Annual Call for Proposals 2023: Stage 2

STAGE 2 APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

Please note that only selected proposals are invited to Stage 2. If your proposal was selected for Stage 2, you would have received an email with further information.

If you need support for accessibility, please write to us at info@astro4dev.org.

Although the OAD is a global office, English is the official working language of the OAD. We request that all applications be submitted in English. The OAD can provide translation assistance through its Language Centers and its global network of volunteers. If you need assistance with translations, please contact us at info@astro4dev.org at least 2 weeks before the application deadline. 

This call for proposals is for projects to be implemented in 2024. 

Stage 1 of the call is now closed. Information on Stage 1 with links to background information on the call.

Download this page as PDF.

Download stage 2 application template

BEFORE YOU APPLY

Before you apply, please visit the “Getting Started” section that provides the background on Astronomy for Development, resources and links to assist you with project design, monitoring, evidence and evaluation etc. You can take the free online course on Astronomy for Development designed to provide a helping hand to anyone who intends to submit a proposal. We have also published a short course on ‘’Introduction to Development Economics’’ for those who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding.

You can also search through the past projects funded by the OAD to learn about the work done around the world, to check if your idea has been tried by anyone before, and to find resources developed by other projects which could potentially be used for your project.

• List of projects (A-Z)
• Projects search
• Search resources produced by past projects

APPLICATION

Selected proposals will be invited to Stage 2 during which the proposers will work with the OAD on their application. As a first step, the proposers will be asked to submit a draft Stage 2 application, accessible to the OAD team, the Regional Offices, and invited external experts, all of whom will help refine the proposal. The draft application will not be available to the review panel, who will eventually evaluate the applications.

The Regional Offices and Language Expertise Centers (ROADs/LOADs) will be able to suggest ways of improving a proposal to be locally relevant, thus ensuring support from possible local collaborators who could strengthen the project. The OAD, alongside the ROADs/LOADs, will provide feedback on the Stage 2 draft proposals, helping it align with the vision of astronomy for development. Proposals that do not fall under a relevant regional office or a language center will work with the OAD. External experts, where necessary, would provide useful additional guidance, including a perspective on which projects are most likely to make an impact on development.

Based on the discussions with OAD and the Regional Offices, proposers modify Stage 2 application and submit online by the final deadline. The reviewers then score these modified Stage 2 proposals and make the final recommendations on the projects to be funded and the funding amounts for each project. Upon approval by the OAD Steering Committee, all applicants are notified of the results.

Grant:

The IAU has earmarked a total amount of  €120,000 for this 2023 call for proposals. In the past, individual project grants have ranged from 1,000 Euros to 15,000 Euros with an average grant of around 5000 Euros per project.

What can the grant be used for:

Projects are encouraged to spend most of the grant directly on beneficiaries (target audience). In particular,

• Salaries are typically not funded but stipends are possible if they are well justified
• Transport and accommodation costs of organisers and participants must be justified
• Administrative fees, such institutional overheads, must be justified.
• When targeting children, projects can budget for meals and snacks, in accordance with relevant health, safety and cultural considerations.

Budget guidelines:

• At stage 2, a detailed budget must be submitted listing all the costs associated with the project (not only for the amount funded by the OAD) and a corresponding brief explanation of the cost
• For transport costs, please include details such as the number of people and approximate distance
• For accommodation costs, please include the number of people x number of days x cost per day
• For stipends, please include the number of people x number of hours x cost per hour

All projects should consider their liability in running activities and make suitable indemnity provisions where possible.

SELECTION

Selection Criterion	Corresponding questions on application (guideline only – information relating to a particular criterion may come from other questions also)	Scoring
Challenge	5. Which countries will your project target? 12 a. Please describe the challenge your project aims to address and explain how this challenge is related to developmental gap(s) in the target region 12 b. Does your project respond to one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals? Choose up to 3 SDGs that your project will impact.	Does the proposal aim to solve one or more development challenges in the target location? Score between 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest)
Solution	9 a. Are you applying for a multi-year project? 9 b. Please justify the need for a multi-year project 10. Will your proposal be a pilot project for one of the below Theme(s)? 11. Project Summary 12 c. Please explain how your project will use Astronomy to respond to each of the SDGs selected	Is it multi-year and if so, appropriate? Does it align with one or more Flagship Themes? Is there a clear solution and plan that uses astronomy? Score between 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest)
Target audience	6. In which languages will your project be delivered and/or written? 7 a. Choose the primary target audience for your project 7 b. Describe your target audience 7 c.  Please explain how audience Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility have been considered in your proposal.	Is the project targeting the right audience and using the appropriate languages? Has audience diversity been given sufficient consideration? Score between 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest)
Project team	8 a. Team Credentials 8 b. Any comments on your team composition 8 c. Partners & Stakeholders	Is the project team well qualified and diverse in terms of professional and social backgrounds and experiences? Do they have the right partners? Have they made efforts to engage the stakeholders of the project? Score between 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest)
Outcomes and Impact	13 a. What are the intended outcomes of your project ? 13 b. How will you measure these outcomes ?	Will the project make a strong impact (in terms of outcomes)? Are the outcomes clearly defined? Do they have the appropriate means to measure the outcomes? Score between 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest)
Deliverables & Timeline	14. Deliverables 15. Project Schedule	Are the deliverables clearly defined and suitable (in terms of resources requested and challenges being tackled)? Is the timeline realistic? Score between 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest)
Innovation	16. How does your project innovate and/or build on lessons/experiences learned from others?	Are they proposing any innovative methods? Or at least  building on existing evidence? Score between 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest)
Risks	17. Describe potential risks and how you will address them	Have they identified major risks and proposed reasonable mitigation measures ? Score between 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest)
Finance & Sustainability	18. Budget & Sustainability	Does the budget make sense? Do they have any other funding or at least applied for other funding? What happens if they do not receive planned non-IAU funding? Have they given thought to sustainability of project beyond IAU funding? Score between 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest)
Reviewer overall score	Overall impression considering responses to all questions	What is your overall impression? Score between 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest)

TIMELINE

The timeline below will be followed for Stage 2 of the 2023 call:

Stage 2
August	Selected proposals invited for Stage 2; Teams encouraged to share proposal summary with other teams to stimulate collaboration
August – September	OAD and Regional Offices work with proposers to review/revise proposal, in consultation with external experts where relevant.
September 07	Last date for any consultation with the OAD and Regional Offices
September 15	Deadline for Stage 2 applications to be submitted online
October – November	Evaluation by reviewers

early December	Results announced
mid December	OAD works with winning projects to address concerns of review panel; Grant agreements sent to successful projects
January – February 2024	Funds transferred to projects
July 2024	Mid year reports due
January – February 2025	Final reports due

Reporting guidelines for funded projects

If your project is funded by the OAD, you are required to submit a final report (via an online form) at the end of the project along with any materials, resources that you may have produced for the project. Regular updates are also highly recommended during project implementation. Projects are typically implemented between January-February (when funding is received) and the first quarter of the next calendar year. More information on reporting guidelines and conditions of the grant will be provided at the time of selection.