Divisions:
SAASTA
By taking overall ownership of science advancement initiatives within the NRF and on a countrywide scale, SAASTA is responding to an organisational as well as national imperative.
SAASTA’s BUSINESS UNITS
SCIENCE EDUCATION
The aim of SAASTA’s Education Unit is to build the supply of tomorrow’s scientists and innovators. South Africa is rapidly reaching the forefront of science and technology advancement in Africa and internationally, and has the potential to become a rich source of up-coming scientists, engineers and innovators.
Considering that South Africa was ranked very low in the 1993 and 1998/9 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, the work done by SAASTA’s Education Unit will be pivotal in preparing today’s youth to become tomorrow’s scientists and engineers. This work can be divided into the following three broad areas:
- School science support, which includes educator and learner programmes; science enrichment projects; and competitions.
- SET careers, which exposes learners to career opportunities in science, engineering and technology.
- Science resources, which includes resources to support the school science curriculum; enrichment materials; web-based materials; and online learning.
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION
Science Communication involves the management and processing of scientific information, which it sources either from articles, reports, conference papers, etc., published by researchers, or from the application of scientific information among science professionals. Two main information processes are applied to scientific information when communicating science, namely:
- Scientific Editorial Processing - The main aim of the process if to create consumer confidence in the information dissemination by SAASTA by ensuring that the information is responsible, reliable and accurate.
- Scientific Editing - through the use of high-level scientific and linguistic skills, scientific information is communicated more effectively by ensuring that the information published and disseminated by SAASTA is focused on the needs of the end-user and considers the ethnicity and ethnology of the integrated target audience.
Core to ensuring that the information reaches the intended audience is the audience analysis component of the unit. By utilising community informatics principles, information is gathered throughout each implementation and by way of specially commissioned research projects to assess the information-seeking behaviour and the information needs of the intended target audience, and which technologies need to be employed to reach the communities involved.
The Science Communication unit has three focus areas:
- Science and the media: Science and media events; media resources and networks; and training in science journalism. At these events media personnel are introduced to scientists or researchers and provided with the necessary support to enable them to report scientific content accurately to the public.
- Science promotion: Various communication tools and resources are used to promote science to the public. One of the projects here is SA Science Lens, which is South Africa’s only science photography competition, aimed at illustrating and communicating the excitement and impact of science.
- Science communication and capacity building: Researchers’ media and communication skills are developed and emphasis is placed on communicating about fields that have been identified as research priority areas.
Three DST-funded programmes are managed by this unit:
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The Public Understanding of Biotechnology programme (PUB) was launched in early 2003. The PUB programme aims to promote credible, fact based understanding of biotechnology through awareness, dialogue and education to enable informed decision making on biotechnology innovations to improve the quality of life. More information on this programme can be found at www.pub.ac.za.
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The Nanotechnology Public Engagement Programme (NPEP). Nanotechnology is a new type of cutting-edge science, which scientists use to develop new products and new ways to create energy, clean water, food and create smart medicines. Nanotechnology involves the engineering of materials at a microscopic level. This new technology may provide many exciting and new opportunities. The objectives of the Public Engagement with Nanotechnology programme are to create awareness, educate the public and enhance their understanding of nanotechnology, enable and stimulate meaningful public debate, and create an awareness of career opportunities in the field.
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Hydrogen South Africa Public Awareness. The main objective of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies and Alternatives Public Awareness, Demonstration and Education Platform (HFCT PADE) is to create awareness, visibility and acceptance amongst the public,entrepreneurs and key decision makers in South Africa about the benefits and safety of using hydrogen and fuel cell technology as an alternate energy source.
SCIENCE AWARENESS PLATFORM
Science is often thought of as something that is abstract and generally out of reach for the average South African. The main aim of SAASTA’s Science Awareness Platform is to literally put the world of science in society’s hands through exhibitions and through hands-on experience of science. It provides science that the public can see, touch, feel and experience. In this way, science is demystified, is less foreign, becomes tangible and practical and, most of all, becomes fun.
The Science Awareness Platform achieves this through the following focus areas:
- Festivals and events such as INSITE, Science Unlimited, SciFest Africa, Sasol Techno-X and National Science Week.
- Science and Technology Centre Networks, i.e. human capacity development at science centres and other special programmes.
- Programmes such as in-reach, outreach and mobile programmes.
- Exhibitory, of which it does the design, fabrication, maintenance and outsourcing.
SAASTA occupies two sites, namely the Didacta Building in Pretoria that serves as its headquarters and the Observatory in Johannesburg. The Johannesburg Observatory can host exhibitions on engineering, optics, astronomy, astrophysics and space science. Learning facilities include the infinity room, telescopes and the TRAC laboratory. The Johannesburg Observatory also has the following resources available or learners, educators and the public: forensic science laboratories; a computer laboratory; a library; several telescopes; 19 exhibits in the form of interactive hands-on models; and travelling exhibits such as SciQuest and StarLab.
Activities: 2010-2011
Among others, SAASTA will present SET awareness campaigns; role modelling campaigns; science camps; the National Science Olympiad; the National Science Week; National Schools Debates; and Primary School Science Intervention programmes. Internally, SAASTA will create stronger links with other NRF business units.
Challenges: 2009-2012
Depending on the availability of funds, the following long-term challenges will be addressed:
- Developing the Johannesburg Observatory site in line with the phased approach;
- Expanding the reach of current successful interventions;
- Improving the science communication division through national cross-sectoral collaboration to drive a central science communication service; and
- Expanding the funding for research on science education and community engagement research.
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