UNAWE or EU-UNAWE?

In 2011, Universe Awareness received a grant for a special European branch of Universe Awareness: EU-UNAWE. The projects that were funded by the 1.9-million-euro grant awarded by the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme were branded as EU Universe Awareness (EU-UNAWE). EU-UNAWE ran between 2011 and 2013 and was completed successfully. All EU-UNAWE targets were achieved and the project received an excellent assessment from an independent evaluator appointed by the European Commission. 

The EU-UNAWE programme has come to an end. This means that from now on the project will only use the name "Universe Awareness" and the Universe Awareness logo throughout the network.

EU Space Awareness (2015-2017)

In 2015, Leiden University received a grant of two million euro from the European Union to implement a new educational project that combines astronomy and space sciences: EU Space Awareness (EUSPACE-AWE). This project builds on EU-UNAWE and hence, Universe Awareness will also be part of it.

EU Space Awareness will use the excitement of space to attract young people into science and technology and stimulate European and global citizenship. The project will show children and teenagers the opportunities offered by space science and engineering and inspire primary-school children when their curiosity is high and their value systems are being formed.

EUSPACE-AWE, a 3-year project, will start in March 2015 with 10 partner organisations and 15 network nodes in 17 European countries and South Africa. The project will be led by a team from Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands, coordinated and managed by Prof. George Miley, Dr. Jarle Brinchmann and Pedro Russo.

To find out more about EUSPACE-AWE and the partner organisations involved, click here.

EU Universe Awareness (2011-2013)

EU-UNAWE was the European branch of the global UNAWE programme. The European Union grant supported the development of UNAWE programmes in six countries over three years: Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Spain. The inclusion of South Africa recognised the close collaboration in the fields of science and technology that the country has developed with the European Union.

Meanwhile, the dedicated work of UNAWE continued, supporting activities in countries around the world and the international network.

• Project Acronym: EUNAWE 
• Project Reference: 263239
• Start Date: 2011-01-01 
• Duration: 36 months 
• Project Cost: 2.53 million euro 
• Contract Type: Coordination (or networking) actions 
• End Date: 2013-12-31 
• Project Status: Execution 
• Project Funding: 1.9 million euro 

More information: Cordis Website