Honours & Masters Scholarships

The Next Generation Graduate Scholarships offer honours and masters students the opportunity to work with leading scholars and industry specialists to help solve the world's greatest problems.

 

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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.

The scholarship offers two streams: Master of Research Scholarship, and Honours Scholarship. Each stream has unique requirements—please refer to the 'Application Details' section below for specific information.

The scholarship includes hands-on industry experience: Honours students participate in six days of placement, while Masters students complete twenty days. This year, scholars completed their placement at the state-of-the-art Research and Prototype Foundry (RPF) at the University of Sydney. There, they gained hands-on experience in nanofabrication technology, exploring cutting-edge tools and techniques. Students worked on fabricating and characterising devices based on Josephson Junctions, key in quantum computing, sensing and metrology. At the end of the placement, each student received a prepared sample, including a functional qubit.

Additionally, scholars will participate in CSIRO project-based learning modules designed to promote multi-disciplinary collaboration, peer learning, and cross-disciplinary skills.

PhD Scholarships are also available.

 

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. 

To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants must be domestic students at the time of award. Domestic students as defined in the Australian Government's Higher Education Support Act 2003 include:

    • Australian citizens and permanent residents
    • Persons entitled to stay in Australia, or to enter and stay in Australia, without any limitation as to time
    • New Zealand citizens. 
  • Students from all identities can apply. We strongly encourage applications from those identifying as women or non-gender binary, LGBTQIA+, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, people with disability or who are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and anyone from other under-represented groups.
  • At the time of application, the recipient is expected to apply for or be enrolled in full-time studies in a field related to quantum technology at one of the SQA partner universities, at the level relevant to their scholarship type; either Honours (University of Technology Sydney, University of Sydney, University of New South Wales) or Master of Research (Macquarie University).  
  • International students are not eligible, but are welcome to apply for the SQA PhD Scholarship program.   

Supporting documentation

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

  • Personal statement 
  • Academic transcript(s) 
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Any other information supporting your application. 

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

Applications will be assessed based on the following criteria: 

  • Candidate experience including academic merit, experience in quantum technology and/or any professional expertise. 
  • Personal statement demonstrating: 
    • Academic achievements, leadership experience, communication skills and interest in studying in the proposed program
    • Any units of study in the area of quantum technology or related fields that have been undertaken
    • Relevant experience in quantum technology or related fields gained as part of or in addition to their university studies
    • Interest in their area of study and why they would like to be part of the CSIRO Next Generation Graduates Program.
  • Preference will be given to applicants identifying as women (to encourage gender diversity in quantum technology).
  • The scholarship will be awarded by Sydney Quantum Academy. 

Can I find out more about the NGGP scholarships?  

For program offering and partner details see the CSIRO site

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.  

My supervisor is not on the SQA expert list – does this matter?  

You are most welcome to apply with a supervisor who is not on the SQA expert list, but you still must have a supervisor from our one of our partner universities and the project must be sufficiently related to quantum tech. 

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) it should let you access the form anew.  

Alternatively, you can also email info.sqa@sydney.edu.au with your updated information.  

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 apply for an NGGP 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 the NGGP scholarship.  

Can I get feedback on my application?  

Unfortunately, we cannot provide feedback on your application.   

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 information listed below:

To be considered, please upload in one PDF (not Portfolio) a one-page personal statement in your application which outlines why you would benefit from the scholarship, a copy of your university transcript and a brief CV.  

Start your application

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