ASTRO ACCEL Launches New Platform to Facilitate International Collaborations

ASTRO ACCEL members from around the world gather in Iceland to explore topics like best practices in education, astrophotography, and discussing teaching approaches to understanding the cause and impacts of aurorae. Image credit: Daniel Leeb, Executive Mission Director and CEO of the Iceland Space Agency – 2025)

Finding and connecting with international collaborators to support practice-informed research and research-informed practice in astronomy education, engagement, communications and culture can be a challenge. It often involves conducting extensive literature and internet searches, attending expensive conferences, and feeling frustration if you still haven’t found what or who you’re looking for — until now.

ASTRO ACCEL Commons recently launched as a professional networking tool, helping the astronomy community find collaborators around the world with common interests and share professional services and resources. The Commons platform helps amateur and professional astronomers, STEM educators and related professionals find collaborators, pitch ideas, initiate new projects and share results with broad or targeted audiences.

“We’ve found that existing platforms like LinkedIn don’t focus enough on supporting communities,” said Tim Spuck, director of education and public engagement at AUI and principal investigator for ASTRO ACCEL. “Particularly in an era where people are siloed into their own way of working, it can be challenging to spark cross-disciplinary innovation.”

The ASTRO ACCEL Commons is built to bridge these divides, bringing people together for new research, meaningful mentorship or brainstorming ideas.

The Commons platform’s basic functions include the ability to post comments, add items to the community calendar, share employment opportunities and content with others, in addition to so much more. People Finder, for example, can help users quickly find and connect with others who share common interests and research efforts, identify individuals willing to share specific expertise or services with the community, or generate a focused invite list to begin a new project or initiative.

The ASTRO ACCEL Commons Community will also come together for monthly webinars, and in person for the 2026 Innovation Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, August 15-17, to initiate and evolve new international collaborations. Upcoming webinar topics include “IRB Across Borders: Approval Basics, Common Challenges, and International Ethics”, and “Engaging in Indigenous Research Partnerships as a Settler (non-Indigenous) Researcher”.

The ASTRO ACCEL project is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation to build an international “network of networks”, bringing together organizations and individuals to accelerate research and advance best practices. The project served as a testbed for theories of best practices in international collaboration by supporting and studying several small projects. The results provided insight on barriers to effective international collaboration and which tools and techniques help teams address challenges. Keeping the pulse on astronomy work around the world, connecting with the right people, and working and communicating across time zones, cultures and languages are just a few examples of barriers to success being addressed by ASTRO ACCEL and the new Commons platform. ASTRO ACCEL Commons is a product of the broader ASTRO ACCEL initiative and will continue beyond the project’s funding period.

“ASTRO ACCEL Commons provides a powerful platform where individuals and institutions can build meaningful networks, access shared resources, and form genuine professional connections,” said Hira Fatima, an early user of Commons.

Users like Fatima can use the Ideation function to launch a new challenge or project and invite others in the community with similar interests to participate. Within the platform, links to Google Docs, Slack Channels and WhatsApp can be added to streamline collaborative work outside the platform.

Astronomers, educators, communicators and enthusiasts are encouraged to join ASTRO ACCEL Commons. ASTRO ACCEL is a collaborative effort including Associated Universities Inc.; International Astronomical Union’s Education, Outreach, and Astronomy for Development Offices; Florida State University; Sociedad Chilena de Astronomia; Robotic Telescopes Student Research and Education; Institute for Student Astronomical Research; NOIR Lab; Planetary Science Institute; Universiteit Leiden; International Planetarium Society; African Astronomical Society; Deakin University; NASA’s Night Sky Network and a host of individuals from around the world.

Media Contact
Tim Spuck
Director of Education and Public Engagement, AUI
[email protected]