Regional students targeted in CSIRO’s new $15.5 million Next Generation Graduates Program

The 2023-24 round of the Next Generation Graduates Program (NGGP) has just opened, offering $15.5 million to help address the tech skills shortage in Australia.

The program plans to fund up to 500 scholarships, aiming to train future professionals in AI and emerging technologies, with a particular focus on regional Australia.

The Australian Government funds the NGGP, which is open to domestic students. It seeks candidates from a variety of academic backgrounds — from social sciences and professional fields to computational sciences and mathematics.

The NGGP has allocated a total of $15.5 million for student stipends and allowances, set to be distributed between 2024-2029. Additionally, industry partners are projected to contribute up to $5.5 million.

The round will be broken into two streams — general and regional, which will be allocated $7.5 million and $8 million respectively. Additional funds are allocated for travel, training, and, where applicable, thesis allowance.

Stipends vary between $10,000 and $41,650 per annum, depending on the level of study — all of which are post-graduate. The program also includes compulsory coursework and placements.

Projects funded in previous rounds encompass areas like quantum, sports data science, privacy, automation, clean energy, and AI’s application in mental health, among others.

“Students will participate in industry-led research projects and placements to build career-ready skills,” the grant program guidelines read.

“Students will enrol as part of a cohort – which will allow graduates from varying backgrounds to work alongside and learn from each other in a truly multidisciplinary environment. The NGGP will develop entrepreneurial thinking of graduates at an early stage in their career progression, where cross-pollination of ideas leads to breakthrough innovation.”

Regional Focus of the NGGP

The NGGP’s goal is to enable students to participate actively in the AI and emerging technologies sector. While the program has completed two rounds, resulting in 25 consortia programs, regional university involvement has been limited.

The Regional Stream was introduced to further encourage regional students, address regional priorities and promote collaboration between industry, partnering organisations, and universities — including those in regional areas.

And it’s certainly a good time to introduce this focus area. 2023 has seen a rise in funding and attention for regional startups. It’s also seen accelerator programs and incubators open in the likes of Orange and Maroochydore.

Even Airtree has gotten involved, choosing to focus on regional and other underrepresented groups for its latest Explorer program cohort that teaches angel investment courses for free.

While COVID has played a role in this — proving that you don’t have to be in Sydney or Melbourne to run a successful business — the rise of the agtech and cleantech sectors in Australia has also undoubtedly contributed to the shift.

A great deal of climate and agricultural-focused startups are born in regional and rural Australia — because this is exactly where these problems and opportunities actually crop up.

Seeing more funding delivered to these areas, particularly to students there, is a boon.