The Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand (RASNZ) is interested in promoting astronomy to senior secondary students in New Zealand’s schools through a special scholarship scheme.

SWAPA is a scholarship known as Students With A Passion for Astronomy (SWAPA). This scheme was first devised in 2014 by Professor John Hearnshaw as the incoming RASNZ president. Ten senior secondary school students who have achieved academic excellence and who have displayed a clear passion for astronomy will be selected to participate in the annual RASNZ conference, normally in May each year. Since 2014 the SWAPA scheme has run every year with the exception of 2020 due to Covid.

A short competition is held annually in the early months of each year in which students from all New Zealand secondary schools are invited to write a short essay of up to 300 words, explaining why they are interested in astronomy and why they would like to participate in the RASNZ conference. The RASNZ Conference is held in a different location in New Zealand each year, hosted by one of the RASNZ affiliated astronomical societies.

The Society is waiving the cost of registration to the conference for up to ten young astronomers who are keen to come and find out more about our science. The scholarships will pay for their conference registration, meals, the conference banquet, travel to and from the conference venue with respect to their place of residence in New Zealand (by air, train, bus or car) and accommodation at or near the conference venue (normally in a backpacker hostel) with the other SWAPA students.  The selected SWAPA scholars will also receive a free student membership of the Society until the end of the following year.

Astronomers from throughout New Zealand and overseas will participate in the annual  conference. Many of these will be amateur astronomers, and RASNZ is pleased that amateurs in New Zealand contribute so much to the strength of the Society, together with a core of professionals, mainly in our universities. This provides a unique opportunity for students to network with astronomers in New Zealand and to get to know our Society. We also organise special events for the SWAPA scholars during the conference, e.g. a breakfast with the keynote speaker and meetings with University students.

To find out more about the RASNZ annual conference, go to the conference website

https://www.rasnzconference.org.nz/.

The SWAPA scheme and scholarships are made possible by a generous benefaction from RASNZ member Michael Snowden to the Society.

Further information and the application form can be obtained from the next page on this website https://www.rasnz.org.nz/rasnz-info/students-with-a-passion-for-astronomy/swapa-2025 

The SWAPA organisers can be contacted via swapa@rasnz.org.nz.