Committees and Working Groups

The RAS Early Career Network (ECN) provides support, networking and advice for early career researchers. The steering group is run by, and represents, the views of Early Career Fellows of the RAS. This committee was formed in 2020.

The RAS relies on several committees to organise aspects of its activities including membership. One of the Membership Committee's responsibilities is to review Route 2 applications and reinstatement requests before they are submitted to Council.

The committee assesses nominations for the Gold Medal (A), the Eddington Medal, the Herschel Medal, the Jackson Gwilt Medal, the Fowler Award (A), the Winton Award (A), the Group Achievement Award (A), the Service Award (A), the George Darwin Lectureship, the Gerald Whitrow Lectureship and Honorary Fellowships (A).   The Committee's recommendations are presented to the December Council Meeting and announced at the January A&G Meeting.

The committee assesses nominations for the Gold Medal (G), the Chapman Medal, the Price Medal, the Fowler Award (G), the Winton Award (G), the Group Achievement Award (G), the Service Award (G), the Harold Jeffreys Lectureship, the James Dungey Lectureship and Honorary Fellowships (G). The Committee's recommendations are presented to the December Council Meeting and announced at the January A&G Meeting.  

To promote and foster actions and initiatives to create an inclusive, diverse and vibrant astronomy and geophysics community, which is reflected in the Society’s Fellowship, Council, committees and conferences. To share best practices within Society activities and to our wider community.

The committee assesses the nominations for the education and outreach medals and presents their recommendations to the December Council Meeting. The winners are announced at the January A&G Meeting.

The aim of the Education and Outreach Committee is to encourage and support engagement in astronomy and geophysics ( A&G) in schools and with the general public by - maintaining, improving and publicizing the RAS education resources database - recommending candidates to Council for the RAS teaching award - supporting teacher training for GCSE Astronomy - facilitating talks by professional scientists to school students and the general public - ensuring the maintenance of a publicly accessible database of forthcoming outreach activities in A&G - supporting such other projects (usually in cooperation with other organisations) consistent with the aims and resources of the committee

The committee considers grant applications from the two grants rounds in February and August. Applications are reviewed shortly after deadlines, and awards announced within three months.

The Society's journals, GJI, MNRAS and RASTI, and magazine A&G, are each overseen by an Editorial Board, which reports to the Society's Publications Management Committee (PMC). The PMC is made up of representatives of the RAS and its publisher, and reports to RAS Council, providing overall strategic and commercial direction.