Grants for the Developing Astronomy Globally Cornerstone Project
In April 2009 the IAU (International Astronomical Union) and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) provided funding to support International Year of Astronomy 2009 related projects and activities in developing regions.
A call for proposals was sent out to Single Points of Contact around the world via the Developing Astronomy Globally Cornerstone project. The aim was to provide seed funding and basic support to stimulate astronomy activities in developing regions.
The response was overwhelming. There were 38 applicants who responded to this call. The selection committee waded through an impressive list of quality proposals that included astronomy education workshops for teachers, the recording and preservation of indigenous astronomy knowledge, the production of school astronomy education resources in local languages and many more.
Twelve proposals were selected from the following countries; Macedonia, Nepal, Uganda, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Gabon, Rwanda, Uruguay, Tajikistan. Selections were made based on project alignment with the IYA2009 goals, more specifically the Developing Astronomy Globally goals, and based on needs as indicated by the Global Astronomy Survey.
The Global Astronomy Survey is a survey conducted under the Developing Astronomy Globally Cornerstone project. It aims to gauge the status of astronomy activities in developing countries and act as a baseline with which to measure astronomy development in these countries into the future.
Further information on the Developing Astronomy Globally Cornerstone project and on the Global Astronomy Survey can be found on the Developing Astronomy Globally website www.developingastronomy.org