Be part of world-leading quantum research 

Are you passionate about conducting innovative research in the field of quantum science and technology? The following PhD Scholarships are available:

SQA PhD scholarship: These scholarships are for outstanding international and domestic students to collaborate with a team of leading researchers on innovative research at one of our partner universities: Macquarie University*, UNSW Sydney, the University of Sydney, and the University of Technology Sydney*. Includes participation in our exclusive PhD Experience Program.

SQA Partnership PhD scholarship: These scholarships are for outstanding international and domestic students to undertake research projects co-designed and supervised by researchers from UNSW Sydney and CSIRO. Includes participation in our exclusive PhD Experience Program.

Both of these scholarships offer exclusive access to the SQA PhD Experience Program  connecting you with a vibrant community of fellow quantum PhD students across Sydney. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake coursework at our partner universities, and participate in training, exclusive seminars and workshops designed to give you a competitive edge in the future quantum workforce. You’ll also network with the brightest minds in quantum research and enjoy career development opportunities within academia and related industries.

*The SQA PhD scholarship aims to address gender imbalance among students pursuing a career in quantum technology. Therefore, for reasons of building greater diversity, scholarship places at Macquarie University and University of Technology Sydney will be reserved for students who identify as women.

If you are a domestic student, you may also be eligible to apply for the Next Generation Quantum Graduates Program Scholarship (NGQGP). More details to come

Here’s why our scholarships stand out:

  • Expert supervisors

    Our partner universities are home to over 100 leading quantum researchers who have made breakthrough discoveries across quantum disciplines and applications.

  • Cutting-edge Facilities

    Access state-of-the-art labs and equipment, providing an optimal environment for your research.

  • Exclusive access to our PhD Experience Program

    Our PhD Experience Program is designed to expand quantum knowledge and provide career development through exclusive workshops, seminars, and a range of coursework offerings across our partner universities.

  • Vibrant PhD student community

    Discover boundless opportunities and camaraderie within our vibrant student community. Connect with peers and academics from our partner universities and cultivate enduring friendships at our organised events throughout the year.

     

  • Strong Industry Partnerships

    Collaborate with industry leaders, enhancing practical applications and real-world impact.

  • Startup Incubator

    Our universities foster innovation, creating an ecosystem where quantum-related start-ups thrive.

How do I find a supervisor and/or project?

For SQA PhD Scholarship: Explore our quantum research opportunities to find a research project that sparks your interest or search our database of Sydney Quantum Experts to find a potential supervisor for your research area of interest. For more guidance, view our guide on 'How to apply for a quantum PhD in Sydney.

For 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.

How to apply for a quantum PhD in Sydney

If you’re excited to pursue a quantum PhD at one of our partner universities, we’ve developed a helpful guide on how to apply. It’s full of important information that you need to know before applying for your SQA PhD Scholarship.

To be eligible for an SQA PhD Scholarship, you need to apply for or be enrolled in a full-time PhD program at one of our partner universities.

PhD students working together

Application details

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, each offering the following:

Stream 1: The SQA Primary Scholarship

  • A stipend worth AU$37,684 (2024 rate) per annum (pro rata) for the period of the recipient’s PhD candidature, for a maximum of 4 years (full-time equivalent). The stipend will be reviewed at the end of each year.
  • 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.
  • Access to SQA career development funding.

Stream 2: The SQA Supplementary Scholarship 

  • A small stipend top-up worth the difference of the recipient’s primary PhD stipend and the SQA Primary Scholarship (pro rata and reviewed annually) for the period of their primary PhD stipend.
  • International tuition fees waived or covered for international recipients for any period not covered by their primary PhD stipend scholarship. 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.
  • A stipend extension will be applied at the end of your primary PhD stipend, taking your total candidature to a maximum of 4 years. The funding amount provided will be the SQA rate at that time and will be at least equivalent to your university stipend rate.
  • Entry to the SQA PhD Experience Program. Completion of the program is required.
  • Access to SQA career development funding.

Stream 3: The SQA Supplementary Extension Scholarship

  • This scholarship is a stipend extension that will be applied at the end of your primary PhD stipend, taking your total candidature to a maximum of 4 years. The funding amount provided will be the SQA rate at that time and will be at least equivalent to your University stipend rate.
  • International tuition fees waived or covered for international recipients for any period not covered by their primary PhD stipend scholarship. 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.
  • Access to SQA career development funding.

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 availability).

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 and 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.

SQA PhD Scholarship: 

  • You are expected to apply for or be enrolled in a full-time PhD program at an SQA partner university. PhD projects must be in a field related to quantum technology. Please note you will not be offered an SQA PhD scholarship unless you have a PhD offer of admission.
  • You must have the support of an academic staff member at one of the partner universities. To help you find a potential supervisor, view our list of the latest quantum research opportunities or search our Sydney Quantum Expert list. For more guidance, view our guide on 'How to apply for a quantum PhD in Sydney.

Stream 1: The SQA Primary Scholarship:

  • You must not hold another primary PhD stipend scholarship (for example, a Research Training Program (RTP) or equivalent scholarship).

Stream 2: The SQA Supplementary Scholarship: 

  • You must hold, or have an offer to hold, a primary PhD stipend scholarship (for example, a Research Training Program (RTP) or equivalent scholarship).

Stream 3: The SQA Supplementary Extension Scholarship:

  • You must hold, or have an offer to hold, a primary PhD stipend scholarship (for example, a Research Training Program (RTP) or equivalent scholarship).
  • Your primary PhD stipend scholarship must be of a length less than 4 years (full-time equivalent).

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.

SQA Partnership PhD Scholarship

  • To be eligible, it is essential to secure the support of the project supervisor before submitting your application. 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). 

We encourage applicants based overseas to apply. If you are based overseas, and not currently an Australian resident or holder of a permanent resident visa, your application will be considered for the main SQA scholarship program.  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. 

 

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

SQA PhD Scholarship: 

SQA Partnership PhD Scholarship

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.

 

For SQA PhD Scholarship: Explore our quantum research opportunities to find a research project that sparks your interest or search our database of Sydney Quantum Experts to find a potential supervisor for your research area of interest. Projects suit both experimentalists or theorists, and driven individuals with backgrounds across a range of disciplines such as physics, computer science, engineering, chemistry or mathematics. For more guidance, view our guide on 'How to apply for a quantum PhD in Sydney.

For 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 Scholarship: Primary, Supplementary and Supplementary Extension Streams

Applications will be assessed based on:

  • Candidate experience including academic merit, experience in quantum technology and / or any professional expertise
  • Quality of the proposed project including relevance to quantum technology and / or alignment to the research strengths of the proposed partner institution
  • Alignment of the application to SQA objectives including industry engagement, cross-institutional supervision and / or the potential to contribute to the growth of Sydney’s quantum ecosystem.

Consideration will also be given to supervisor capacity, diversity of applicants and the diversity of the proposed supervisors (early to mid-career supervisors and supervisors who identify as women).

The SQA encourages applications from women, Indigenous Australians, applicants with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disability, and from those who identify as LGBTIQ. We welcome applicants to include this information as part of their applications.

Applications will be assessed by researchers and academics within the four partner universities through a competitive assessment process. You should ensure that all information conveyed in your application can be understood by someone within and outside your sub-discipline.

SQA PhD Partnership Scholarship

Applications will be assessed by SQA and CSIRO.

  • 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)?

  • All SQA PhD scholarship students (Primary, Supplementary, Supplementary Extension and PhD Experience) 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.
  • SQA PhD Partnership Scholarship students will have access to career development funding.

How do I know which stipend scholarship type I am eligible for?

  •  Please refer to the eligibility requirements in the drop-down menu above. When you submit your application, you will have the option to select if you're applying for an SQA PhD Scholarship or SQA PhD Partnership Scholarship. You do not need to declare which SQA PhD scholarship stream you want to apply for. Based on the answers you provide in your application, we will determine which type of stipend scholarship (Primary, Supplementary, Supplementary Extension) you are eligible for.

Can I apply for both the SQA PhD scholarships and the SQA PhD Partnership Scholarship?  

  • Yes, you can. In the application form, you will be asked which scholarship you wish to apply for, and you can select either or both.

How many rounds are there per year?

  • We typically hold two scholarship rounds per year – one in ~April and another ~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.

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 an SQA university, and the project must be sufficiently related to quantum tech.

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.

Do I need to include my co-supervisor in my application?

  • It is not required if you have not organised a co-supervisor at the time of application. You are most welcome to note your co-supervisor in your application if you have one organised.

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 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 do an internship during my PhD?

  • For the SQA PhD Scholarships, we are very supportive of you doing an internship during your candidature – we have more information on internships here.  Note, you will likely need to get approval from your supervisor and university and follow any of their requirements.

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?

 

Applications for Round 10 opens on the 10th of April 2024. Before submitting your application, please read the relevant documents listed below:

SQA PhD Scholarship:

SQA PhD Partnership Scholarship

PhD Experience Program Scholarship (non-stipend)

Applications are open all year round. Apply here.

Image courtesy of the University of Sydney.