Each IAU Division awards one PhD prize each year, and applications are currently being accepted. The deadline is December 15, 2018. Candidates must submit an abstract of their thesis, three letters of recommendation (including one from the PhD advisor), and a CV. Applicants from previous years may reapply. The application form is available at https://www.iau.org/submissions/phd-prize.

Interested in IAU Junior Membership? Apply now!
A new category of IAU Junior Members was approved at the IAU General Assembly in August 2018, and applications will be accepted annually. The application window is now open and has a hard deadline of December 31, 2018. For this application period, a junior scientist is defined as someone who has completed her or his PhD studies between 2013 and 2018 in some branch of astronomy, is in the initial phase of the career of a professional researcher, and has the prospect of becoming a professional researcher in astronomy. Junior members may remain in that category for a period not exceeding six years. The application can be found at http://www.iau.org/submissions/juniormembershipapplication/3btzvf8qa6do/.

Regular IAU Memberships Next Accepted in 2020
The IAU application for regular membership opens once every three years in the year before the General Assembly is held. Regular IAU members should be at least three years past a PhD in astronomy or related field, or have related experience and will be working in a career related to astronomy. The application window for full membership will open again in fall 2020.

Other News from the IAU General Assembly
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) held its XXX General Assembly in Vienna, Austria on August 20--31, 2018. The USNC/IAU hosted a U.S. reception and co-sponsored two Young Astronomer lunches and the Women in Astronomy lunch. Debra Elmegreen (Vassar College), a member of the USNC/IAU, was elected IAU President-Elect, and a new strategic plan was approved.

The IAU is one of the few international scientific unions with both national members and individual members, and the 1,314 new IAU members approved included 211 astronomers from the United States. Of the 352 new junior members approved, 28 were from the United States. The USNC/IAU was heavily involved in the creation of the new junior member membership category. The IAU also approved a new category of Honorary Members. The USNC/IAU nominated Wayne Rosing because of his long-term and sustained efforts to establish, build, and operate Las Cumbres Observatory as a unique resource for astrophysics. Dr. Rosing's nomination was approved. The U.S. delegation's full report can be read here (PDF).
 

Thanks to U.S. Astronomers in IAU Leadership Roles, 2015-2018
The USNC for IAU would like to extend its thanks to the following U.S. scientists who are serving in IAU leadership roles during the 2015-2018 triennium:

Debra Elmegreen, Vice President, IAU(Chelsea, I’ll send you some photos for this article.)
Chryssa Kouveliotou, President, Division D (High Energy Phenomena and Fundamental Physics)
Nader Haghighipour, President, Division F (Planetary Systems and Bioastronomy)
Bruce Elmegreen, President (Interstellar Matter and Local Universe)

David Soderblom, Member, IAU Membership Committee 

U.S. National Committee Meetings
The next USNC/IAU meeting will be held in January 2019 in conjunction with the AAS winter meet in Seattle, WA. Watch this space for further information.

 

The 2018 meeting was held on January 9 during the AAS meeting in National Harbor, Maryland. Topics discussed were the reviews of U.S. applicants for IAU membership, the IAU's efforts to create a searchable database of members, the IAU's new PhD Prize, and the USNC's sponsorship of specific events at the 2018 General Assembly. Debra Elmegreen briefed the USNC about the IAU's draft strategic plan, and the committee offered comments. The USNC also formed an eight-person subcommittee to undertake the initial review of U.S.-based applicants, and agreed to a detailed timetable. The application review subcommittee held a conference call on February 23, 2018, and the USNC/IAU then reconvened by conference call on March 2 to review and confirm the subcommittee's recommendations. The U.S. decisions subsequently were conveyed to the IAU, and new members were approved at the General Assembly.