Experience and Engagement, said the partnership gives participants a unique opportunity to contribute to a nationally significant issue.
'Community participation is critical to successfully eradicating fire ants. We're looking forward to seeing the innovative ideas participants develop to inspire action and build trust,' Emily said.
Winning teams will be announced on the final day of the event, with their proposals considered for future community engagement and behaviour change initiatives.
Registration and event information are available through QUT’s Nudgeathon.