Hundreds of scholarships awarded to build STEM skills and grow sector diversity

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) is pleased to announce more than 250 scholarship recipients of the nationally recognised Elevate: Boosting diversity in STEM program for 2025.

2025 Elevate scholars around the country will receive support to access science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) university education at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. They will directly contribute to growing the diverse STEM workforce needed to deliver on Australia’s national priorities over coming decades, including the renewable energy transition, advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence.

ATSE CEO Kylie Walker said with more than 1,500 applications competing in a rigorous selection process, the highly motivated 2025 scholars will no doubt make waves as they move into STEM industries in coming years.

ATSE is incredibly proud to welcome the 2025 Elevate scholars. We’re ready to invest in their personal and professional growth and support them to thrive in STEM-powered careers as they become Australian innovators and make vital contributions in critical sectors.

Elevate launched in 2022 with a foundational investment of $41.2 million from the federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR). It has since grown to welcome new partners including the Defence Science and Technology Group and Snowy Hydro. The partners are recognising the value of the direct engagement they enjoy with scholars as part of their investment in these critical scholarships.

Elevate’s unique wrap-around support includes financial assistance, 24-hour psychosocial support, networking, mentoring and skills-building workshops. It sets up scholars to thrive throughout their studies, ensuring that they are ready to take on complex challenges. One hundred and sixty scholars have already benefitted from the unique offerings of the Elevate scholarship, with a retention rate well above the industry average, and glowing reviews about the opportunities it provides.

A new scholar in the Leadership Category, Professor Polly Burey will be studying a Master of Business Administration and is excited about the potential to grow her career further. She says, “I am hoping with the combination of my existing technical knowhow and the development I will undertake during the Elevate program that I am better equipped to instigate real step change in the circular economy and add to the creation of stronger business cases.”

ATSE has also today announced that the program will now be called Elevate: Boosting diversity in STEM, in recognition of the underlying aim of the program to increase access to tertiary STEM education for diverse people, including women and non-binary people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from regional, rural and remote areas, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and other groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM.

The partners are combining to deliver more than 500 scholarships over the life of the program, which was recently extended to 2032.

About Elevate

Applications will open in May 2025 for Elevate scholarships to commence study in 2026.

Elevate aims to address inequities in STEM through comprehensive scholarships enabling more diverse women and non-binary people to access tertiary STEM education, professional skills development and STEM leadership opportunities with industry and academia.

Elevate scholarships are awarded across three categories – Undergraduate, Postgraduate Research, and Leadership. ATSE administers and delivers Elevate. We are grateful to our network of partner organisations from across industry and academia, including the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, the Defence Science and Technology Group and Snowy Hydro Limited, which support program delivery.

For more information about the Elevate program, visit atse.org.au/elevate.