Qualification for Membership and Application Procedure

Membership in the IAU is open to countries (National Membership) and individuals (Individual or Junior Membership). The procedures for submission and approval of applications in the two categories are described in the IAU Working Rules (§ II and III ). A brief summary of the procedure for seeking nomination for IAU Individual or Junior Membership is given below.

Please note that a new category of membership, the Junior Member has been approved at the IAU XXX General Assembly (August 2018). Now researchers who have just completed their PhD in a branch of astronomy/astrophysics can be proposed as IAU Junior Member. The admission of new Junior Members will be evaluated annually by the Membership Committee and approved by the Executive Committee. Junior Membership is temporary and cannot be extended for more than six years. 

 

  • IAU Individual or Junior Membership: Nomination of a candidate residing in a National Member country

    As a rule, Individual Membership in the IAU is open to scientists with a PhD or equivalent in a branch of astrophysics.

    Junior Membership is open to individuals who have completed the PhD studies and who are in the initial phase of the professional researcher career in some branch of astronomy.

    An Individual or Junior Member may be admitted to the IAU by the Executive Committee on the basis of nominations approved by the National Committee for Astronomy (NCA) in their country of employment (when no NCA exists, through the Adhering Organization in that country).

    Individuals applying for nomination for IAU Individual or Junior Membership should contact their NCA or Adhering Organization (whichever applies) in their country of work in order to receive the link to the application form. This should done before December 15th, 2023, so that these applications can be processed for approval in time for their submission to the IAU (see below). The call for membership applications to be submitted is open as of October 7th, 2023. Individual and Junior Membership applications are submitted annually.

    The procedure is electronic, via forms made available by the IAU to the NCAs, or to the Adhering Organizations. For reference, the forms include the full name, date and place of birth, and nationality of the candidate; postal and electronic addresses; the University, year, and subject of the Ph.D. or equivalent degree; the current affiliation and occupation, and the IAU Division(s) which the candidate wishes to join, a CV, a list of past publications plus any additional information required by the NCA or Adhering Organization.

    IAU Individual Members and Junior Members do not pay dues to the Union.

 

  • IAU Individual Membership or Junior Membership: Nomination of a candidate residing in a non-Member country

    Nomination for IAU Individual or Junior Membership by a qualified astrophysicist residing in a country which is not National Member of the IAU can be applied for by contacting the NCA or Adhering Organization in a neighboring IAU National Member country. The individual may request to receive the appropriate application link, following all instructions and deadlines given above, or by contacting one of the IAU Division Presidents.



(updated 10th September, 2021)