The International Astronomical Union (IAU) Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) invites institutions, organisations, and stakeholders to partner with us in our annual Call for Proposals, an initiative that supports projects around the world that use astronomy to address developmental challenges. Since 2012, the OAD has funded over 230 projects reaching across more than 100 countries, delivering social impact through innovative, astronomy-driven initiatives.
About the OAD annual call
The OAD annual call supports projects that use astronomy as a tool to tackle developmental challenges, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our two-stage application process ensures thorough evaluation and refinement of proposals, with support from our 11 Regional and Language Offices. Projects typically run for one year (with an average grant amount of around €5,000 per project) and focus on themes such as sustainable socio-economic development, science diplomacy, and knowledge and skills transfer. In 2025, we have €80,000 available to fund impactful projects globally.
Our model emphasises
- Innovation by supporting creative solutions that leverage astronomy for development
- Inclusivity by seeking ideas from proposers worldwide and offering assistance with proposal writing and translation
- Collaboration through close engagement with our 11 regional offices and external experts to refine and sustain projects
- Impact by delivering measurable outcomes for local communities, with all resources shared under open licenses such as Creative Commons.
Why Partner with the OAD?
Partnering with the OAD offers a unique opportunity to support a globally recognised programme that uses astronomy to deliver measurable, community-based impact. This is not only a chance to expand your organisation’s immediate impact on society, but also to be a partner in a global initiative to connect science with sustainable development worldwide.
We welcome collaborations with all sectors, including academic institutions, research facilities, government departments, NGOs, science centres, planetaria, and industry stakeholders. Your organisation can support projects through two main types of partnership:
Funding Partners
- Contributing funding, either through co-funding, country-specific allocations, or support for specific projects with proven or scalable impact
- Providing part funding based on a matching model (e.g. OAD can match partner contributions at various levels)
- Supporting past projects that have demonstrated clear success and impact, enabling them to expand their work
In-kind Partners
- Offering in-kind resources such as venues, telescopes, technical equipment, printed materials, staff time, or logistical support
- Collaborating academically by providing skills transfer, mentoring, reviewing proposals, or monitoring and evaluation expertise
- Providing infrastructure (e.g. observatory access, lecture rooms, lab space, or computing facilities) to enhance project delivery and research efforts
Benefits for Partners
- OAD will handle application management, proposal review, grant disbursement, monitoring and evaluation, and impact tracking, ensuring your contributions directly support impactful projects
- Your support will be leveraged with OAD funds and expertise, multiplying its reach and effectiveness.
- 100% of a partner’s financial contributions will go towards the projects (no overhead costs).
- Engage with astronomy-powered initiatives that respond to real-world challenges, providing a valuable learning experience for staff and students
- Opportunities to study project impacts, co-author publications, be featured in case studies, and contribute to knowledge generation
- Partner logos are displayed on the OAD website and in all communications relating to the projects you support
Becoming a partner also means playing an active role in the IAU and OAD’s international networks. For a description of the global influence of this work, see the following Nature Astronomy article from June 2025: https://go.nature.com/4lIZOCj.
We invite organisations to explore this opportunity and become a partner in shaping science-driven development through astronomy. As a partner, you will help deliver innovative projects that create tangible benefits for communities while also strengthening institutional role in advancing global development goals. Each organisation determines the level and type of support, offering what aligns best with your mission and capacity.
To schedule a discussion or request additional information, please contact OAD Deputy Director, Dr Charles Takalana at charles@astro4dev.org.
