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. The Board serves a tenure of four years.

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 membership, 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.

To vote in the elections, IAU Members must be up to date with their membership fee and must have settled their Membership Fee for the year 2026-2027.
To facilitate payment of IAU Membership fees for election year, IAU will be issuing Calls for Payment earlier than usual, in August 2026.

Important dates:

04/11/2026 16:00 Deadline for submitting candidacies on site during the Conference
05/11/2026 10h00: Final list of candidates to be displayed at the Conference
05/11/2026: Elections
06/11/2026: Election results 

Statutory documents:
IAU Constitution
IAU By-Laws

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Who can stand for election to the IAU Administrative Board?

To stand for election, candidates should be a serving executive head of an IAU Member institution (ie Vice-Chancellor, President, Rector) or organization that is fully paid-up with its Membership fees, including the year in which the election falls (2026-2027). They must also be present at the General Conference on the day of the election (Thursday 5 November 2026), and have their candidacy supported by no fewer than 5 IAU Member institutions/organisations.

2. What does being an IAU Administrative Board member entail?

• 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, usually prior to the IAU Annual Conference, with the exception of the first year when 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.
• IAU Administrative Board members should promote the Association, its Members and the work of the Association.

3. I am interested in standing for election, how do I proceed?

a) Complete the candidacy form

If eligible, please complete the Candidacy Form available here. Here you will have to provide a bio-note and a brief description of your institution or organisation (no more than 300 words).

b) Download and complete the nomination form 

Once you have done this, please download and complete the nomination form and seek support from 5 IAU Members (institutions or organizations) (please note that the nomination form should be signed by the head of the Member institution/organization endorsing the candidate). For questions regarding Members please contact Nicholas Poulton (n.poulton@iau.global).

Once you have collected 5 endorsing signatures (they can be on 5 different nomination forms for ease’s sake), you should submit them to Nicholas Poulton at n.poulton@iau.global. You can also submit endorsing signatures as you have them; if you are unable to obtain all 5 signatures before the conference, we will help you obtain them on site.

c) Letter of commitment 

Please download, sign and return to us the Letter of Commitment, along with a photo (the photo will be posted on the conference website and on site at the conference). 

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 (2026-2027), and who is present during the elections. To find out whether your institution/organization is fully paid up, please contact Nicholas Poulton (n.poulton@iau.global).

If the executive head is unable to attend the IAU 17th General Conference, a delegate may be chosen by the head to proxy vote. In order for IAU to accept this proxy vote, a letter certifying the proxy must be signed by the head of the institution. Please see a standard proxy letter here.

Not yet an IAU Member?

Learn how to join the Association or contact membership@iau.global for more information.