SCOPE
Science Communication, Public Outreach, and Education
UPCOMING EVENTS

RESS 2025 and JS 2025 programs for school students

Registration form (deadline is 22 April midnight): https://forms.gle/WxK3m6ASuGyttDjp9

The Indian Institute of Astrophysics is happy to announce the next edition of its "Research Experience for School Students", RESS 2025, which will take place between 5-16 May 2025. This is the second edition of RESS, following the one organised in 2023. The selection for "Job Shadowing", JS 2025, will also be done simultaneously. We request you to please read the following guidelines carefully, and register only if you are eligible. 

Eligibility

1. RESS 2025 & JS 2025 are open only to students who are entering classes 10, 11 and 12, (or, 10th standard and 1st and 2nd PU) in the academic year 2025-2026.
2. RESS 2025 and JS 2025 are open only to students who are studying in schools within Bengaluru Urban, and are residing within Bengaluru Urban.
3. If you qualify on both counts, please register using the form linked above. Selection will be made based on an online quiz, whose date, time, and method will be intimated to registered participants by email.
4. This registration form will be kept open till the midnight of 22 April, and will closed thereafter.

Selection

1. Registered participants will be emailed details about the online quiz that will be conducted in the last week of April. The questions will be MCQ type, and will mainly be on basic physics and maths, with a few questions on astronomy concepts as well.
2. After grading the quiz, around15 students with the highest marks will be selected for the RESS 2025 program. 
3. The next set of 10-15 students will be selected for JS 2025 program.

RESS 2025 Program

Under RESS 2025, selected students will undertake a short project related to astronomy, under the supervision of an astronomer at IIA. These projects will mainly involve calculations by hand, plotting, etc, and may also involve some engagement with software. The aim of RESS 2025 is to expose students to a typical research oriented problem solving experience in astronomy, which uses the physics and maths that they have learnt in school.

1. Supervisors from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics will be offering projects for the students, which can be done by groups of 1-3 students each.
2. The selected students will be paired with a corresponding supervisor by us. 
3. The program will run from 5th to 16th May 2025 and all participants will need to be present at IIA Headquarters (Koramangala, Bengaluru) during working hours (9 AM to 5 PM) on all working days during this period.
4. They will carry out their project work under the guidance of their supervisor and also attend special lectures. At the end of the project work, they will need to present a brief talk on their project and submit a written report, following which, they will receive a certificate.
5. Lunch will be provided at IIA canteen without charge. They can access the IIA Library as well.
6. A day trip to IIA's Vainu Bappu Observatory will be organised for the RESS students on a suitable day. The cost for this trip is Rs. 1800. This trip is not mandatory.

JS 2025 Program

Under JS 2025, selected students will spend a day with an astronomer of IIA to gain an understanding of the life of a typical scientist in a research environment. They will interact with their mentor, get to understand their work of that day, and meet other members of their group.

1. Students chosen for JS 2025 will be paired with a mentor from IIA who they can spend a day with.
2. The students will be asked to send us a few possible dates when they can spend a day at IIA, based on which, they will be paired with their mentor.
3. Lunch will be provided at IIA canteen without charge. 

If you have any questions, please email outreach@iiap.res.in