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 [email protected] 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.