As a PhD student at the British Antarctic Survey and University of Southampton, though Rachel Sanders might not call Tasmania home, her research is firmly grounded in the region.

Sanders is taking part in a three-month internship at the University of Tasmania, working alongside the wealth of knowledge contained in the state. Using detailed modelling, she is asking questions of the immense and important Southern Ocean.

Like many, Sanders had no idea what she wanted to do on finishing school. So she looked through a list of every available university course in Britain.

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"I saw oceanography was an option and thought that sounded pretty cool," she recalled via email. "I was always particularly interested in Antarctic oceanography, and did a masters project looking at how changing winds around Antarctica influence how much carbon dioxide the ocean absorbs."

It was then Sanders applied for the PhD to begin looking at how changing sea ice altered the surface waters. After two research cruises, the ocean - its wildlife, its icebergs - has made a significant impression.

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"My favourite memory is probably standing at the bow of the ship as we break through sea ice - it's such a surreal experience."

On why she does what she does, she said: "I just really enjoy what I do. And I'm excited to see the end results of my work." Paying the rent is of course a necessity, too.

"It's all about answering questions, and normally ending up with more questions than you started with."

With three other researchers, Sanders shared a selection of those answers - and questions - to a packed Queen Victoria Museum lecture theatre last weekend in just one of the more than 1000 events taking place across the country for National Science Week.

Running from August 10-18, the week is Australia's annual celebration of all things science and technology. The idea established in 1997 to encourage an interest in the sectors among the general public, foster fascination in younger generations and acknowledge the contribution of Australian scientists.

Sharing the stage with Sanders on August 11 was Dr Rajesh Raj. A full-time nephrologist at the Launceston General Hospital, he established one of the first specialist-led clinics to provide non-dialysis care for kidney disease patients. Such clinics were often run by palliative care specialists.

"I was moved by the plight of older individuals with chronic kidney disease," Raj said. "And in 2011 this led to the establishment of the renal supportive care clinic here at the Launceston General Hospital."

The work in the clinic inspired him to take on the late-career, mid-life, part-time PhD to discover how dialysis impacts the quality of life of older patients with kidney disease.

"As a doctor, I have a unique opportunity to help relieve suffering, and the comfort I bring to older people and their families really keeps me going," Raj said. "The research is a natural extension of that."

In his 20-year career as a kidney specialist, it's the laughter of patients who decided they would rather stay at home and preserve their lifestyle that stands out.

"These patients are among the happiest I have seen," he said. "[My memories] are marked with laughter, happiness and the gratitude of older patients and their families. In my area of science - medicine - people trust me with their lives and their emotions. This is a humbling responsibility, and research is my way of giving back.

As the head biomedical sciences at UTAS, another of the group, Associate Professor Dr Raj Eri, is also deeply involved in research. Though Eri did not start with humans.

"I am a veterinarian who developed major interest in medical research during my last year of veterinary medicine," he said. It was after completing his PhD studies at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research that Eri attended a talk at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. The topic: inflammatory bowel disease and its impact on young people.

"On that day, I decided to get into the field of gut diseases and contribute towards finding cures for gut conditions. As a scientist, the feeling of discovery and innovative ideas that are making a difference to people's health and lives keeps me going back to research everyday."

Eri still remembers receiving the good news about his first major research grant - running from the office in his lab coat, to the bewilderment of onlookers.

"For me, science is life, science is second nature. Finding new discoveries day to day in my job and overseeing the research of my PhD students drives my questions and curiosity further."

Having worked as an ecologist at the Tasmanian Land Conservancy for 10 years, Matthew Taylor considers his route to research a more unusual one. "I'm actually doing it as my job," he said.

The organisation had been experimenting with citizen science for years and was looking to partner with UTAS to put some "real scientific rigour" into the method. Through Taylor's research, this now involves working with landholders to set up ecological monitoring on their property, providing both a resource boost for the environmental management sector and an empowering tool for communities to become more involved in wildlife matters on their own land.

A love of the bush certainly helps. Earlier, Taylor worked for years as a bushwalking guide and park ranger, spending a summer camped in the Walls of Jerusalem National Park. "It's just a fascinating and interesting kind of work," he said. "[I am] partly motivated by a desire to help out nature, which doesn't really have its own voice."

But it is the interactions with those on the land as part of his research that stick with Taylor the most - 160 of whom he helped set up wildlife cameras or other technology to collect important information about Tasmanian species, speaking to them at length about their views on wildlife management.

"Most of the rewards in life come from your relationships with people," he said. "And so, the work I do - going out and meeting different people and seeing what they're up to - is ... always rewarding."