Announcement The 2020-2021 NOCs Funding Scheme is a dedicated grant system to support worthy outreach initiatives lead by IAU National Outreach Coordinators (NOCs). This grant system, administered by the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO), will provide funding (a maximum of 4000 EUR per proposal) to projects presented as a joint activity between countries, with the goal of bolstering international cooperation. In 2020, with the unprecedented times we live in due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have turned online to stay connected to our communities and found new ways of engagement while maintaining our safety and the safety of those around us. In this edition, we encourage our NOCs to reflect on the difficulties the current situation has brought us as astronomy outreach professionals and practitioners and to brainstorm together on ways to carry our programmes while keeping our communities safe.

1. NOCs Funding Scheme 2020-2021
2020-2021 NOCs Funding Scheme 1
Announcement 1
How to Apply 2
Eligibility 2
Implementation Timeline 2
Funding 3
Notes 3
Announcement
The 2020-2021 NOCs Funding Scheme is a dedicated grant system to support worthy
outreach initiatives lead by IAU National Outreach Coordinators (NOCs). This grant system,
administered by the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO), will provide funding (a maximum
of 4000 EUR per proposal) to projects presented as a joint activity between countries, with the
goal of bolstering international cooperation.
In 2020, with the unprecedented times we live in due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many
of us have turned online to stay connected to our communities and found new ways of
engagement while maintaining our safety and the safety of those around us. In this edition, we
encourage our NOCs to reflect on the difficulties the current situation has brought us as
astronomy outreach professionals and practitioners and to brainstorm together on ways to carry
our programmes while keeping our communities safe.
While the 2019-2020 edition focused on ​“We must preserve Earth, our only home in the
Universe”​, on this second edition we extend the theme of the funding scheme to other “big ideas
in astronomy”. You can find the latest version of the “Big Ideas in Astronomy: A Proposed
Definition of Astronomy Literacy” booklet ​here​.
For further support, please feel free to reach out to Lina Canas and discuss your proposal
before submitting. Additionally, we will set up a meeting for all interested NOCs.

2. How to Apply
1. Identify a challenge you are facing and/or a problem you wish to solve;
2. Team up with fellow NOC(s) (teams of no more than two or three NOCs are advisable)
and jointly search for a solution;
3. Applications:
Phase 1: Submit the provided form, including a 400-word summary, that will be
revised by a committee;
Phase 2: Selected submissions will be asked to submit a more detailed proposal
with a provided form for final selection by a jury/committee.
Eligibility
● Submissions are open to entries submitted by the NOCs;
● Submissions are judged on:
■ (1) creativity ​(Is the project original, or has an original component to it?),
■ (2) impact ​(How will it affect the communities it will be implemented in?
Could it serve as an example for others to implement?),
■ (3) pertinence ​(How is the project linked to the designated theme(s)?),
■ (4) sustainability ​(Will the project continue beyond the funding period?
Does it present an alternative implementation (in case confinement
measures are in place)?);
■ (5) collaboration ​(Are all the NOCs involved in the proposal actively
engaged with each other? Does the NOCs involved with communities).
● The decision of the appointed jury is final, and all NOCs must accept the final decision,
whether their proposal has been accepted or not;
● Each NOC can only participate in one proposal;
● The deadline for Phase 1 submissions is 15 September 2020.
Implementation Timeline
1) Phase 1 submissions accepted until 15 September;
2) Phase 1 results announced to the submitters, by 30 September;
3) Phase 2 submissions delivered by 15 November;
4) Selected projects announced by 15 January;
5) Implementation of the project from April 2021-December 2021
6) Delivery of a final Report*;
*Additionally, selected projects during the implementation phase must stay in contact with the

3. OAO, informing the OAO of the implementation of the project activities through short reports,
photographs and/or videos.
Funding
Total funding for the NOCs Funding Scheme is 20 000€, with a maximum of 4000€ per project.
The funding will be transferred to the designated bank account(s) stated in the “Agreement”
signed between all the NOCs involved in the proposal and the OAO.
Notes
1) English language brings us closer, but can sometimes be a barrier. Please feel free to send us your
proposal beforehand if you need help with the translation;
2) If you want to contact other NOCs and you are experiencing problems reaching out to them, please let us
know so we may support you.
3) International collaborations are often supported by funding schemes. Please feel free to seek other
potential funding and align your proposal with other funding programmes. Just make sure you clarify what can be
done with the IAU amount requested, independently, of the third-party funding.
4) The scope of the proposed programme must be astronomy outreach but can encompass activities under
outreach for development and formal education for society.
5) The theme of your proposal can address the following topics: Radio Astronomy, Dark Skies, Climate and
Environment, Diversity and Inclusion, Space and Technology, SDGs.
6) Face-to-face activities are acceptable, but a remote “Plan B” needs to be incorporated into the proposal in
case confinement measures are in place during the implementation phase.
7) With the hard economic crisis ahead, we encourage you to think of ways on what our outreach initiatives
can do to provide additional support to the community (e.g. masks, sanitizers, guides with safety measures, food
support, stable internet connection, etc).
8) We encourage you, while brainstorming, to reflect on the importance of internet connectivity, its benefits
and challenges on shaping communications, building your community, and implementing your project, limiting
engagement of underserved communities that do not have access to online tools to stay connected.
9) Personnel costs (e.g. salaries, daily allowance), and/or travel costs (e.g. air tickets, accommodation,
meals, etc.) if part of the proposal, need to be thoroughly justified, and relevant for the successful implementation of
the project.
10) You can find examples of selected proposals for the first edition 2019-2020 here:
https://www.iau.org/news/announcements/detail/ann20017/