The Prime Minister’s Space Prize for Student Endeavour
This is for an individual student only who is either in Year 12 or Year 13 and is undertaking or has recently completed a science, technology or engineering project related to the space sector and/or advanced aviation sector. The student must be nominated for the Prize.
Opening and Closing Dates
The prize is open for applications between the following dates:
Opens: 12 May 2025
Closes: 3.00pm 10 July 2025
Value:
This Prize is valued at $50,000. The Prize money is expected to be used for tertiary education.
Nominator:
- Once the nominator has read all of the following information on this page go to ‘apply now page’
- Nominators can be a teacher or principal from a school; a judge at a regional science and technology fair; or any national science, technology or engineering competition or programme.
Student Eligibility:
- The (nominee) student is required to be nominated for this Prize.
- The nominee must be a Year 12 or Year 13 student currently studying in New Zealand.
- The nominee must be a New Zealand Citizen or permanent resident.
- The nominee must be undertaking or recently completed a science research or technology/engineering project related to the space sector and/or advanced aviation sector.
Criteria:
Judging will be based on the following criteria.
- Quality of literature review and objective setting process.
- The quality of the design or investigative process for the research or development.
- Execution of the developmental or investigative process.
- Soundness of the interpretation of data and results.
- The quality of conclusions reached in regard to application of the project or further work.
Recommendation:
Judging of this Prize will be decided by the Ministry based on the recommendation of selected panel members. Shortlisted applicants may be interviewed.
Panel Members:
The confirmed panel members for 2025 are:
Professor Kathleen Campbell, University of Auckland (Co-Chair)
Professor Sergei Gulyaev, Director Institute for Radio Astronomy and Space Research, AUT (Co-Chair)
Associate Professor Sarah Kessans
Miranda Satterthwaite, Education Manager Aotearoa Space Academy
Panellists are appointed by the Pou Whakahaere Chief Executive of Royal Society Te Apārangi. Panellists can be appointed for more than one year. Panellists must be experienced in the appropriate field to this particular Prize and can be drawn from outside of New Zealand if necessary.
In considering the suitability of potential panellists, the following requirements for panel composition is considered as appropriate:
- Mix of discipline/expertise
- Sector and institutional balance
- Geographic representation
- Ethnicity
- Gender balance.
Conflicts of Interest – Panel Members
It is recognised that occasionally members of the selection panel will know applicants or have other conflicts of interest. They will be expected to declare all such knowledge and conflicts of interest. In cases where an applicant is the colleague of a panelist, the Chair of the selection panel will rule if this conflict is significant enough for the panelist to be stood down from the panel for that entry. (In the case of the Chair having a conflict of interest the decision will be made by another member of the panel who has been identified in this role at the beginning of the process).
The selection panel will not enter into any correspondence concerning its deliberations. All inquiries should be directed to the Secretariat. Note that information on matters such as ranking, or names of unsuccessful entrants, will not be disclosed.
Announcement:
It is expected that the announcement will be made in October or November at an event.
Need help? Have other questions?
The Secretariat for The Prime Minister’s Space Prizes is Royal Society Te Apārangi. Contact details are:
The Secretariat
The Prime Minister’s Space Prizes
Royal Society Te Apārangi
PO Box 598
Wellington
Telephone: (04) 470 5762
Email: pmspaceprizes@royalsociety.org.nz
Supported by the New Zealand Government with funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Nā Te Hīkina Whakatutuki te mana hāpai.
