The IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE) is excited to announce an opportunity for institutions with an excellent track record in astronomy-related education to become “OAE Centers” or “OAE Nodes” – in effect, semi-independent branch offices of the OAE.

The OAE is the IAU office dedicated to supporting and coordinating astronomy-related education efforts for primary and secondary schools worldwide. A variety of institutions are eligible to host an OAE Center or OAE Node, from universities and other higher-education institutions to museums, planetariums, science education centres and astronomical societies or associations.

OAE Centers and OAE Nodes are not just regional offices; their activities are international in scope and they collaborate with astronomy educators worldwide, including the OAE’s network of National Astronomy Education Coordinators (NAECs). The difference between an OAE Center and an OAE Node is in the amount of resources – personnel and funds – the host institution contributes to the OAE mission, with Nodes being slightly smaller.

In the words of Markus Pössel, Director of the OAE: “Our mission as the IAU’s Office of Astronomy for Education is an ambitious one: to help professionalise astronomy education worldwide, support the creation of excellent teaching resources in numerous languages, and to forge connections between the astronomy education communities in different countries. We couldn’t do this without our OAE Centers and Nodes: top-tier institutions committed to international cooperation in astronomy education who provide invaluable support for our joint mission. And we are happy to announce that now, additional institutions have the opportunity to join this select group!”

Institutions interested in hosting an OAE Node or OAE Center are asked to send a Letter of Intent to oae@astro4edu.org stating their intent and providing basic information about their institution (in terms of staffing, resources, recent activities) and its capacity for hosting an OAE Center or OAE Node. More information on applying to be a Center or Node can be found in the application information document. For the current round of applications, Letters of Intent should reach the OAE by 31 March 2025. However, this is an open call and Letters of Intent reaching the OAE at a later date will be considered in due course.

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, 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.

The IAU Office of Astronomy for Education is hosted at Haus der Astronomie (HdA), managed by the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy. The OAE’s mission is to support and coordinate astronomy education by astronomy researchers and educators, aimed at primary or secondary schools worldwide. HdA’s hosting the OAE was made possible through the support of the German foundations Klaus Tschira Stiftung and Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung.

The OAE is supported by a growing network of OAE Centers and OAE Nodes, collaborating to lead global projects developed within the network. The OAE Centers and Nodes are: the OAE Center China–Nanjing, hosted by the Beijing Planetarium (BJP); the OAE Center Egypt, hosted by the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG); the OAE Center India, hosted by the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA); the OAE Center Italy, hosted by the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF); the OAE Node Republic of Korea, hosted by the Korean Astronomical Society (KAS); OAE Node France at CY Cergy Paris University hosted by CY Cergy Paris University; and the OAE Node Nepal, hosted by the Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO).

Links

• Applying to Host a Center or a Node Call Document 

Contacts

Gwen Sanderson
OAE Organisational Assistant
Email: sanderson@astro4edu.org

Lina Canas
IAU Membership Coordinator
Email: lina.canas@iau.org / iaupressoffice@iau.org 

Laura Hiscott
IAU Press Office Editor
Email: iaupressoffice@iau.org