ITCA Ambassador Poster 2020

Announcement of Opportunity

ITCA Ambassador Scheme

The International Training Center in Astronomy (ITCA) under the auspices of UNESCO, operated by the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT), is inviting highly motivated individuals to represent ITCA to conduct trainings in your local region, to help promote science literacy and help your community to build capacity to develop scientific career.

 

What is ITCA Ambassador?

While ITCA aims to provide various trainings worldwide, it is helpful and more effective when worldwide experts join to support ITCA mission by acting locally. Ambassadors worldwide will share ITCA vision to use astronomy as a tool to develop human capacity, by becoming an ambassador and representing ITCA, to shape a better future.

ITCA will curate and create training packages for ambassadors to run trainings locally, for example the first training available is the basic research workshop and the list will be expanded over time. Ambassadors will receive the corresponding trainings before they run the events locally.

Ambassador status will renew at the end of Sep 2022. You can join the ambassador programme any time before the expiration date.

 

What are the benefits of being an ITCA Ambassador?

  1. ITCA ambassadors will receive specific trainings and information on how to conduct trainings;
  2. Ambassadors will receive training packages help them to conduct events;
  3. You are given priorities to join ITCA activities;
  4. You are also entitled to apply for the “ITCA Matching Support” scheme. (see below)

 

What is “ITCA Matching Support” scheme?

ITCA has reserved Thai Baht (THB) 1 million to support the ambassadors through the “ITCA Matching Support” scheme during the financial calendar year 2021. Ambassadors should propose projects to co-organize with ITCA. ITCA will consider all the proposals submitted and select the best proposals and will co-organize those projects selected.  This is not purely a funding scheme, but ITCA acts as a role of co-organizer and will work with the proposers to refine the proposals and provide suitable support to each project. The support can be in the forms of hardware, printing materials, educational resources, trainers, advice, or monetary support. We expect to support around 10 projects, so roughly speaking, around THB 100,000 per project. However, please keep in mind that the final amount depends on certain parameters and predetermined justifications.

The focus area of ITCA during its first phase is South East Asia, therefore proposals from South East Asia will be given higher priorities.

Interested ambassadors should submit an “Expression of interest (EOI)” by Jan 31, 2021 using the template to be given, these EOI will be published online with open access. Since we are going to support about 10 projects, similar proposals are encouraged to combine. We encourage different ambassadors to talk to each other on collaborations, especially those from the same country. The final proposal should arrive by Feb 28, 2021. More details will be provided along with the second announcement.

 

What is the responsibility of an ambassador?

Ambassadors should organize at least 2 training sessions per year, and submit their activities report using the template to be given. Please also note that these activities should be independent of the application of the ITCA matching support scheme. More information about the trainings is expected to be provided on the second announcement.

Ambassadors should also help to promote ITCA activities to your local communities.

 

Who can join the ITCA Ambassador Scheme?

We welcome wholehearted individuals who are at least 18 years old, or organizations who are interested in conducting training activities to join us. Ambassadors should also demonstrate their past experiences and expertise of conducting training by submitting a CV containing relevant information.

Additional information

More information about the training events and the matching support scheme will come along with the second announcement in late-December.

 

You are most welcome to join us and you can apply the ambassador here

https://bit.ly/ITCAambassador

 

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