Frequently Asked Questions

Table of Contents:

Council, Committees, Governance Top

How does the AAS establish its public positions on matters of policy?
The Council of the AAS establishes formal positions of the AAS. Any member may suggest topics appropriate for development of a position and the appropriate committees will consider the issues and make a recommendation to the Council on the matter. The more recent official position statements of the AAS are available online.

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Divisions of the AAS Top

What are the Divisions of the AAS & how do they operate?

Do the Divisions hold meetings?
Divisions hold meetings that may be attended by any AAS member. The DPS and the DDA each hold one meeting a year separate from the AAS general Meetings. The HEAD and the SPD meet occasionally apart from and occasionally with the AAS. On occasion the SPD has also met jointly with the American Geophysical Union. The Historical Astronomy Division has, so far, met only jointly with the AAS. Schedules for Division Meetings may be found on the Division websites.

Do the Divisions Publish Journals?
No Division publishes its own journal. The DPS has a formal relation with the journal Icarus.

How are Divisions formed?
The rules for establishing a Division are defined in Article VII of the Bylaws of the AAS. The Bylaws can be found in the AAS Membership Directory.

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Finance Top

Are contributions to the AAS tax deductible?
Yes, the AAS is qualified under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code to receive tax-deductible donations.

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Grants, Prizes and Awards Top

Does the AAS have any grant programs?
Yes, the AAS administers several grant programs. The Small Research Grant (SMRG) provides a small amount of money for a variety of reasons related to research (page charges, travel to observatories, computers etc.). SMRG funds come from NASA and AAS charitable and operating funds. The International Travel Grant (ITG) funds travel to international scientific meetings for US based astronomers. Generally, the ITG only funds the cost of a round-trip airline ticket. Finally, the Chretien International Research Grant provides up to $20,000 each year for one or more individuals or groups to be used for the support of international observational astronomy with the emphasis upon long-term, international visits. The Chretien awards are open to astronomers throughout the world.

How can I apply for the grants?
Since requirements sometimes change, it is best to check the AAS grants web page for the latest information, requirements and deadlines.

What are the deadlines for applying for the grant programs?
The deadlines vary, so be sure to check the web page. Generally, the Chretien applications are due on April 1 each year. The Small Research Grants are due approximately a month before each AAS meeting. The International Travel Grants are currently due in mid-Spring and mid-Fall each year.

Can non-US citizens apply for the grants?
Any astronomer may apply for the Chretien grant. Only astronomers working at US institutions may apply for the International Travel Grant. Any astronomer may apply for the Small Research Grant, but only limited funds are available for non-US based astronomers.

Are there any reporting requirements for the grants?
All of the grants have reporting requirements. Typically, they include receipts for travel and other expenditures and some kind of final report describing the work the grant funded. Reports are generally due about within a year of the grant award date. See the grants web page for details.

Do I have to send my application for a grant through my institution's grants office?
This requirement varies from institution to institution. However, the International Travel Grant and the Small Research Grant are paid in the form of a check made out to the individual and no institutional overhead can be charged to these grants. The AAS hopes that all institutions will value the benefits of these grant programs to their researchers and waive any claim to overhead. If overhead must be paid, the AAS will not issue the grant to the recipient.

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Journal and Publications FAQ Top

How do I get permission to reproduce materials from the AAS journals?
The AAS requires that you get the permission from the author and send a notification of the material to be used and where it will be used to the Executive Officer. See: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/ApJ/permission_text.html

How can one find astronomical papers by specific authors or subjects?
The Astrophysics Data System, sponsored by NASA, has an extensive, searchable archive of data on astronomical publications.

Where are the full articles from meetings published? I only see the abstracts.
We only publish the abstracts. We do not publish full articles based on meeting presentations in the Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society (BAAS). You could search the NASA Astrophysics Data System to see if the BAAS author published in other journals on the same topic. Or you could search StarWorlds or the AstroWeb for the author's institution and see if he/she published anything on their own website.

Where can I find a copy of the AAS Photo-Bulletin on Technical Pan Film?
The AAS Photo-Bulletins are available through the Astrophysics Data System. To retrieve the issue, enter volume#24, highlight the American Astronomical Society Photo-Bulletin and hit the Send Request button.

Will the AAS review research manuscripts?
The AAS will NOT review or comment upon research manuscripts unless they are submitted for publication in one of the AAS journals in accord with the instructions for that journal.

Does the AAS publish Book Reviews?
The AAS does not publish book reviews in any of its publications. The AAS Newsletter occasionally contains summaries of non-scientific books in the areas of career development or public policy. The purpose of these summaries is to alert our members to the existence of publications which they may not find in any other way and which the staff judges to be of interest. It is not intended as a critical review.

Do AAS publications accept paid advertising?
Advertising is accepted in the annual AAS Calendar and Corporate Members and Publisher Affiliates my advertise in the AAS Meeting Program booklet. The AAS does not accept paid advertising in its journals, Newsletter, Directory, or website.

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Meetings Top

When are AAS meetings?
AAS meetings take place twice each year, once in early January and once in late May or early June. See Future Meetings page for dates. See Division websites for divisional meeting dates.

Where are AAS meetings held?
Currently the winter meeting location rotates between four cities, Washington, D.C.; Austin, Texas; Seattle, Washington; and Long Beach, California. Summer meetings are held in a variety of locations, which are chosen by the Council in response to proposals from interested institutions.

What are AAS meetings like?
AAS meetings are dynamic gatherings of professional astronomers from around the world. The winter meetings typically boast 2000 participants or more. The four days are filled with scientific sessions, both poster and oral as well as invited sessions from prominent researchers with exciting results. The summer meetings have topical sessions, which are more lengthy oral sessions focused on particular topics. The meeting program is decided upon by the three vice-Presidents with logistical details provided by the AAS meeting coordinator.

Does the AAS have funds to support travel to AAS meetings?
No, the AAS does not have funds to support travel by members or nonmembers to its meetings. The AAS International Travel Grant Program only provides support for US based astronomers to travel to meetings held outside the US. Two of the AAS Divisions (DDA and SPD) do offer Student Stipend Awards for travel to their Divisional Meetings.

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Membership Top

Why does the AAS require nomination for membership?
The AAS is primarily a society of researchers in astronomy and it wishes to assure that the members meet minimum qualifications in the area. Nomination by two Full Members of the AAS who are familiar with the qualifications of the nominee is one way of achieving this goal.

What is the AAS policy on use of mailing lists?

Postal Addresses
The AAS will permit use of the mailing list by commercial and non-commercial organizations. Details of products or events must be submitted and judged to be of potential interest to a significant fraction of the membership. Authorization is given for one-time use of the list on each occasion. A small fee is charged to cover handling. The AAS mailing list is never sold to firms unrelated to astronomy or science.

Email Addresses
The AAS does not distribute the email addresses of its members for any purpose. If a notice is deemed to be of sufficient interest and urgency to warrant email distribution, the AAS will distribute it as part of our regular Electronic Announcement Series. Commercial advertising will not be distributed.

What is the AAS policy on access to Member's addresses and other personal data?
The Policy Regarding the Use of Membership Data by the AAS is posted online and distributed with the yearly renewal notices.

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Miscellaneous Top

How does the AAS assist astronomers in developing countries?
The AAS provides discounted AAS journal subscriptions to institutions in many developing countries. In addition, astronomers from any country may apply for Chretien Research Grants and Small Research Grants, however the competition is not limited to those from developing countries and is often very stiff.

In what languages may one communicate with the AAS?
English is preferred, we will do our best to deal with inquiries in Spanish: any other language will be handled only at our convenience.

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Public Policy Top

What is Public Policy?
Public policy is a catchall phrase that includes actions of and interactions with both Congress and the Executive branch. It also captures activities of the AAS that can have an impact in the wider arena of public life, such as creating and endorsing statements related to science, science policy or other issues.

Does the AAS have a lobbyist?
Yes. The AAS has a staff member responsible for the lobbying activity of the organization. Since the Society is a 501c(3) corporation, there are limitations on how much money can be spent in lobbying activities. The current level of activity by the AAS is far under the legal limit for 501c(3) corporations.

Why does the AAS have a lobbyist? I thought scientists were above all that.
The AAS council decided to create a staff position responsible for the public policy activities of the Society in 1997. The lobbying disclosure act of 1995 requires any organization or individual contacting Congress on behalf of another body to register as a lobbying organization or lobbyist. The AAS is registered as a lobbying organization and the Associate Executive Officer for Policy Programs is the designated lobbyist for the Society. Biannual forms detailing legislative contacts made are filed with the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate.

Because our science is increasingly dependent on Federal support, being able to interact with policy makers on a daily basis is important. Scientists must engage policy makers to be sure that government knows the benefits of their work and understands the justification for public expenditure in support of that work. Nobody is above responsible citizenship, not even scientists.

Besides funding, what else does the government do to either support or harm Astronomy?
The government has other impacts on astronomy besides the obvious one of providing funds for research and research facilities. Policies on education, for example stipend levels allowed under research grants, or student loan tax credits are both set by the Government. Policies regarding land use can have an obvious impact on astronomy. Governmental panels can make decisions about how many federal agencies should fund astronomy. The Federal Communications Commission manages spectrum use and can have both helpful and harmful impacts on astronomy. At the local level, lighting policies can have both harmful and helpful outcomes for astronomy. In education, school boards can pass regulations preventing certain scientific ideas from being taught in local schools or printed in textbooks. The possibilities for both good and bad actions by government at all levels are tremendous.

Why do I keep getting these "AAS ACTION ALERTS" in my email?
Occasionally, an action by government that could have a negative (or positive) impact on astronomy must be stopped (or supported). At these times, a rapid, grassroots-level action on the part of the AAS membership can create a truly positive result in Congress or in other areas of government.

When one of these times arrives, the Associate Executive Officer for Policy Programs, with the consultation and approval of the Committee on Astronomy and Public Policy creates, an AAS ACTION ALERT. This is then emailed to the appropriate sub-group of the AAS membership.

This email alert system is not utilized lightly. The alert system is only used when direct action on the part of our members themselves will have a tremendous impact. Typically, the action called for is writing a letter to or calling legislators on a specific issue. The alerts are structured for readability and ease of understanding. Comments on the alerts are always welcome.

I write my Congressman once per year, isn't this enough?
No. A single letter to a Senator or Congressman once per year is simply not enough to make your elected representative notice your needs or issues. Regular communication can be tremendously beneficial and the AAS strongly encourages AAS members to develop personal relationships with their elected officials or their staff.

So how often do I have to write?
For an issue to become important in a Congressional office, approximately 5 letters must arrive in a given week. This number is a bit larger for Senatorial offices. When an AAS ACTION ALERT is sent out, we have heard from Congressional offices that many hundreds of letters (from AAS members only in several cases) have convinced the member of Congress to take action on the issue.

To establish a personal contact, it is better to actually meet with the member's staff in Washington or at their home office. Contact the Associate Executive Officer for help in setting up appointments or information on particular members of Congress.