iThemba Labs
The iThemba Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Science (LABS) is a business unit of the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa that is dedicated to investing in the growth and development of scientific and technical expertise in accelerator-based science. iThemba LABS provides access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure, both locally and globally, enabling research into the nature, structure, and properties of matter and materials, as well as the production of radioisotopes for use in nuclear medicine diagnostics, imaging, and therapy.
Link to the iThemba LABS video
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South African National Space Agency (SANSA)
SANSA is a government entity under the DSTI and NRF. The space science branch in Hermanus was founded in the 1940's as the Hermanus Magnetic Observatory, making long-term measurements of the Earth's magnetic field. In 2010, it was renamed as SANSA to unify South Africa's efforts in space science. The site now hosts the only regional space weather centre in Africa, as well as a team of engineers who build and maintain instruments throughout Africa as well as the bases on Marion Island and Antarctica. Researchers at SANSA study the upper atmosphere, geomagnetism, space weather, and solar physics. SANSA funds postgraduate students for Honours, Master's, and PhD degrees at any South African university in any of its research areas.
In addition to supervising postgraduates, SANSA also has a strong Science Engagement Unit. More than 10,000 learners are engaged either in the Hermanus science centre or at their schools using SANSA's mobile lab. There are weekly tours of the Hermanus facility that are free and open to the public.
Beyond the Space Science campus in Hermanus, SANSA has an Earth Observation unit in Pretoria and a Space Operations facility in Hartebeesthoek. Space Operations has been supporting space missions since the 1950's including supporting the Apollo missions to the Moon.
The Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA)
The Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA) was established in 2015. Through a partnership between the University of Cape Town (UCT), the University of the Western Cape (UWC), and the University of Pretoria (UP), IDIA contributes critically to building the capacity and expertise in data intensive research within the South African university research community, to enable global leadership in large survey science and PI-led science projects on MeerKAT and large projects on other SKA pathfinder telescopes in preparation for the SKA.
Over the past decade, IDIA has revolutionised how South Africa processes and analyses the enormous data streams generated by the MeerKAT telescopes. In collaboration with the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), IDIA provides advanced computing infrastructure, sophisticated software systems and data visualisation tools, and efficient data pipelines, empowering scientists and students to transform big data into groundbreaking discoveries.
