Monash University’s National Indigenous Space Academy (NISA) has partnered with the UK’s leading space research organisation to increase space education opportunities for First Nations STEM students.
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This is the first time the initiative has included opportunities besides NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. Students will gain the chance to learn at the UK’s national space laboratory, STFC’s RAL Space.
On 2 October, the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and Monash University signed a partnership agreement to expand the National Indigenous Space Academy (NISA) program.
The historic signing took place at the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Sydney, with representatives in attendance from Monash University, STFC, the Australian Space Agency and the UK Space Agency.
NISA accepts Indigenous students across undergraduate and postgraduate levels who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Selected on academic merit, they must study a degree in science, technology, engineering or maths at any university in Australia.
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The partnership empowers Indigenous Australian STEM students to participate in 10-week programs at STFC’s RAL Space facility in Oxfordshire.
The program has students working on space science projects including pioneering quantum technology research. Students also collaborate with RAL Space’s camera electronics team, who have supplied camera systems for major missions including NASA’s PUNCH and STEREO spacecraft.
To prepare students, a Space Boot Camp run by Monash Faculty of IT will cover aerodynamics, robotics, astrophysics, planetary science, engineering, computer and earth sciences, NASA JPL and STFC’s RAL’s space exploration missions.
In September, two First Nations students from the 2025 NISA cohort, Chloe Radoll and Mitchell Cooper, kicked off their placements at RAL Space.
Chloe, an Anaiwan woman from Tamworth, is studying engineering at the University of Technology Sydney. Mitchell, a Boandik man from Sydney, is enrolled in the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Engineering and IT.
The partnership placements builds on the existing collaboration between Monash’s NISA and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where six additional students from the 2025 cohort were placed. These international placements mark a significant step in supporting Indigenous talent in Australia’s growing space and technology sectors.
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Noongar Whadjuk/Ballardong man Professor Christopher Lawrence, Associate Dean at Monash’s Faculty of Information Technology and NISA Lead, welcomed the new partnership between NISA, Monash University and RAL Space.
“This is just the beginning of what promises to be an exciting journey,” Professor Lawrence said. “It is only fitting that NISA expands into the UK given our long shared history.”
“This agreement will deliver long-term benefits for First Nations students, our communities, and all Australians. What the NISA students learn at RAL Space they will bring back home to enrich our research and inspire the next generation.”
The partnership supports the UK-Australia Space Bridge Framework Arrangement, signed in 2021, which aims to strengthen connections, collaboration, and investment between both countries’ space sectors.
Under the Space Bridge framework, the STFC-Monash collaboration highlights a key moment in establishing what organisers hope will become a flagship partnership. This alliance demonstrates both countries’ dedication to expanding opportunities in space science education and encouraging international cooperation in STEM fields.
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Associate Director of the National Laboratories at STFC, Dr Hugh Mortimer, praised the program as well the two First Nations students currently at RAL Space via the NISA program.
“NISA is a fantastic example of how international collaboration can be used to support underrepresented groups in STEM and open meaningful opportunities in the global space sector,” Mortimer said. “It’s been a privilege to host these two talented students and see them already making contributions to our work – and we look forward to expanding the program in future years.”
Professor Anu Ojha, International Director at the UK Space Agency, shared her delight at welcoming the new NISA students placed at RAL Space.
“We are delighted that students will gain hands-on experience at RAL Space,” Ojha said. “This is exactly the kind of opportunity we want the UK-Australia Space Bridge to enable – actively partnering to further develop the skillsets of a next generation workforce and showing how collaboration across borders can unlock new possibilities.
NISA has been creating opportunities in space education for Indigenous Australian STEM students, with backing from the Australian Space Agency, CSIRO and the Andy Thomas Foundation since launching in 2023.
NISA was named as a finalist for the Engagement Australia 2025 Excellence Awards, recognised in the “Excellence in Indigenous Engagement” category. The program was granted nearly half a million dollars in renewed funding from the Australian Space Agency to continue operating until at least 2027.
With this partnership, NISA is not only breaking new ground in space education but also reshaping what’s possible for Indigenous Australian STEM students. The program continues to inspire and equip the next generation of First Nations scientists and innovators.
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