Office of Astronomy for Development

The Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) is an office of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) established in 2011 to further the use of astronomy as a tool for development.[1][2] The OAD is jointly funded by the International Astronomical Union and the National Research Foundation of South Africa.[3] The office consists of nine regional offices located in Armenia, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, Jordan, Nigeria, Portugal, Thailand and Zambia which have similar objectives to the OAD but with regional focus.[4] The OAD annually issues a call for proposals to fund projects which use Astronomy as a tool to address an issue related to sustainable development. The mission of the OAD is to help further the use of astronomy as a tool for development by mobilizing the human and financial resources necessary in order to realize the field's scientific, technological and cultural benefits to society. As of 2017 the OAD had administered a total of €515,364 in IAU grant funds. These funds have been awarded to 106 projects that reached over 85 countries across the world.[5]

The Office of Astronomy for Development
The OAD main office at the SAAO observatory grounds.
MottoAstronomy for a better world
EstablishedApril 2011
Location
CoordinatesHeadquarters: 33.935486°S 18.478017°E / -33.935486; 18.478017
Main organ
International Astronomical Union, National Research Foundation of South Africa
Websitewww.astro4dev.org

History

The OAD was established on the 16th of April 2011 at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) in Cape Town.[6] It was launched by the South African Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor.[7][8] In 2016 the IAU together with the OAD director Kevin Govender was awarded the Edinburgh Medal for "furthering education and technological capacity worldwide through the inspirational science of astronomy".[9][10][11]

References
  1. "International Astronomical Union | IAU". www.iau.org. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
  2. Govender, Kevin (2015). "The IAU Global Office of Astronomy for Development". Highlights of Astronomy. 16: 537–538. Bibcode:2015HiA....16..537G. doi:10.1017/S1743921314011971.
  3. Mauduit, Jean-Christophe; Govender, Kevin (2014-01-01). "The IAU Office of Astronomy Development". American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #223, id.413.03. 223: 413.03. Bibcode:2014AAS...22341303M – via American Astronomical Society.
  4. "OAD Regional Nodes". www.iau.org. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
  5. "International Astronomical Union | IAU". www.iau.org. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
  6. "Office of Astronomy for Development". Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  7. "Address by the Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, at the launch on the International Astronomical Union's Global Office of Astronomy for Development, South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), Cape Town". South African Government. 2011-05-16. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
  8. SciDev.Net. "South Africa-hosted astronomy office to push development". SciDev.Net. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
  9. "Prestigious Edinburgh Medal awarded for 'Astronomy for Development'". Leiden University. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
  10. "Celebrating UK/SA Science Excellence - Kevin Govender to receive Edinburgh Medal - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
  11. "IAU's Kevin Govender receives the Edinburgh Medal". The Department of Science and Technology. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
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