International Women's Day – Championing women in quantum

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This International Women’s Day (IWD), Sydney Quantum Academy reflects on the women leading the quantum era – from Professor Nalini Joshi AO to SQA’s growing talent pipeline.
  

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On International Women’s Day (IWD), Sydney Quantum Academy highlights the work of Professor Nalini Joshi AO, a trailblazing researcher whose work on the role of mathematics in quantum era security is redefining our understanding of the opportunities and risks that come with quantum’s transformative potential.  

Professor Joshi is the 2025 NSW Scientist of the Year. She is the Chair of Applied Mathematics at the University of Sydney – the first woman to ever hold this position. 

As an ambassador for maths, women and minority groups, Professor Joshi is widely recognised as a mentor inspiring the next generation of leaders and encouraging women to pursue STEM careers. She was the inaugural co-chair of the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) program and has mentored over 30 researchers in her career.  

Late last year, Professor Joshi was successful in her bid for the new $35 million ARC Centre of Excellence in Mathematics for Quantum Era Security and Trust (MathQuEST) – where her team will study deep mathematical problems and structures to create fresh foundations for post-quantum cryptography.  

In a public lecture this week at the NSW Science & Research Breakfast Seminar Series, hosted by the NSW Office of the Chief Scientist & Engineer, Professor Joshi outlined both the immense opportunities and unprecedented risks in the quantum era when it comes to cybersecurity.  

According to Joshi, the hype around quantum’s extraordinary applications and the race to build quantum computers overlooks a critical risk – and maths has a key role to play in safeguarding our future security. 

“Unfortunately, in the seduction of this picture, we have gone primarily for the hardware challenges and for making the quantum computing reliable... but not much attention has been paid to algorithms. And a computer is only as good as the algorithms it can run,” she said. 

Professor Joshi cautioned that in the not-too-distant future, even the strongest cryptography protocols currently available in classical computing will be vulnerable in the face of incredibly powerful quantum computers.  

“Right now, we’re using protocols that could take a hacker longer than our lifetimes to break…Shor’s algorithm with sufficiently powerful [quantum] computers can break these in minutes,” she said. 

With the Australian Signals Directorate issuing a directive in late 2025 for public and private sector entities to transition to quantum-resilient cryptographic protocols by 2030, Professor Joshi’s findings will form a critical component of Australia’s national preparedness for the quantum era.

A group of female quantum students in a lab.

Encouraging greater gender equity in SQA’s cohort 

Sydney Quantum Academy (SQA) is proud to be making progress in growing the diversity of our student cohort.

The 2026 IWD theme, Give to Gain, is a call to encourage more generosity and collaboration, emphasising the power of reciprocity for the collective good. 

A key part of SQA's mission is to develop greater diversity in Australia’s quantum talent pool, and we are committed to creating new opportunities to help encourage more women to pursue quantum careers.  

By the numbers – our progress so far 

  • PhD Scholarships: We are proud to share that women have represented an increasing proportion of our total PhD Scholarships in recent years. Since refining our diversity process over the last 4 rounds, we've seen a two-fold increase in the number of PhD scholarships awarded to female applicants.    
  • Undergraduate Research Scholarships (UGRS): Similarly, the number of women awarded an UGRS has lifted in recent rounds, with dedicated positions reserved for female applicants to encourage greater diversity.   
  • SQA’s School Camps: To date, more than half of all participants at SQA’s four quantum tech camps have been female high school students.   

    • Opportunities for emerging female quantum researchers

    Here’s a roundup of some exciting programs and scholarships for women interested in pursuing STEM careers.

  • Future Leaders in Quantum Computing (FLiQC) Scholarships 
    Applications open 1 April for FLiQC PhD Scholarships, giving domestic and international students hands-on research experience, industry-integrated projects, and expert supervision. Scholars gain career-ready skills and access to the SQA PhD Experience Program. FLiQC encourages applications from women. 
  • Dream Big Australia’s STEAM Ahead Program 
    Applications are open now for STEAM Ahead – a career-development program designed to empower women and non-binary University and TAFE students to step confidently into technical careers. The 2026 program commences on 27 April.  
  • Elevate: Boosting Diversity in STEM 
    The Elevate: Boosting Diversity in STEM program partners with industry to grow the pool of women and non-binary leaders in STEM through university scholarships and wraparound supports. The government has extended this program to 2031‍–‍32 to allow part-time scholars to finish their studies. Applications for 2027 entry will open in 2026 – register your interest for updates on key dates for the latest round.  
  • Fee-Free TAFE courses  
    Leaving school, returning to work, or considering upskilling or retraining? Explore a wide range of Fee-Free TAFE courses designed to help you take the next step. With hundreds of options across in-demand industries, Fee-Free TAFE makes it easier to build new skills, change direction, or kick-start your career – without the cost barrier. 
  • ARC Linkage funding 
    Applications are now open for ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities funding for projects commencing in 2027. Funding is for one year, or up to five years for major infrastructure, leasing or facility access.  

    • Opportunities for primary and secondary students and educators 

  • Diversity in STEM Toolkit 
    The Diversity in STEM Toolkit provides resources for students, parents and teachers to encourage interest in STEM and STEM careers. A $2 million expansion of the existing Girls in STEM Toolkit will reach more diverse young people.  
  • STEM Professionals in Schools program 
    CSIRO Education is providing teacher professional development programs and resources to support quality STEM education, including the STEM Professionals in Schools program.  
  • Questacon STEM Futures 
    Questacon STEM Futures is a free professional development program designed to enhance STEM learning and engagement for students by boosting collaboration between schools and their local communities.  
  • Micro-credential for primary and secondary educators 
    Einstein-First and Quantum Girls have created a two-part short course University of Western Australia (UWA) micro-credential for primary and secondary level educators. These units are designed for individuals with or without a specialised science background and introduce fundamental modern science concepts through engaging, hands-on activities using toys and models. You’ll find that concepts such as Einsteinian notions of space and time, gravity, energy, and light are easily understandable and can be effectively conveyed to both primary and secondary students. Government-funded, fee-free positions are available for domestic participants for the first 60 participants. Registrations open soon for the July intake – visit Einstein-First for details.  

    • More inspiration for your quantum journey