236 projects
1636 proposals
13 call for proposals
112 countries
2 Million people
1.4 Million Euros
This page reports the summary of the impact of OAD projects on global development.
Summary of the Impact
The OAD has funded and coordinated a total of 236 projects in 5 continents. These projects have used astronomy, space/related topics to tackle challenges in their communities and regions in order to promote sustainable development and create a better society.
A map of the projects funded over the years is shown below:
OAD projects have targeted various audiences -students, general public, policy makers etc. -in more than 100 countries around the world*. The map below shows the countries targeted by projects between 2013-23.
*The IAU is the worldwide organisation of professional astronomers regardless of borders. The designations employed and the presentation of the material on our maps do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the IAU or the IAU OAD concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
A total of € 1.195 Million Euro has been awarded between 2013 and 2023 through the call for proposals. The IAU OAD call is meant for small to medium projects with the average (and median of) grant amount around €5500. These grants aim to encourage and kickstart innovative, new ideas to promote development, which fall outside the scope of traditional funding instruments. Projects are highly encouraged to look for matching or supporting funding from local institutions and other international bodies. External funding adds to the credibility and stability of the project apart from ensuring sustainability.
Analysis of the grant funding reveals that 44% of projects received grants ranging under €5000, 47% of projects received grants between €5000-9999 and 10% of projects were granted more than €10,000 in funding.
Sub-saharan Africa accounts for 39% of the funding granted through the OAD call for proposals. (The region also accounts for a similar proportion of proposals) Latin America + Caribbean has received the second highest total grant amount. These two regions constitute 60% of the total grants disbursed by the IAU.
The trend in grant distribution corresponds to the geographic origin of proposals. From the available data, Sub-saharan Africa has submitted the most number of proposals, followed by Latin America+Caribbean and South & Central Asia. Australia+Oceania (Aus, Nz, Pacific islands) is the only region where no projects have been funded but proposals have been received.
The OAD uses the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the framework for development. OAD projects have influenced 13 out of the 17 SDGs. These are depicted below.
Every OAD project influences multiple SDGs but a majority of projects are linked to SDG 4: Quality Education.
Contributions from OAD Fellows Dana Ficut-Vicas and Maria Alejandra Diaz
Past Impact Summaries
Stories of Impact: Outcomes of Astronomy for Development
In 2024, the IAU OAD funded 14 projects for a total of €114,667. These projects were run by multidisciplinary teams and addressed local and global challenges through astronomy-related innovations.
Read about Impact of 2024 Projects.
In 2023, the OAD funded 19 projects for a total of €124,011. These projects were run by multidisciplinary teams and addressed local and global challenges through astronomy-related innovations.
Read about Impact of 2023 Projects.
In 2022, the OAD funded 17 projects for a total of €109,822. These projects were run by multidisciplinary teams and addressed local and global challenges through astronomy-related innovations.
Read about Impact of 2022 Projects.
In 2021, the OAD funded 21 projects for a total of 110,000 Euro. Despite the continuing threats posed by the pandemic, these projects addressed local and global challenges through astronomy-related innovations.
Read Impact of 2021 Projects.
