SKAO allocates second batch of radio astronomy outreach funding

BY MATHIEU ISIDRO (SKAO)

The SKAO has awarded a second round of funding to support the development of radio astronomy outreach activities and resources under a joint scheme with the International Astronomical Union’s Office for Astronomy Outreach (IAU OAO).

The scheme, managed by the OAO, is funded by the SKAO. It supports the development of freely accessible public outreach content and resources about radio astronomy, and fosters new international collaborations between outreach experts and astronomers in the SKAO’s partner countries and beyond.

In this second year, the SKAO has allocated a total of €15,000 to four projects that span Europe and Africa.

The 2023 funding will support the production of two podcast series, a medium that has proved extremely popular to engage wider audiences with science. These include a new Franco-Swiss podcast in French on radio-astronomy, and The Cosmic Savannah, the highly successful podcast series produced in South Africa that shines a spotlight on astronomy in Africa.

This year’s funding will also support a European collaboration to engage schools with their local radio astronomy observatories and share their experiences, and the development of a three-antenna radio interferometer in Greece dedicated to outreach and education.

To be awarded funding, the proposals needed to demonstrate a focus on radio astronomy public engagement and outreach, involve international collaboration, and be widely accessible. Applicants were also encouraged to highlight how they will support the SKAO’s values, in particular in terms of diversity and inclusion.

The 2023 winning proposals are as follows:

• Sharing a baseline: a hands-on international radio astronomy pilot for kids – Sweden, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain (€5,000)

• Making waves: a new podcast for sharing radio astronomy with regular earthlings – France and Switzerland (€5,000)

• The Cosmic Savannah, a podcast series featuring astronomy from across Africa – South Africa (€2,500)

• JAM radio, a three-antenna radio interferometer for education and outreach – Greece, Sweden, Australia, and South Africa (€2,500)

You can read about the previous winners here: https://issuu.com/ska_telescope/docs/contact_-_issue_08/s/12801209