The Department of Science and Technology (DST) needs to urgently appoint a new director of the SA Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), to maintain confidence in its ability to host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope, says the official opposition.
Democratic Alliance shadow minister of science and technology Marian Shinn says a review panel referred to the SAAO as the leading astronomical institute in Africa.
“It said of the SAAO that there are few other astronomical institutes in the world, if any, where an important research infrastructure is combined with such a pioneering and substantial programme of education and outreach at all levels.”
For this reason, Shinn says it's imperative the stability and reputation of this vital institute is preserved through the timely appointment of an appropriate successor to Phil Charles, the current director.
Heading back
Charles is returning to his position as chair of astronomy at Southampton University, which has been held open for him for the seven years he has been in SA.
Shinn says he decided last year not to renew his contract, after the charges brought against him by the National Research Foundation (NRF).
The director will vacate his post in September and Shinn says the DST should proceed in finding a suitable astronomer of repute to succeed him as a matter of urgency.
“The pending vacancy was first advertised in the South African media on 19 November 2010. I was startled to read in the review of NRF's astro-geosciences cluster published this month that the process to find a successor has not started, seven months after the post was advertised.”
The review panel said in its report that it is essential a search committee be set up immediately to recruit a successor to Charles, that it will be a lengthy process to find an astronomer of international stature to fill his place, and that it is likely to be 18 months before a new director is in place.
The review panel, which comprises one South African and three European astronomy professors, says the NRF's suspension of Charles and the subsequent enquiry resulted in damaging publicity in the international press and disquiet in the international astronomical community.
“It also had a detrimental effect on the morale and productivity of SAAO staff, and a negative impact on the relations between the NRF and the Southern African Large Telescope (international) partners.”
ITWeb was unable to reach the DST for comment.
Essential management
Charles was suspended for discussing proposed sites for the SKA. This contravened policy, according to the NRF, and “caused undue distress”.
He was suspended from the NRF in January 2010, and subjected to a disciplinary hearing. The charges were never made public, and on 12 March he was cleared of any wrongdoing and re-instated in his post.
Charles' suspension threatened SA's bid against Australia to host the mega telescope, despite his subsequent exoneration.
Shinn explains the matter instilled doubt among the international astronomy community about SA's ability to efficiently manage multinational science projects.
She previously said international scientists were alarmed that scientists working on international projects “will be treated like functionaries by bureaucrats, and that bureaucratic, rather than scientific, decisions will win”.
Shinn added that the success of SA's SKA bid hangs not on the country's ability to build the telescope and practise astronomy, but on the management of teams of international scientists across a many-nation footprint. “This is exceptionally difficult and will demand exceptional scientific, management and diplomatic skills.”
The local arm of the interdisciplinary science organisation, Royal Society SA, also said it was concerned the action taken against Charles by the NRF had disturbed the international scientific community, and placed a grave question mark against SA's global scientific reputation.
World's largest
The final decision regarding the successful host country for the SKA is expected in 2012, with work due to start in 2013. Operations will start in 2015, provided a significant portion of the array has been commissioned.
The SKA is a mega telescope, about 100 times more sensitive than the biggest existing radio telescope. It will consist of approximately 3 000 dish-shaped antennae and other hybrid receiving technologies, with a core of about 2 000 antennae and outlying stations of 30 to 40 antennae each, spiralling out of the core. These stations will be spread over a vast area of up to 3 000km.
The DST says research areas will include observational radio astronomy, radio astronomy instrumentation, digital signal processing, distributed data processing and RF broadband feeds, receivers and cryogenic packages.
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