A Transformative Gift Empowering the Next Generation of Physics Leaders
The N.D. Goldsworthy Scholarship for Physics (PhD) 2025 has been a transformative experience for Amatul Firdausya Nur, enabling her to pursue a PhD and further develop her path as a researcher in astrophysics.
As the first in her family to undertake doctoral study, Firda’s journey into astrophysics is marked by both determination and hope.
A Muslim researcher from Indonesia and a woman of colour in STEM, she brings an important and much‑needed perspective to a field where diverse voices remain underrepresented. The N.D. Goldsworthy Scholarship has played a defining role in affirming her place in the scientific community and giving her the confidence to fully participate and thrive within it.
Firda’s research focuses on the earliest galaxies in the universe, using data from the James Webb Space Telescope to uncover how galaxies formed and evolved over cosmic time. She chose the University of Melbourne for its world‑leading expertise in high‑redshift galaxy research, where she is challenged, supported and inspired by a collaborative academic environment.
The impact of the N.D. Goldsworthy Scholarship has been both practical and profound. Philanthropic support has enabled Firdausya to access the advanced computing resources required to process vast and complex JWST datasets — tools that are essential to her research and otherwise difficult to obtain. The scholarship has also opened doors to international conferences, allowing her to share her work on a global stage, learn from leading experts, and build a scholarly network that will shape her career for years to come.
At a crucial stage of her PhD, the scholarship provided more than financial support — it delivered belief, momentum and validation. It sent a clear message that her work, her voice and her future matter, and that excellence in physics is strengthened by inclusion and representation.
This scholarship has given me the motivation and confidence to pursue my work with greater aspiration and purpose. Thank you for supporting my journey.
With renewed confidence, expanding collaborations and a clearer research trajectory, Firdausya continues her PhD empowered by generosity and purpose. Through the transformative support of the Goldsworthy Scholarship, she is reaching further into the early universe – while helping shape a more inclusive and vibrant future for physics.