The acceptance of new IAU Individual Members will increase in frequency, changing from a triennial to an annual basis. Individual Members are professional scientists conducting research that is directly relevant to astronomy, and are normally admitted by the Executive Committee on the recommendation of a National Member. The process of Individual Member acceptance is outlined below.

By 1 October each year, National Members and Presidents of Divisions will receive an invitation to submit a list of candidate Individual and Junior Members to the General Secretary. Proposals from Presidents of Divisions should be submitted by 15 December at the latest, at which point the General Secretary will communicate them to the relevant National Members, if any, who may add the person(s) in question to their own list of proposals. Late proposals will normally not be taken into consideration.

The deadline by which the respective National Committees for Astronomy (NCAs) and Adhering Organisations should review applications and send the General Secretary their lists of proposed Individual Members is 15 February.

The lists will then be sent to the Membership Committee, which will review them and send the final list to the General Secretary before 31 March. This will then be submitted to the Executive Committee for approval.

This change in frequency brings the process of Individual Member acceptance in line with the acceptance of Junior Members, who are scientists in the initial phase of a professional research career in astronomy or a related field, and are admitted annually for a maximum period of 6 years.

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