Applications are now open for the next intake of new IAU Individual Members. As announced earlier this year, the admission, which was previously a triennial occurrence, will now take place on an annual basis. This is the first round of applications since this increased frequency has taken effect.

Eligible candidates for IAU Individual Membership are professional scientists conducting research that is directly related to astronomy. Those researchers admitted as IAU Members by the Executive Committee will be affiliated to at least one Division.

The timeline for application reviewal and admission is as follows:

• 1 October 2019: invitation to the Presidents of the IAU National Committee for Astronomy (NCA) or Adhering Organisation (AO) (whichever applies) and Division Presidents (whenever there is no NCA or AO) to contact their national community or prospective candidates asking to submit applications for Individual Membership.

• 15 December 2019: deadline to accept applications for Individual IAU Membership. Late proposals will not be taken into consideration.

• 15 February 2020: deadline for the review of applications by the respective NCAs and Adhering Organisations and to send the General Secretary the lists of proposed candidate Individual Members together with the relevant referees’ assessments. These lists will subsequently be reviewed by the Membership Committee.

• 31 March 2020: deadline for review by the Membership Committee of the lists of proposed candidate Individual Members and to send the General Secretary the final list of proposed Individual Members.

• May 2020: The final list of proposed Individual Members will be submitted to the Executive Committee for approval during the EC Meeting in May 2020.

• 7 June 2020: Accepted Individual Members announced

This new annual intake of IAU Members is in line with the annual intake of IAU Junior Members, a new membership category introduced last year. The above process of applications and admissions runs side by side with that of the applications for Junior Membership.

More information

The IAU is the international astronomical organisation that brings together more than 13 500 professional astronomers from more than 100 countries worldwide. Its mission is to promote and safeguard astronomy in all its aspects, including research, communication, education and development, through international cooperation. The IAU also serves as the internationally recognised authority for assigning designations to celestial bodies and the surface features on them. Founded in 1919, the IAU is the world's largest professional body for astronomers.

Links

• Qualification for Membership and Application Procedure

Contacts

Madeleine Smith-Spanier
IAU Database Manager
Paris, France
Tel: +33 1 43 25 83 58
Email: smith@iap.fr 

Lars Lindberg Christensen
IAU Press Officer
Garching bei München, Germany
Tel: +49 89 320 06 761
Cell: +49 173 38 72 621
Email: lars@eso.org