7 October 2025
Applications are now open for the Propel: Australian Submarine Scholarship program, a $15.8 million initiative supporting the development of Australia’s future nuclear-powered submarine workforce.
Delivered in partnership between the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE), Propel will provide 3,000 scholarships to students undertaking tertiary studies in priority STEM disciplines.
Successful applicants for the first cohort will begin receiving scholarship payments from 2026, helping to build the highly skilled workforce needed to deliver and sustain Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS partnership.
Applications can be submitted via the ATSE website.(Opens in a new tab/window)
The scholarships align with the Australian Government’s broader investment to increase the pipeline of STEM-qualified Australians for the nuclear-powered submarine enterprise, including through the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Student Pathways program for additional Commonwealth Supported Places, the Australian Submarine Agency Nuclear Graduate Program, and national workforce development initiatives as part of the Skills and Training Academy.
Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine program is expected to create around 20,000 highly-skilled jobs nationwide over the coming decades. Propel will help ensure the talent pipeline is ready to meet this demand and support the broader AUKUS alliance.