PhD Scholarships

SQA Partnership PhD Scholarship:

This scholarship is funded by CSIRO and supported by SQA, and offers:

• A stipend of at least AU$37,684 p.a.
• A training allowance.
• International tuition fees waived for international recipients. Other fees for international recipients, such as visas costs or overseas health cover, may also be covered at the discretion of the University and will be advised at the time of offer.
• Entry to the SQA PhD Experience Program. Completion of the program is required.

SQA PhD Scholarship:

This scholarship is funded by the New South Wales Government and our partner universities.

There are four streams of the SQA PhD Scholarship, but we are only accepting applications for the ‘SQA PhD Experience Program Scholarship’ 

Stream 4: The SQA PhD Experience Program Scholarship

• Non-stipend scholarship
• Entry to the SQA PhD Experience Program.
• Access to SQA career development funding (subject to conditions).
• You can be a student at any stage of your PhD at an SQA partner university, although you must have at least an unconditional offer of admission at the time of application. We strongly recommend you apply after you are already enrolled.

Apply here for the PhD Experience Program scholarship.

SQA Partnership Scholarships: 

• Scholarships are open to domestic and international students.
  • Domestic students include Australian citizens, permanent residents, a person entitled to stay in Australia, or to enter and stay in Australia, without any limitation as to time and a New Zealand citizen.
  • International students must either hold or be able to obtain a valid visa for the duration of the specified term upon being awarded the scholarship.
• You must be a student who has commenced or is due to commence your PhD studies from Jan 2024 - October 2024. International students may also commence in the first half of 2025. Students who commenced in 2023 or prior are not eligible.
• Before submitting your application, it's essential to secure the support of the project supervisor. Please refer to the list of projects and supervisors associated with this scholarship.
• You must not hold another primary PhD stipend scholarship (for example, a Research Training Program (RTP) or equivalent scholarship). 

 If you are based overseas, and not currently an Australian resident or holder of a permanent resident visa,  you may be able to commence your studies overseas if you have support from your supervisor and university, and have received your visa, however, you may not be able to start receiving scholarship payments until you arrive in Australia and/or have an Australia bank account.  Please check with your university for further information on offshore commencement. 

SQA PhD Scholarship: 

Stream 4: The SQA PhD Experience Program Scholarship:

• You can be a student at any stage of your PhD at an SQA partner university, although you must have at least an unconditional offer of admission at the time of application. We strongly recommend you apply after you are already enrolled.

Before submitting your application, please read the relevant documents listed below related to your preferred scholarship:

SQA Partnership PhD Scholarship

• Application Guidelines
• Conditions of Award

Supporting documentation

To be considered for a stipend scholarship, please upload the following documents with your application. This supporting documentation must be contained in a single pdf (not a portfolio).

• Project proposal
• Academic transcript(s)
• CV
• Any other information supporting your application

Supervisor endorsement

When you submit your application, an email will be sent to your proposed supervisor for them to complete a supervisor endorsement form. In order to receive an endorsement, you need to have previously communicated with your proposed supervisor, and they must have agreed to supervise you.

PhD Experience Program Scholarship (non-stipend)

The application process for the PhD Experience Scholarship does not require supporting documentation. In the application form you will be asked for details about yourself and your PhD - including a brief description of your research project/area (max 200 words).

You will also need the support of your supervisor, and they will asked to endorse your application once completed.

Please note: Failure to follow the guidelines will lead to your application not being considered.

SQA Partnership PhD Scholarship: Discover the research projects that are available. You will need a relevant research proposal for one of these projects and an endorsement from the specific research supervisor.

SQA PhD Partnership Scholarship

Applications will be assessed by SQA and CSIRO, based on the following criteria:

• Quality of the proposed project including relevance to quantum technology and alignment to the proposed project by UNSW and CSIRO supervisors.
• Candidate experience including academic merit, experience in quantum technology and / or any professional experience

What is SQA career development funding (CDF)?

• SQA PhD Partnership Scholarship students will have access to a pool of SQA career development funds held locally at your university. The approval processes and availability of funds will depend on your university who manage the process.  The intention of this funding is not to replace funding you may already be eligible to receive (e.g., you may already have support for a laptop from your research group), but rather to provide you with opportunities you may not have been able to access without the SQA CDF - such as specialist training.

How many rounds are there per year?

• We typically hold two scholarship rounds per year – one in April and another in September. You can subscribe to our mailing list to be notified when scholarship rounds open.

How do I know if my research area sufficiently relates to quantum tech?

• As quantum tech can span various disciplines and areas, the best person to answer this question is your proposed supervisor.

Do I have to come to Australia, or can I do my PhD entirely remotely and apply for a scholarship?

• As per the requirements of your university candidature (see their degree resolutions for details), you will need to do your PhD largely in Australia. You may be able to be overseas for a period within this or commence offshore for a period of time. If you are an international student, you will need an Australia visa granted before you can enrol.

What are the selection criteria?

• Details are available above – under ‘How will my application be assessed?’

Is there an IELTS requirement for a scholarship application?

• There is no SQA specific requirement for IELTS. You will need to adhere to the IELTS requirements of your chosen SQA university however, to be admitted for your PhD. SQA university PhD admission will be required to receive your scholarship, should you be awarded.

Can I start my application form and save it to finish it later?

• Depending on your browser – it should remember you and let you return to the same spot. However, if you open it up on a different browser or device, it likely won’t remember you, so make sure to keep a copy of anything you worry about losing to be safe.

I’ve accidentally submitted something incorrect on my application – how do I update this?

• If you submit multiple applications, we will use the latest application you submitted before the deadline in the assessment and selection process. If you are having trouble accessing the form after your first submission (i.e., the link takes you to a thank you for submitting page), if you open the link using a different browser application (e.g. Firefox instead of Chrome) and it should let you access the form anew. Alternatively, you can also email info.sqa@sydney.edu.au with your updated information.

Can I apply for an SQA Partnership scholarship and another scholarship at the same time?

• Yes, you can. However, should you be successful for another scholarship it may change your eligibility in terms of SQA scholarship types. For example, should you receive a non-SQA primary stipend (e.g., an RTP) since your application, you would no longer be eligible for an SQA Primary Scholarship, but you still may be eligible for an SQA Supplementary Scholarship.

Can I get a second extension (past 4 years) if my thesis is delayed?

• In general, no. This is due to most university degree resolutions stating that four years full time (not including extended leave or suspensions of study) is the maximum candidature length. See your university’s degree resolutions for details.

Can I reapply if I am unsuccessful?

• Yes, you are most welcome to reapply in future rounds, as long as you still fulfil the eligibility criteria.

Can I get feedback on my application?

• Unfortunately, we cannot provide feedback on your application.

Can I apply if I am a cotutelle students with an SQA university and another university?

• Yes, you can apply. Should you be successful however, the SQA PhD Scholarship stipend would only cover the period you are in Sydney and based at the SQA university.

I have another question not answered here – who can I ask?

• Please email info.sqa@sydney.edu.au and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Before submitting your application, please read the relevant documents listed below:

SQA PhD Partnership Scholarship

• Application Guidelines
• Conditions of Award

PhD Experience Program Scholarship (non-stipend)

Applications are open all year round. Apply here for the PhD Experience Program scholarship.