The COVID-19 pandemic has brought science to the fore. While medical and health-related sciences are directly involved in fighting this pandemic, other sciences are contributing in their own ways. Three astronomy organizations – the International Astronomical Union/National Research Foundation Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD), the African Astronomical Society (AfAS), and the African Planetarium Association (APA) – have come together to fund small projects across the globe to enable communities overcome some of the effects of COVID-19.
In a world becoming increasingly apathetic to science, COVID-19 has underscored the critical nature of the scientific process and the people involved. While the medical community has been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, numerous other private and public science institutions around the world are tackling the resultant social and economic effects of the pandemic.
Although the link between studying the stars and fighting a deadly pandemic are not obvious, astronomy and related fields possess strengths that can be applied to solve everyday challenges and benefit communities. The term ‘Astronomy for Development’ (or more broadly, Science for Development) is most often used to denote projects that use astronomy, including its practitioners, skills and infrastructures, as a tool for development. The experiences from previous Astronomy-for-Development projects, including those supported by the OAD, have shown that astronomy’s strengths and unique characteristics could prove a valuable tool to fight some of the challenges exposed and exacerbated by the pandemic.
The Office of Astronomy for Development, the African Astronomical Society, and the African Planetarium Association have joined hands to support communities worldwide, especially the underprivileged and underserved groups who bear the brunt of such socio-economic upheavals. An Extraordinary Call for Proposals was launched in May 2020, for projects (or partnerships) that in some way use astronomy, in any of its aspects (including skills, methodologies, tools, infrastructure, inspiration or even just networks of astronomers/enthusiasts) to help mitigate some of the negative effects of the pandemic.
Modelled on the OAD’s annual call for proposals, a process was set up to quickly and efficiently evaluate submitted applications. Twenty seven experts from various countries and different professional backgrounds reviewed the proposals in record time. A total of 43 projects were selected and granted a sum of 804,443 ZAR (approximately €40,000).
The selected projects include those developing and distributing educational materials in Mongolia, Canada, Chile, Ethiopia, and other countries to reach populations with little or no internet access. These projects embed astronomy content in their materials to take advantage of the inspiring potential of astronomy and use the natural laboratory of the sky to motivate and educate children and parents alike. A number of projects will also be using astronomy in remote teaching and learning programs to continue engaging students during school closures. These projects, from Ghana to Pakistan to Russia and Brazil, plan to leverage low-tech and low-bandwidth solutions such as whatsapp and sms to reach those in underserved areas. Other projects in Italy, Greece, Mexico, and Nigeria will be combining art and astronomy to help lift people’s spirits in these stressful times. Finally, a few projects will be applying the skills of those in the astronomy community, such as data analytics and programming, to develop solutions for challenges created by COVID-19.
A list of all projects funded under this call can be found at: https://www.astro4dev.org/results-of-extraordinary-call-for-covid-19-related-proposals/
A list of proposals that were reviewed but not funded can be viewed at: https://www.astro4dev.org/other-proposals-submitted-to-covid-19-extraordinary-call/
More information
Office of Astronomy for Development:
The Office of Astronomy for Development is a joint initiative of the International Astronomical Union and the South African National Research Foundation, with strong support and funding by the South African Department of Science and Innovation. It aims to help further the use of astronomy, including its practitioners, skills and infrastructures, as a tool for development. Since its establishment in 2011 the OAD has supported 160 astronomy-for-development projects targeting over 100 countries. The OAD is located at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) in Cape Town, South Africa, and coordinates 11 regional offices around the world.
African Astronomical Society:
The African Astronomical Society (AfAS) is a Pan African organization for all astronomers and which aims to actively promote and advance astronomy and associated activities including skills and infrastructure development, across the continent. AfAS is funded by the South African Department of Science and Innovation who has agreed to host the Secretariat of AfAS at its National Research Facility, the South African Astronomical Obervatory which is located in Cape Town.
https://www.africanastronomicalsociety.org/
African Planetarium Association:
The African Planetarium Association is dedicated to connecting African planetaria, sharing useful information and resources, and empowering and encouraging science literacy throughout the continent. Planetaria play a huge role in disseminating ideas and concepts through a powerful immersive experience and therefore an important tool to inspire the next generation of scientists. Although young, APA is already an affiliate of the International Planetarium Society (IPS), looking to grow its membership and contributing to the wider world of STEM. APA has fully committed to help in the alleviation of the COVID-19 induced stress/pressure. To this end the APA has partnered with the Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) to share support towards the Call for COVID-19 related projects
Contacts
Kevin Govender,
Director,
IAU Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD),
kg@astro4dev.org
Facebook: astro4dev
Twitter: @astro4dev
Yunus Manjoo,
Project Manager,
African Astronomical Society (AfAS)
yunus@africanastronomicalsociety.org
Facebook: AfAS2.0
Twitter: @AfricaAstronomy
African Planetarium Association (APA),
info@africanplanetarium.org
Facebook: African Planetarium Association
Twitter: @apa_association
Instagram: africanplanetarium