Schmidt Futures Announces Opening of Applications for Quad Fellowship in partnership with Australia, India, Japan, and the United States

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Applications Open Today for First-Of-Its-Kind Scholarship that Will Fund Master's and Doctoral Degrees for 100 Exceptional STEM Fellows from the Quad Nations

Fellows Will Receive Access to Unparalleled Benefits Including Tuition Support, Learning Workshops, Mentorship by STEM Leaders, and Cross-Cultural Exchange Experiences

NEW YORK, March 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Schmidt Futures announced today that applications are open for the Quad Fellowship. A first-of-its-kind scholarship supporting master's and doctoral students in STEM, the program is designed to spur scientific and technological innovation while building global ties among the next generation of scientists and technologists.

The Quad Fellowship is a joint initiative of the governments of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. It is the flagship educational exchange program of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. Operated and administered by Schmidt Futures, the Fellowship will sponsor 100 exceptional American, Japanese, Australian, and Indian graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to study in the United States beginning in August 2023.

"We're going to see more technological change in the next ten years than we saw in the last fifty," said U.S. President Joe Biden. "We want the next generation of scientists and technologists who will build the future to come from our Quad countries. Together we're launching the new scholarship program to support STEM students in each of our countries and strengthen the collaboration among our people. It's called the Quad Fellowship."

The Fellowship will develop a network of science and technology experts committed to advancing innovation and collaboration in the private, public, and academic sectors, in their own nations and among Quad countries. Over 18 months of programming, Quad Fellows will receive academic support and have the opportunity to learn from leading scientists, technologists, politicians, and more from the Quad nations. Just as crucial, the program will build a foundational understanding among Quad Fellows of one another's societies and cultures through robust community programming and cultural immersion experiences.

"We were honored to accept the invitation to lead and administer the Quad Fellowship," said Eric Braverman, CEO of Schmidt Futures. "As a philanthropic initiative founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt that bets early on exceptional people making the world better, we believe that identifying and connecting talent through interdisciplinary STEM programs like this one is crucial to advancing world-changing innovation and solving our greatest challenges."

"At the heart of the future, we see science and technology, engineering and math, because they have always been at the forefront of advancing progress and answering human need," said Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison. "It's a fellowship that will create new connections and help identify solutions to some of the most pressing challenges we face across our region and the world."

"The most important driving force in the world today will be that of technology, the technology that is going to be for the service and for the use of humanity," said India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Our Quad will play the role of a force for global good, and our cooperation under Quad will ensure prosperity and peace in the Indo-Pacific and in the world."

"I have great expectations that participants will become a "bridge" connecting the four countries, and will be the driving force for growth, helping to resolve issues arising in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world," said Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

All Quad Fellows will receive access to the following benefits and participate in the following programs upon selection:

• Funding: Quad Fellows will receive a one-time, personal award of  $50,000 for study in STEM master's and doctoral programs in the United States. Fellows can apply separately for additional, needs-based funding up to $25,000 to support completion of their academic study subject to conditions.
• Programming: Quad Fellows will participate in regular virtual and in-person workshops on a variety of themes, including the intersection of STEM and society, ethics and innovation, and emerging technologies. Fellows will also benefit from small-group research and support networks.
• Mentorship: Quad Fellows will connect with top scientists, technologists, and national leaders from Quad countries, providing unparalleled opportunities for networking and mentorship.
• Cross-Cultural Exchange: Quad Fellows will build lifelong connections within an international network of STEM innovators through flagship international experiences, including a week-long residency in Australia, Japan, or India, a weekend summit in Washington, D.C., and other in-country immersion offerings.

"Schmidt Futures is thrilled to support emerging talent in STEM," said Quad Fellowship Executive Director Tony Woods. "A forward-looking global initiative, the Fellowship will bring together the next generation of exceptionally talented scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians who want to use their skills to have a positive impact on society."

An International Advisory Board composed of leaders from academia, government, business, and civil society will provide guidance on Quad Fellowship selection, programming, and immersion experiences. Members include Ambassador Richard Court, former Australian Ambassador to Japan; Ambassador Navtej Sarna, former Indian Ambassador to the United States; Ambassador Kazuyoshi Umemoto, president of The Japan Foundation; Secretary Ash Carter, former US Secretary of Defense; Professor Michelle Simmons, Director of the Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology at the University of New South Wales; Professor K. Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India; Professor Yoichiro Matsumoto, Science and Technology Advisor to Japan's Minister of Foreign Affairs; Dr. Shirley Malcom, Senior Advisor and Director of SEA Change at the American Association for the Advancement of Science; Professor Carla Brodley, Dean of Inclusive Computing at Northeastern University; Paul Daugherty, Group Chief Executive - Technology and Chief Technology Officer at Accenture; Amy Stursberg, Executive Director of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation and CEO of Schwarzman Scholars and the Stephen A. Schwarzman Foundation; Naveed Hussain, Chief Technology Officer at Boeing; Ambassador Karan Bhatia, Head of Global Policy and Government Relations at Google; Michael Fraccaro, Chief People Officer at Mastercard; Christine Bastian, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Western Digital; and Cassie Crockett, Vice President of Talent Engine at Schmidt Futures. Additional members of the International Advisory Board will be announced in the weeks and months ahead.

The Quad Fellowship is also supported by a group of industry-leading corporate sponsors with track records of driving innovation and technological advancement. Founding sponsors include Accenture, Blackstone, Boeing, Google, Mastercard, and Western Digital.

Videos messages calling for applications from leaders of Quad countries are below:

• President Joe Biden 
• Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
• Prime Minister Scott Morrison 

Applications will be accepted through June 1, 2022. For more details on the Quad Fellowship, visit  https://www.quadfellowship.org/

About Schmidt Futures:

Schmidt Futures bets early on exceptional people making the world better. Founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt, Schmidt Futures is a philanthropic initiative that creates public value from private philanthropy through risk transfer—showing that brilliant people in networks can solve hard problems in science and society by connecting across fields, competing and challenging ideas, bringing multiple types of capital to bear, and applying science and technology thoughtfully through tools such as AI.

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Janine Brady at [email protected]

SOURCE Schmidt Futures