IAU 15th General Conference 2016
 
Elections for the IAU Administrative Board

The IAU General Conference is the supreme decision-making body of the Association. It meets once every four years and it is on this occasion that IAU Members elect the IAU President as well as the Administrative Board members.

Chaired by the President of the IAU, the Administrative Board is made of twenty elected and two ex officio members as follows: eighteen executive heads of Member institutions and two heads of Member organizations, the immediate past President and the Secretary General. A number of deputy members, from different regions and both categories of members are also elected. The Administrative Board meets annually, ensures that decisions of the General Conference are implemented and guides the work of the IAU Secretariat. The term of tenure is four years.

To facilitate the payment of IAU Membership fees for the year of election (2016-2017), the request for payment of Membership fees will be sent one month earlier on 1 September 2016.

Important dates:
14/11/2016 at 4:00 p.m.: Deadline to submit candidacies on site during the Conference
15/11/2016: The list of candidates will be displayed at the Conference
15/11/2016: Elections
16/11/2016: Results of Elections

Statutory documents:
IAU Constitution
IAU By-Laws
Rules of procedures
Rules of procedures for Elections

Documents for candidacies
:
Nomination form
Letter of commitment

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Who is eligible to stand for election as member of the IAU Administrative Board?
The executive head of an IAU Member institution or organisation can stand for election if the following criteria are met:
- The IAU Member institution/organisation's membership fees are fully paid up including the year in which the election falls (2016-2017).
- The candidate has support from executive heads of 5 IAU Member institutions/organisations in good standing (no membership fee arrears).
- The candidate is present at the time of the elections during the IAU 15th General Conference.

2. What does it entail to be an IAU Administrative Board member
- The IAU Administrative Board members are elected to serve for 4 years until the next IAU General conference.
- The IAU Administrative Board meets once a year prior to the IAU Annual Conference, with the exception of the first year of service where there is an additional meeting organized in Paris.
- Committing to the Board means taking part in IAU activities and working groups and providing strategic advice and feedback to the IAU Secretariat throughout the period of the mandate. 

3. I am interested in standing for election, how to proceed?
- The first step is to check eligibility (see question 1).
- If eligible, download and complete the nomination form and seek support from 5 IAU Members (institutions or organizations) in good standing. Please note that the nomination form should be signed by the head of the Members institution/organization endorsing the candidacy. For questions regarding Members (contact information, advice, to confirm that the Member is in good standing) please contact Juliette Becker (j.becker@iau-aiu.net) for assistance.
- Once you have collected 5 endorsing signatures (they can be on 5 different nomination forms to facilitate the logistics), you may submit your candidacy to IAU (n.poulton@iau-aiu.net). The submission of a candidacy should contain:

  • The nomination form signed by the candidate and the 5 signatures from supporting Members;
  • Bio including a photo (max 300 words);
  • Brief description of the University/Organization (max 300 words);
  • Signed copy of the letter of commitment.

The bio and the description of the university/organization will be displayed at the Conference venue. IAU acknowledges receipt of submission and the candidacy is added to this webpage. Please remember to register for the IAU 15th Conference and if you pay the registration before 15 August 2016, you benefit from the highly advantageous early-bird rate for IAU Members.  

Nomination form
Letter of commitment

4. Who can vote?
The executive head of an IAU Member institution or organisation fully paid up in its membership fees including the year in which the election falls (2016-2017) and who is present at time of the election. To find out whether your institution/organization is fully paid up, please contact Juliette Becker (j.becker@iau-aiu.net)

5. I cannot attend, is it possible to delegate the vote?  
In case the executive head cannot attend the IAU 15th General Conference, (s)he can delegate the vote to a representative from the same institution or another IAU Member institution fully paid up including the year in which the election falls. A letter should be addressed to the IAU Secretary General informing her of the delegation of vote.
A representative can only represent one Member. No individual can cast more than one vote.

Standard letter for the delegation of vote.

6. How do I obtain the voting card?
Voting cards are nominative and will be given to the eligible person during the onsite registration. The ballot will be distributed during the Business session II when the elections are taking place at 16:00 on 15 November 2016.