Applying scientific thinking
in the service of society
Annual Performance Plan 2014/2015
Presentation to
Science & Technology Portfolio Committee
1
ASSAF Mandate
• To honour distinguished scholars in all fields of
scientific enquiry
• To generate evidence-based solutions to
national and global challenges
2
ASSAf Goals
• Recognition and reward of excellence
• Promotion of innovation and scholarly
activity
• Promotion of effective, evidence-based
scientific advice
• Promotion of interest in and awareness of
science education
• Promotion of national, regional and
international linkages
3
Alignment with Government Goals
• Strengthening skills and resource base
• Regional development, African
advancement and international
cooperation
• Improvement of the health profile of
society
• Improvement of rural development and
food security
• Improvement of environmental assets and
natural resources
4
Governance
and
Administration
Policy
Advisory
Programme
Programmes of
the Academy
Communication
and
Publications
Secretariat
Scholarly
Publishing
Programme
Liaison
Activities
5
Governance and Administration
• Promote good governance
- Compliance, audits, financial and human
resource management, efficient execution of
Council decisions
• Promote recognition & involvement of Members
- Annual awards, AGM, Member elections, ASSAf
panels, Member database, scholarly lectures
• Phase in a system of discipline-based Member
elections
- Improve % poll in Member elections and
representivity of membership
6
Scholarly Publishing Programme
• Promote access to knowledge resources
- Increase number of titles on OA platform (SciELO SA)
- Promote access to core commercial databases
• Undertake quality assurance (journals, books etc.)
- Establish peer-review evaluation panels
- Publish 3 discipline-grouped panel reports
- Coordinate activities of National Scholarly Publishers’
Forum & National Scholarly Editors’ Forum
• Enhance scientific writing for scholarly publishing
- Enhance quality of scientific writing for emerging
researchers through online writing system
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• Promote scholarly activity through
publication of SAJS
• Publish 6 issues per annum
• Increase content in ‘News and Views’
section
• Increase quality of accepted manuscripts
• Improve impact factor (2012 ISI impact factor =
0.84)
• Optimise distribution of print version and investigate
e-pub version
8
Quest
• Quest: Science for South Africa - fullcolour, quarterly, popular science
magazine
• Print-run 25 000 per issue
• Aimed at learners (Grades 10-12), educators and
scientific community to increase public awareness
of science
• Improve Quest Impact through
– Targeted distribution strategy
– Greater cooperation with DBE, University
Education Departments, SAASTA, science
centres
9
Policy Advisory Programme
•
Undertake evidence-based consensus studies in key
national priority areas
•
Increased generation of assessment studies in key
national priority areas
•
Host workshops on topics of national importance
•
Conduct commentaries on government policies
•
Localisation/domestication of evidence-based
reports
•
Monitor impact of study reports
10
Policy Advisory Programme
Health Studies
-
Publication and dissemination of IAMP Non-Communicable
Diseases (NCD) Conference Proceedings Report
-
Implement consensus study on Education of Health
Professionals in SA
-
Source funding for a consensus study on Reproductive
Health of Adolescents in SA
-
Study on Tobacco Control Policy Change in sub-Saharan
Africa (IOM & African academies)
-
Participate in collaborative study on Root Causes for Low
Coverage & Under-Immunisation of African Child (IOM &
African academies)
11
Policy Advisory Programme
Education Studies
- Promote Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE) in South Africa
-
Implementation of La Main a la Pâte pilot study in
Gauteng
-
Implement consensus study on Revitalising Agricultural
Education and Training in South Africa
-
Initiate consensus study on The Future of the Mathematical
Sciences in South Africa
12
Policy Advisory Programme
Science for Poverty Alleviation
- Revitalise Standing Committee
- Develop action plan and align with government priorities
Humanities
- Organise an international conference on Humanities
- Engage with key stakeholders to promote Humanities in SA
Biosafety and Biosecurity
- Complete study on State of Biosafety and Biosecurity in SA
13
Policy Advisory Programme
Climate Change
-
Finalise study on the State of Green Technologies in SA
-
Host media workshop to coincide with the launch of
IPCC assessment report
Energy Studies
-
Finalise study on the State of Energy Research in SA
-
Host workshop on renewable energy (Leopoldina)
14
Liaison Programme
• Initiate and develop relations with global, African and
SADC science Academy networks, national science
Academies and other science organisations
Participate in and play leadership role in global scientific
organisations - IAP, GScience , IAC, TWAS, OWSD, STSf & IAMP
- Strengthen links with ICSU and become adhering body
- Partner with Leopoldina ito joint activities
- Coordinate participation of SA scientists in global science
activities
-
• Promote women in science activities
- Give effect to OWSD National Chapter through activities that
promote women’s participation in science and provide
networking opportunities
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Liaison Programme
• Promote young scientists’ activities
-
-
Promote participation of young scientists in national scientific
activities
Organise and host Annual Young Scientists’ Conference
Identify and nominate young scientists for international
activities
Collaborate with and support SAYAS
• Recognise, reward and promote excellence in
science
- Award 2 Science-for-Society gold medals to distinguished
-
scientists
Award Sydney Brenner postdoctoral fellowship
Host annual Distinguished Visiting Scholar
Increase number of regions in which scholarly lectures are held
16
Communication and Publications
• Marketing Academy
• Production & dissemination of ASSAf Policy Advisory Reports
• Monitoring the impact & uptake of evidence-based reports
• Production & dissemination of SAJS
• Production & dissemination of Quest magazine
• Monitor the usage & impact of Quest magazine in schools
and other learning institutions
• Promote science awareness among youth through
participating in science events
• Raising science awareness & engagement through
cooperation with government, learning institutions, science
advancement entities and business
17
PROJECTED BUDGET SUMMARY
MTEF PERIOD: 2014/15 TO 2016/17
PROJECTED BUDGET
SUMMARY
MTEF PERIOD: 2014/15 TO 2016/17
Income
Details
DST: Baseline (parliamentary grant)
DST: Contract funding
2014/15
2015/16
R
R
2016/17
21 577 000
22 991 000
23 106 000
2 000 000
550 000
550 000
Agricultural Research Council
900 000
-
-
ESASTAP Plus (European Commission)
706 200
-
-
Oppenheimer Memorial Trust
220 000
240 000
-
UNESCO
792 000
133 100
-
Income from publications
250 000
500 000
500 000
Interest receivable
400 000
550 000
550 000
Membership fees receivable
82 000
86 000
88 000
Other income - Cohort secretariat
17 500
17 500
17 500
26 944 700
25 067 600
24 811 500
Total projected income
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Expenditures
Details
2014/15
2015/16
R
R
2016/17
Administration and governance
4 479 898
4 694 040
4 413 344
Communication
1 507 889
1 589 315
1 673 549
Liaison - national and international
5 354 520
4 197 662
3 995 983
Policy advisory programme
5 721 090
4 092 125
4 284 803
Publications
3 881 302
3 894 458
3 810 820
Scholarly publishing programme
6 000 000
6 600 000
6 633 000
26 944 700
25 067 600
24 811 500
Total projected expenditures
19
Thank you
Website: www.assaf.org.za
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