The National Research Foundation (NRF) has resolved to appoint a suitably qualified and experienced astronomer or physicist to head the astronomy cluster.
The foundation last week said it has made two resolutions that will have an impact on the organisation's management structure.
The first will deal with the management and location of the organisation's science advancement activities, and the second with the management of the country's astronomy assets.
The board approved a structural change in the location of the NRF's science advancement activities, which are led by the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement.
Strong management
Taking account of the increased scale of both radio and optical astronomy investment in SA, the NRF board resolved that a fixed-term appointment of a suitably qualified and experienced astronomer to head the astronomy cluster within the NRF would be made, pending recommendations by science and technology minister Naledi Pandor.
The foundation said this appointment is important for the future governance of astronomy in SA and during the interim period the head of the astronomy cluster would report directly to the NRF CEO.
“All other national research facilities within the NRF will continue to be managed by the vice-president: national facilities and infrastructure.”
The foundation also resolved that an interim management arrangement be put in place that will best serve the interests of astronomy in SA and that the CEO should implement a revised structure to strengthen the management of all of the NRF's astronomy facilities and projects.
“A single cluster approach would be taken by a dedicated, standalone unit for the management of facilities and projects.”
Experience first
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has welcomed the decision to restructure the management of astronomy in SA and appoint an experienced physicist to head the proposed astronomy cluster.
The board also decided to end the employment of its vice-president of National Research Facilities, Gatsha Mazithulela.
DA science and technology spokesperson Marian Shinn welcomes this change, saying Mazithulela was the instigator of last year's disciplinary hearing against the director of the South African Astronomical Observatory, Phil Charles. Charles was subsequently exonerated of all charges against him.
“The timing of these decisions shows that, despite minister Pandor's denials, the NRF's action against Charles reverberated around the international scientific community and was having a negative impact on SA's bid to host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the world's largest radio telescope.”
Shinn adds that it is 14 months since the NRF failed in its bid to discipline and possibly dismiss Charles, yet no disciplinary action was taken against Mazithulela in the interim.
Case dismissed
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”.
Important bid
The final decision regarding the successful host country for the SKA is expected in February, with work due to start in 2013.
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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