David Irvine Postgraduate Scholarships

Acknowledgement of Country 
CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation.  

Program highlights

• Generous stipends 
• Hands-on experience in a leading scientific organisation
• Access to specialised expertise, equipment and training 

About CSIRO

As Australia's national science agency, CSIRO is solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. Many of our iconic innovations were once considered impossible until someone, just like you, joined us and took on the challenge.

Visit CSIRO.au for more information.

The opportunity

CSIRO’s Technology research unit is currently recruiting under the David Irvine Postgraduate Scholarship, established to honour the legacy of the late David Irvine AO. This initiative recognises his distinguished service to Australia, his leadership in founding the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre (CSCRC), and his enduring commitment to advancing research and innovation in cyber security. The David Irvine scholarship offers a unique opportunity for talented students to pursue a postgraduate degree in cyber security at one of the CSCRC participant Universities. Scholars will contribute to cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research addressing real-world challenges in a field critical to Australia’s national interest.

During the scholarship with CSIRO, students will benefit from access to a world-class research environment, tailored coaching and development programs, and a supportive environment designed to help them build a dynamic and impactful research career.

To extend the foundational partnership of the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre (CSCRC), these scholarship opportunities are exclusively available to students from the CSCRC Participant universities.

Location: Any location in Australia in line with the listed universities below.

Students must be enrolled at one of these CSCRC Participant universities: -

Edith Cowan University (WA), Adelaide University (SA), Deakin University (VIC), University of NSW (NSW), Charles Sturt University (NSW), Queensland University of Technology (QLD).

Tenure: Specified term of up to 3.5 years for PhD and 2 years for MPhil.

Expected Scholarship Start date: No later than the 1st of March 2027.

Scholarship benefits

The David Irvine Scholarship provides comprehensive financial support to PhD/MPhil students undertaking a CSIRO-aligned cyber security research project. Recipients may be awarded:

Scholarships valued at:

PhD                                            MPhil                                          Top Up 

In addition:-

• PhD students will be eligible for $7,000.00 Learning and Development allowance, with per annum allocations, over the life of the scholarship, at the discretion of the CSIRO Supervisor.
• MPhil Students will be eligible for $5,000.00 Learning and Development allowance, with per annum allocations, over the life of the scholarship, at the discretion of the CSIRO Supervisor.
• Tuition fees are not covered under this scholarship.
• Relocation costs are not payable for students.

Who is eligible?

To be eligible to apply, you must:

• Be an Australian/New Zealand citizen, an Australian Permanent Resident, or an Australian temporary resident currently residing in Australia with a valid visa and originate from the countries listed in this link.
• Have First Class Honours or equivalent undergraduate degree in Cyber security, Computer Science or Artificial Intelligence.
• Meet host university admission requirements.
• Meet university English language requirements.
• Not have previously completed a PhD.
• Be admitted to and enrolled full-time in a PhD or MPhil program at a CSCRC partner university and be able to commence their candidature no later than the 1st of March 2027
• Receive a tuition fee waiver from the university by the commencement date.
• Be no longer than 12 months into their PhD, or no longer than 6 months in their MPhil.
• Have at least one confirmed supervisor from the university.
• Have at least one confirmed CSIRO supervisor.

Applications will be assessed on:

• Academic excellence.
• Alignment with CSCRC focus areas.
• Alignment with CSIRO’s Cybersecurity and Digital Resilience focus areas.

Appointment to this role may be subject to conditions including provision of a national police check as well as other security/medical/character clearance requirements.

For further information about the (now closed) CRCSC, please CLICK HERE.

Inclusion and belonging

Solving Australia's greatest challenges takes a diversity of minds and lived experiences. We know diverse teams are more effective and deliver more innovative outcomes. As an equal employment opportunity organisation, we are committed to creating diverse and inclusive teams where people feel they belong. We recognise true diversity encompasses all ages, abilities, cultures, faiths, levels of education, genders, sexualities, diversity of thought and much more. We focus on hiring people who share our values of People First, Further Together, Making it Real and Trusted.

CSIRO holds Platinum Status for the Australian Workplace Equality Index for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and a Science in Australia Gender Equity Bronze Award.

Child Safety

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy.

How to apply:
To apply, you will be required to:

1. submit a Resume/CV and Cover Letter (as one document) in the ‘Resume/CV’’ field.
2. upload your current or most recent academic record in the ‘Cover Letter’ field; official transcripts are required for all tertiary qualifications, with evidence of achieving First Class Honours (or equivalent) as the minimum academic requirement.
3. Complete this MS Form David Irvine Scholarship, including the project concept proposal and theme selection:

Research project themes

1. Resilient Systems
2. Security and Configuration Management of IoT Systems
3. Development of Next Generation Authentication Technologies
4. Predict, Detect, Respond to and Investigate Cyber Threats
5. Platform and Architecture for Cyber security as a Service
6. Security Automation and Orchestration
7. Privacy Preserving Data Sharing in a Connected World
8. Law and Privacy

You will need to provide:

• A research idea advancing cyber security through an interdisciplinary approach to solving real-world challenges, aligned with one or more of CSIRO's Cybersecurity and Digital Resilience focus areas (your CSIRO supervisor can provide guidance on these) and one of the CSCRC research themes. Maximum 500 words.
• Clear articulation of the problem, methodology, and potential impact.
• The names and contact details of two academic referees (name, phone, email, etc). Please note that these cannot be your university supervisor.

Contact us

For further application information, please email us on TechPathways@csiro.au

For CSIRO alignment and connecting with potential CSIRO supervisors, please email marthie.grobler@csiro.au

Applications close:

3rd November 2026, 11:00pm AEST

Applications are highly competitive and may close for projects as suitable candidates are accepted. Early, quality applications are encouraged.