ASA Prizes, Awards and Grants
The ASA sponsors a number of awards to people contributing to astronomy at various levels. It also provides limited financial assistance for student members to attend conferences.
The ASA recognises contributions to the promotion or extension of the knowledge of astronomy by conferring Honorary Fellowship of the Society. This includes recognition of contributions to the Society. A list of all Honorary Fellows is available
The ASA sponsors a variety of other prizes and awards
- The Bok Prize for outstanding research in astronomy by an Honours student.
- The Charlene Heisler Prize for the most outstanding PhD thesis in Astronomy or a closely related field.
- The Anne Green Prize for a significant advance or accomplishment by a mid-career scientist.
- The Louise Webster Prize for outstanding research by a scientist early in their post-doctoral career.
- The Peter McGregor Prize in recognition of exceptional achievement or innovation in astronomical instrumentation.
- Astronomy Software Development Prize for outstanding contribution to the development of open-source astronomical software in Australia.
- The Ellery Lectureship for outstanding contributions in astronomy or related fields.
- The David Allen Prize for the best contribution, or series of contributions, published within the previous 3 calendar years in widely accessible media which portrays an astronomical theme in an exciting and educative way.
- The Page Medal for excellence in amateur astronomy.
- Student Prizes
For Organisations
- The Pleiades Awards recognise organisations in Australian astronomy that take active steps to advance the careers of women through focused programs and strive for sustained improvement in providing opportunities for women to achieve positions of seniority, influence and recognition. The Pleiades Awards are bestowed by the ASA’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity in Astronomy (IDEA) Chapter.
Further information about the ASA’s various Prizes and Awards can be obtained from:
Dr Tanya Hil
ASA Prizes and Awards Coordinator
Museum Victoria, GPO Box 666, Melbourne, VIC, 3001
thill@museum.vic.gov.au
Many of the ASA’s Prizes are funded through the ASA’s Foundation for the Advancement of Astronomy (FAA). The FAA is a tax-deductible Foundation intended to enhance the ASA’s efforts to promote Astronomy and related fields in Australia, and to recognise and support excellence in those fields. The purposes of the FAA are very broadly defined to allow the support of prizes, scholarships, research and facilities.
The success of the Prizes and the FAA’s ability to support other activities depends on the level of funding available, and hence on the financial support of ASA members and the public. The ASA invites you to make a donation (tax-deductible for Australian residents) to support the goals of the FAA. You may specify that your donation be used to support the David Allen Prize or make it available to the general purposes of the Foundation.
Limited funds to support individuals or certain astronomical projects may also be obtained from the Donovan Astronomical Trust. The trust provides financial assistance for projects which promote education in astronomy in Australasia. A Society member acts as Honorary Secretary for the Trust.
The Award and Grants page of the ASA’s Australian Astronomy web site has links to these and other sources of Awards and Grants relevant to ASA members.
The Society also provides limited Student Conference Assistance to student members to allow them to attend online, national and international conferences.
Other sources of funds for travel are also listed on the Travel Assistance page of the ASA’s Australian Astronomy web site.