Honours and Masters Scholarships: Inspiring the next generation of tech graduates

Develop news skills, receive expert guidance, grow your network and benefit from an immersive industry placement.

The Next Generation Graduates program partners with industry and universities to grow a pipeline of home-grown, job-ready graduates to unlock the immense economic opportunity offered by emerging technologies.

Master of Research Scholarships (MRes) – Now Open

Applications close 12 December 2025.

Open to domestic students from any discipline who are enrolled in, or applying for, full-time Master of Research studies with a research project focused on quantum science and technology at Macquarie University.

Scholarship highlights:

  • $30,000 stipend (pro rata) for up to one year, plus a $5,000 training allowance
  • 20 days of immersive industry placement
  • Participation in CSIRO project-based learning modules encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and peer learning
  • Refer to the 'Application Details' section below for specific information.

Explore available Masters projects or propose your own quantum-related project with a Macquarie quantum supervisor. If your primary discipline is outside quantum science and technology, you can also have a co-supervisor from your own school to support your project. Tip: Contact prospective supervisors early to discuss your research ideas before applying.

Honours Scholarships – Opening 8 October 2025

Open to domestic students from any discipline who are enrolled in, or applying for, full-time Honours studies with a research project focused on quantum science and technology at University of Technology Sydney, University of Sydney, or University of New South Wales.

Scholarship highlights:

  • $10,000 stipend during your Honours year, plus a $5,000 training allowance
  • 6-day immersive industry placement at the Research and Prototype Foundry, University of Sydney
  • Participation in CSIRO project-based learning modules encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and peer learning
  • Refer to the 'Application Details' section below for specific information.

Explore available Honours projects or propose your own quantum-related project with a quantum supervisor from UTS, the University of Sydney, or UNSW. If your primary discipline is outside quantum science and technology, you can also have a co-supervisor from your own school to support your project. Tip: Contact prospective supervisors early to discuss your research ideas before applying.

Additional Opportunities

PhD Scholarships are also available for domestic students through the Next Generation Quantum Graduates Program. The scholarship includes a $41,650 annual stipend (3.5 years), plus generous allowances for training, travel, publications, and living costs.

Why study Honours and Masters

HONOURS SCHOLARSHIP 

“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.”
Prof Alex Hamilton, UNSW

“Honours 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.”
Dr Xanthe Croot, Lecturer, University of Sydney

MASTER OF RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP

"Pursuing a Master's degree equips you to become a future leader in quantum technology. You'll receive training from renowned experts in quantum information, complemented by industry placements. "
Dr Zixin Huang, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Macquarie University

Jemy Geordy is a PhD student at Macquarie University, where sShe completed her one-year Master of Research thesis [Photo: Zixin Huan]

Here’s what the 2024 scholars are saying about their industry placement at The Research and Prototype Foundry, University of Sydney

"As a theorist, it was rewarding to learn about the experimental side of my research and to peek behind the curtain to see how the devices that I design are created. It was also really cool to go into the cleanroom and learn about the experimental challenges faced when fabricating experimental devices."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - "Was a very enjoyable experience."

"I thoroughly enjoyed this placement, especially the opportunity to network with students from other universities."

"It provides a good overview of the steps involved in nano- and micro- manufacturing and a good base of knowledge when being in the cleanroom."

Application details

  • Projects are offered from across the four SQA partner universities. See here for a list of available projects.  
  • Honours Scholarship (University of Sydney, UNSW and University of Technology Sydney) worth $10,000 and a $5,000 training allowance for the duration of your honours year.  
  • Master of Research Scholarship (Macquarie University) worth $30,000 per annum (pro rata) for a maximum one-year period and a training allowance of $5,000. 
  • The scholarship includes six days of exposure to an industry partner (Honours) or 20 days (Masters) to gain valuable experience to develop your skills and network. 
  • Successful students will complete CSIRO project-based learning modules which facilitate multi-disciplinary information exchange, collaboration, cross-cutting skills, and peer-to-peer learning. 
  • Students must complete the NGGP Coursework to the satisfaction of the CSIRO Coursework Leads within 12 months of commencement of their Scholarship.   
  • Please note: The details of the scholarship and participating institutions are subject to change. 

Creating the next generation of quantum technology specialists

Ready to steer your career in a new and exciting direction? Seeking opportunities to delve into the world of quantum technology? Learn about the scholarships in this short video.   Video courtesy of CSIRO