While most Australian universities aim to promote an understanding of research within their teaching programmes, few encourage undergraduate students to conduct their own research. This paper explores a more holistic approach to the teaching-research nexus where students learn about research methods and findings while conducting their own research. This model is critically examined in relation to a parliamentary internship programme offered to undergraduate students at Melbourne, Monash and Victoria Universities. While a research internship offers significant benefits for undergraduate students, it poses numerous practical difficulties for lecturers and students alike. This paper proposes a number of ways to manage these difficulties to best achieve an effective teaching- research nexus.

Keywords: Teaching-Research Nexus, Undergraduate Research, Parliamentary Internship