US, India, Australia And Japan Launch QUAD Fellowship: Here's Everything You Should Know About It

Leaders of Quad countries on Tuesday (24 May) launched the QUAD Fellowship – a first-of-its-kind scholarship programme designed to build ties among the next generation of scientists and technologists from the four member nations.

US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterparts Anthony Albanese and Fumio Kishida from Australia and Japan respectively launched the fellowship that will sponsor 25 students per year from each Quad country to pursue masters and doctoral degrees at leading Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) universities in the US.

“The QUAD fellowship programme is a wonderful and unique initiative. This prestigious fellowship will offer our students great opportunities to pursue graduate and doctorate programmes in science, technology, engineering and maths. It will encourage academic excellence and promote people-to-people linkages between our countries,” Prime Minister Modi said in his message.

He encouraged Indian students to apply for the Quad Fellowship programme and join the next generation of STEM leaders and innovators building a better future for humanity.

"This year, we are excited to accept applications for the inaugural class of Quad Fellows - a collaborative network of exceptional engineers, mathematicians, scientists, and technologists who will advance innovation and research with a steadfast dedication to positive social impact," the Quad Fellowship website says.

"Quad Fellows are selected from an international pool of distinguished candidates from the four Quad countries of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. Prospective Fellows are expected to demonstrate academic excellence, exceptional results in their field, and a desire to use their talents to promote collective good," it adds.

Only citizens or legal permanent residents of Australia, India, Japan, or the United States are eligible to apply for the fellowship.

To qualify for the Quad Fellowship, candidates must have demonstrated excellence in a STEM field through academic success and/or original research and should be interested in the impact these fields can have on society and public policy.

The deadline to complete the application for the fellowship is 30 June 2022, the website says, adding that the "next steps" will be notified by mid-July.

In 2021, the Quad countries said that this fellowship program will sponsor 100 exceptional American, Japanese, Australian, and Indian master’s and doctoral students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to study in the United States.

The fellowship will be administered by Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative of Eric and Wendy Schmidt, in partnership with the governments of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.