Constitution

CASSA Constitution

Constitution of the Center for Astronomy, Space Science and Astrophysics

The Center for Astronomy, Space Science, and Astrophysics (CASSA) will be an independent research center of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB). Operating autonomously from any individual school or department, CASSA will also coordinate educational activities and engage in public outreach.
The Astronomy Research Group, IUB (ARGI), founded in mid-2020, and its successor, the Computational and Observational Astronomy Lab (COALab), established in late 2023, will be regarded as the predecessors of CASSA. All personnel, assets, funding, and policies from COALab will be incorporated into CASSA.
Any actions taken by ARGI and COALab prior to the enactment of the CASSA Constitution (CC) that contradict the CC will be overruled by it. However, if any provision of an existing IUB manual (such as the Faculty Manual, Staff Manual, or Purchase Manual) conflicts with the CC, the IUB manual provision will take precedence.
1. Amendments to the CC may be made through a referendum among core members (Clause 4), conducted by the Director (4.1) in an inclusive meeting that includes both core and associate members.
Core members of CASSA will include astronomers, astrophysicists, cosmologists, space scientists, and aerospace engineers who are faculty members within IUB’s School of Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (SETS) or who have significant collaborations with CASSA, as outlined in the clauses in 6.
1. The Founding Director will serve as Director until a substantial number of core members in the primary research fields are established, at which point a Director will be elected from among the core members every two years.
2. The Director will make all organizational decisions in consultation with the members and hold regular inclusive plenary meetings with core and associate members, as outlined in Clauses 5 and 6.
Associate members of CASSA will include collaborators, adjuncts, and visiting researchers, as defined in 6.
CASSA will collaborate with various departments and schools within IUB, primarily the three departments within SETS, as well as with researchers from other national and international universities, institutions, and industries.
1. All substantial collaborations will be governed by Letters or Memoranda of Agreement (LoA/MoA) between the collaborating entity and IUB through CASSA.
2. Initial collaborations will be established with four centers at IUB: the Center for Computational and Data Sciences (CCDS), Fab Lab, Center for Industrial Automation, Robotics & Internet of Things (RIoT), and Green Energy Research Center (GERC).
3. Adjunct and visiting professors, researchers, and national and international collaborators can become associate members based on their contributions in terms of grants, teaching, and/or their roles as co-supervisors of students and co-investigators on projects.
The expenses of CASSA shall be managed from sources such as, (i) fund it will be allotted in IUB’s yearly budget as one of its centers, (ii) financial grants acquired by CASSA as a center, or by its members, and from any other lawfully approved sources. The disbursement of such funds will be decided by the members or by the focal point of the project, as the cases may be, following IUB manuals and policies.
1. Details of all funds will be included in Annexure 2. CASSA will also publish an annual report outlining its members’ grants, expenses, and outcomes for public access.
2. CASSA will seek funding through IUB from various national and international space agencies, universities, and organizations, such as the International Astronomical Union.
Following the decision of the IUB Management, all fixed assets related to astronomy, astrophysics, space science, and aerospace engineering may be managed by CASSA.
1. The office and premises for the regular and special operations of CASSA will be allotted by the Management of IUB. Initially, the occupancy of CASSA will be the space at IUB campus described in Appendix 2 and Appendix 3.
2. All fixed assets of CASSA will be listed in Annexure 3, along with the information regarding the sources of funds and ownership for each asset. Ownership will be determined either by a Letter of Agreement (LOA) or automatically based on the amount of funds contributed by the entity.
3. The list of fixed assets will be reported to the Director at least once every six months, and CASSA’s fixed assets will be subject to IUB’s annual audit.
4. The Director shall be responsible for the custody and management of all fixed assets allotted to CASSA.
The vision of CASSA is to be the pathfinder in Bangladesh, be impactful in South Asia, and be a part of the international community in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics (observing and understanding all celestial systems and processes), and space science and technology (exploring, navigating and understanding outer space, primarily within the solar system).
The vision will be achieved via three missions: research, teaching, and outreach.
1. For all three missions, CASSA will prepare and uphold a framework for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) following international norms, e.g., the EDI practices of the American Astronomical Society.
The research mission of CASSA is to conduct cutting-edge research in instrumentation, observation, computation, and theory, and to publish the results in peer-reviewed international journals and conference proceedings. This mission will be accomplished through the following action plans.
1. The existing international collaborations of the core members will be enhanced to enable CASSA to work with some of the most sensitive and high-resolution telescopes, both ground-based and in space.
2. CASSA will coordinate the hiring process for new faculty members based on their research impact and international experience, in collaboration with the relevant department of SETS.
3. CASSA will advocate for the establishment of Postdoctoral Research Fellowships.
4. CASSA will develop a roadmap for offering a PhD in Astronomy, Astrophysics, and/or Space Science.
5. Paid Postbac Research Assistants will be hired from among those who have completed a BSc or MSc, or who are currently enrolled in an MSc program.
6. Paid Student on Duty (SoD) positions and paid or unpaid internships will be available for undergraduates.
7. CASSA will construct a small radio telescope on its premises with the Fab Lab, and advocate for the establishment of a research-grade optical astronomical observatory in an appropriate remote location.
8. To promote the space economy of Bangladesh, CASSA will create job opportunities in space research and establish collaborations with various space agencies and their flagship missions.
9. CASSA will organize regular online, offline, and hybrid seminars, symposia, talks, and conferences featuring invited and guest speakers to enhance collaboration in relevant fields.
The teaching mission of CASSA is to develop and coordinate undergraduate and graduate courses in astronomy, astrophysics, space science and technology, and aerospace engineering, in collaboration with the concerned departments of IUB. This mission will be accomplished through the following action plans.
1. Classes for certain courses related to CASSA may be held in the rooftop room, based on the advice of its members and the availability of time slots.
2. CASSA will develop the curriculum for an MSc in Astrophysics and Space Science to be offered by DPS.
3. CASSA will advocate for the initiation of undergraduate and graduate programs in aerospace engineering in collaboration with the departments of SETS.
4. The involvement of visiting professors and researchers in existing courses will be increased, and new specialized courses and workshops will be developed with instructors from IUB and other universities.
5. The Director will be the coordinator for the IUB courses related to CASSA, as listed in Annexure 4, develop the course offering plan (including co-offerings with other departments), and submit the plan to the Office of the Registrar through the respective department.
6. CASSA will organize regular summer and winter schools and workshops with invited speakers and instructors from various national and international universities and organizations.
The outreach mission of CASSA is to engage students from schools and other universities, and to use popular science for the enlightenment and development of society through various outreach events, images and articles. All outreach events will be listed in Annexure 5. This will be achieved through the following action plans.
1. The national outreach program Durbin will be coordinated by CASSA following the LOA (Annexure 6) signed between IUB and University of Toronto and its amendment (Annexure 7).
2. Durbin IUB will work as the outreach wing of CASSA at IUB as a chapter of national Durbin, and it will organize regular ‘Durer Kotha’ (দূরের কথা) sessions and ‘Astronomy Nights’ at the CASSA office.
3. Bangladesh Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (BDOAA) will be a nationally registered not-for-profit organization hosted by CASSA.