The Student Managed Investment Fund is a Business School initiative designed to promote the development of asset management skills by allowing students to manage a live equity portfolio.
Established in 2017, the University of Queensland Student Managed Investment Fund (UQ SMIF) enables UQ Business School students to apply their academic knowledge and acquire practical skills by managing a portfolio of Australian equity securities using real money in real-time. Students gain exposure to the world of asset management by assuming the role of analysts and are responsible for construction, monitoring and management of the fund.
The UQ Business School Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) was endowed with $200,000 of real money in 2018 and has grown to over $550,000 as of September 2025.
Research Challenge 2026
Form a team, conduct equity research on an ASX-listed company, and compete for the chance to manage a real investment portfolio worth over half a million dollars.
The members of the winning team and the runner-up team will be appointed as SMIF equity research analysts for a one-year period before handing over to the next team in May 2027.
Who can enter?
- Open to all UQ students.
- Teams of 4-5 members.
- At least 2 team members must be enrolled in a UQ Business School program.
- At least 4 team members must be enrolled at UQ through to June 2027.
Why Participate
- Experiential learning - Apply valuation, portfolio management, and corporate finance theory to real‑world investing.
- Career boost - Students gain direct employer exposure, with many reporting SMIF helped them secure investment roles.
- Manage real money - The top two teams manage the fund for about a year, engaging with company executives, analysts, and portfolio managers.
Your task
Conduct in-depth equity research on a SMIF holding or an ASX200 company. Produce a high-quality research report (max 10 pages + appendix) and a rigorous valuation model.
How to register
- Read the full competition details (PDF, 16.8 KB).
- Email smif@business.uq.edu.au and include each team member's:
- name
- contact information
- enrolled program details.
- Join the SMIF Blackboard.
Registrations close 5pm Friday 27 March on Blackboard.
Have a question?
Email usBecome a member
If you are a current UQ student and would like to register as a SMIF member, email smif@business.uq.edu.au with a request to be added to the SMIF Blackboard and include your student number in the request. You will then receive notification of future SMIF activities.