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Northrop Grumman and the American Australian Association are extending their long-running partnership through the continuation of the American Australian Association – Northrop Grumman Graduate Education Scholarships, which support Australian postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers undertaking advanced study in the United States.
Now in its second decade, the program complements the objectives of AUKUS Pillar II, with a focus on priority fields such as quantum technologies, hypersonics, computational mechanics and supply chain resilience.
Since its launch, Northrop Grumman has invested close to $600,000 to support 11 Australian researchers at graduate and postdoctoral levels. The program highlights the company’s commitment to developing a pipeline of talent equipped to contribute to defence, technology and strategic innovation.
Each scholarship provides emerging Australian leaders with the chance to deepen their expertise, broaden their global networks and make meaningful contributions to the shared prosperity and security of Australia and the United States. The initiative also supports sovereign capability while underpinning Australia’s long-term defence and technology ambitions.
Speaking on the partnership, Rob Denney, country executive for Australia at Northrop Grumman, said, “This scholarship program reflects our long-term commitment to nurturing innovation and strengthening the strategic ties that underpin our shared security and prosperity. By supporting emerging researchers in fields like quantum, hypersonics and supply chain, we’re helping to build a sovereign capability that’s collaborative, future focused and globally connected.”
Chargé d’affaires Erika Olson noted the program’s broader strategic value, adding, “The Northrop Grumman Australia AUKUS Tech Innovation Scholarships demonstrate that at the core of our trilateral partnership is a commitment to our shared values. This program continues Northrop Grumman and the American Australian Association’s long history of providing educational opportunities to our best and brightest minds. These programs are developing the next generation leaders our alliance will need for the subjects that will be determinants of our future security.”
Steven Marshall, President of the American Australian Association, expanded on these comments, saying, “Through our graduate, veterans’ and arts scholarship programs, the American Australian Association is committed to advancing expertise in the next generation of young leaders, creating international alumni networks, and generating new ideas and smart solutions that benefit humanity and help solve pressing global issues. Northrop Grumman’s significant investment through the American Australian Association scholarships plays an important part in developing these linkages. We are thankful to Northrop Grumman and our other partners for their ongoing support in making these scholarships possible.”
For recipients, the scholarships have proven transformative.
Jane Milward, the 2025 Northrop Grumman scholar and PhD candidate in signal processing at MIT, explained the impact of the scholarship, saying, “This research will help ensure that Australia and the United States get the most out of state-of-the-art machine learning systems by providing guarantees on how information behaves in these systems. It contributes to Australia’s national interest by enabling secure and advanced digital systems.”
Former recipient Dr John Bartholomew, now director of the Quantum Integration Lab at the University of Sydney, reflected on the program’s lasting impact, “Opportunities like the American Australian Association Northrop Grumman scholarship ensure that Australians will continue to lead scientific and technological innovation on the world stage. In my field of quantum technology, Australia has long been recognised as making the key breakthroughs. My scholarship to Caltech a decade ago gave me the tools to drive initiatives that have helped ensure the world continues to look to Australia for leadership.”
The American Australian Association – Northrop Grumman Corporation Graduate Education Scholarship supports Australian individuals undertaking or planning to undertake full-time graduate-level study (masters, PhD or postdoctoral research) at an accredited institution in the USA.
In order to apply, the educational program must be a minimum duration of one year or have at least one year remaining. The scholarship will provide support of up to US $40,000 for one year to those in the specialty fields of artificial intelligence, quantum physics, defence technology, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, physics and mathematics. Scholarship funds may be used towards travel, living, tuition and other associated educational costs.
Submission period: Australia to USA: Open for application on 1 January to 31 March. More information is available here.
