Results of the 2019 Annual Call for Proposals

ann20001 — Announcement

14 January 2020

The International Astronomical Union’s Office of Astronomy for Development (IAU OAD) has concluded its eighth annual call for proposals and 17 projects have been selected to receive funding to use astronomy to further sustainable development.

The OAD is pleased to announce the results of its 2019 annual call for proposals. Seventeen projects will receive funding in 2020 to address challenges around the globe using astronomy-based interventions. Projects selected include an astronomy program coupled with counselling sessions to support children in internally displaced camps in Nigeria; various projects to inspire, stimulate, and educate children from poorer socio-economic backgrounds in Brazil, Philippines, and South Africa; an astro-tourism project in Italy; dialogue and engagement aimed at development of indigenous peoples in Canada and Brazil etc.

The OAD received 107 applications at stage 1 from which 39 were selected to proceed to stage 2. The OAD and its Regional Offices worked with the selected teams, providing guidance on making the proposals more relevant to the call and suggesting ways to improve them. Upon final evaluation by the independent review panel, 17 proposals were selected, which were later approved by the OAD Steering Committee. The total amount that will be granted to the funded projects will be €110,834.

The call for proposals is open to anyone from anywhere in the world. The next call is expected to be announced in April 2020.

List of projects funded, in alphabetical order:

Ad Astra Academy, Brazil
Astronomy for Canadians Indigenous People, Canada
Astro Molo Mhlaba, South Africa
COSMOamautas: Training Teachers in rural areas, Peru
East Africa School of Astronomy, East African countries
Hands-on Astronomy Curriculum Training for Primary and Secondary School Teachers, Nigeria
IDP Children’s Astronomy Outreach, Nigeria
Kathmandu Astrophysics School 2020, Nepal
LAMPS: Leveraging local AstronoMy site to Promote STEM, Madagascar
Networking and Skilling in astronomy, Senegal
Under other skies: dialogues of different cosmological paradigms, Brazil
Pale Blue Dot - a Universe Awareness project
Astronomy for students through interactive app and game, Bangladesh and online app
She Speaks Science, Lebanon, UK, and online component
The Art of Learning Astronomy, Philippines
Telescopes For Siberian Villages, Russian Federation
Vaudemont - Solar Trail for visually impaired, Italy

The OAD has also compiled a "Recommended list" of proposals that were approved by the reviewers but could not be funded. You can browse through the Recommended list and contact us for more details or to support one or more projects.

More information

The IAU is the international astronomical organisation that brings together about 13,000 distinguished astronomers from around the world. Its mission is to promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its aspects 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.

The IAU established the Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) in partnership with the South African National Research Foundation (NRF), and supported by the South African Department of Science and Innovation. The OAD, located at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) in Cape Town, South Africa, aims to help further the use of astronomy, including its practitioners, skills and infrastructures, as a tool for development.