New Honours & Masters scholarships

THE WORLD OF QUANTUM technology is growing and needs more skilled workers. So, CSIRO and Sydney Quantum Academy are offering a swathe of Next Generation scholarships for domestic Honours and Masters students in quantum technology at Sydney’s top universities.

Honours scholarships

There are 16 Honours scholarships available for students at the University of Sydney, University of New South Wales or University of Technology Sydney. They are open domestic students (ie. Australian citizens or permanent residents at the time of award, or New Zealand citizens); to qualify, students will need to be enrolled in Honours program in a field related to quantum technology from the beginning of semester in 2024.

Successful applicants will receive a stipend of $10,000 and an additional training allowance of $5,000 during their Honours year. They are also required to complete a short CSIRO Next Generation Graduates Program coursework module; as well as a six-day industry experience placement arranged by Sydney Quantum Academy (SQA).

“An Honours project is perhaps the first time you get to encounter real-world physics,” said Scientia Professor Alexander Hamilton, head of the Quantum Electronic Devices group at UNSW and Deputy Director of the ARC Centre for Future Low Energy Electronics (FLEET).

“Different from your lab and course assignments, you will have an opportunity to work on a project where the answer is not known – not to you, not to your supervisor, and perhaps not to anybody in the world. UNSW has outstanding academics, fantastic resources, and a huge number of different research groups working on all aspects of quantum physics, from making quantum devices using sticky tape through to controlling the spins of single electrons in commercially fabricated quantum computer chips. As an Honours student you’ll be in the thick of it.”

Dr Xanthe Croot, of the Sydney Nanoscience Hub at the University of Sydney, was equally enthusiastic about the value of an Honours qualification. “Honours at the University of Sydney gives you a chance to gain new skills in cutting-edge quantum research, in a unique research environment spanning a diverse range of quantum technologies

“Sydney University hosts a vibrant quantum research community, working to harness quantum physics and technology to make big differences in the world.”

Masters scholarships

There are also three Master of Research scholarships available at Macquarie University. These are also only open to domestic candidates, and students must be enrolled at the university’s Masters by Research program in either quantum technology or a related field.

Successful applicants will receive a stipend worth $30,000 per annum (pro rata) for a maximum one-year, and a training allowance of $5,000 for the recipient’s second-year Masters research component. They will also need to complete a four-week CSIRO coursework program and undergo a 20-day industry placement organised by SQA.

“Studying for a Master’s degree at Macquarie University prepares you to be next generation of leaders in quantum technology,” Dr Zixin Huang, an Associate Investigator at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQUS) at Macquarie University.

“You will be trained by leaders in the field of quantum information, in combination with industry placement. During the second year, recipients of the Masters Scholarship benefit from a generous stipend and training allowance, allowing you to focus on your studies with reduced financial stress.”

Next Generation Graduates Program

Both the Honours and Masters scholarships been offered by SQA are made possible by CSIRO’s Next Generation Graduates Program, an initiative that provides funding and support to attract and train the next generation of ‘technology specialists’. The program, in partnership with industry and universities, is designed to grow a pipeline of home-grown, job-ready graduates who can help unlock the immense economic opportunity offered by emerging technologies like quantu

For more information about both the Honours and Masters scholarships on offer, visit SQA’s detailed Honours & Masters Scholarships page here. Applications for both scholarship programs close on Monday 4th December 2023.

International students are not eligible, but are welcome to apply for SQA PhD Scholarship program, the next round of which open in April/May 2024.