The South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) aims to advance public awareness, appreciation and engagement of science, engineering and technology in South Africa. SAASTA is business Unit of the National Research Foundation.

 

Sky Viewing

Join SAASTA at the Johannesburg Observatory for an evening among the stars. Sky viewing takes place every Wednesday from about 18:00 if the skies are clear. Participation is free. Phone Mavis at 011 551 5940 for more information.

Women in Science

In recognition of women’s scientific achievements, SAASTA developed an exhibit to share women physicists’ love of physics with you as a way of bringing the world of physics and the realisation of a possible career in physics a step closer.

Forensic science laboratory

  Learners experimenting in the  forensic science laboratory at SAASTA'S Johannesburg Observatory. For more information on school visits, contact Mavis at 011 551 5940.

The storm of the eye

SA Science Lens - the storm of the eye - Lourens Uitenweerde's winning entry in the in the Science As Art category of the SA Science Lens competition is a digitally manipulated close-up image of an eye.    

Entries for this year's SASL competition are now closed

We appreciate all your photos and loving going through them all. Winners will be announced during November 2011.    

The Best of SA Science Lens

The SA Science Lens competition gives SAASTA the opportunituy to communicate science in an exciting and visual manner. SAASTA will run the competition again in 2011. Click here to view the competition page.

Stimulating young minds at Sci-Bono Discovery Centre

Learners participating in activities at Sci-Bono Discovery Centre during National Science Week 2010. National Science Week is an annual country-wide celebration of science, funded by the Department of Science and Technology and managed by SAASTA.  

Physics can be phun!

Learning about physics the fun way at the Johannesburg Observatory. For more information on school visits, contact Mavis at 011 551 5940.  

SA Science Lens - two worms take a swim

 SA Science Lens - two worms take a swim - Claire Hoving's winning entry in the Science Close-up category of the SA Science Lens Competition. It shows two gravid female nematode worms (Nippostrongylus Braziliensis) surrounded by bubbles in a saline solution.    

Mirror Maze

Learners have great fun while learning about the properties of light in SAASTA's Mirror Maze, at the Johannesburg Observatory. For more information on school visits, contact Mavis at 011 551 5940.

This year's SASL is now closed for entries. Winners announced in Nov 2011

SA Science Lens - gold galore - André Botha of Pretoria's winning entry in the Science As Art category of the SA Science Lens competition shows golden islands on a carbon substrate.      

Learners enjoying National Science Week

  Science is made fun and easy at the MTN Science Centre in Cape Town.

SAASTA
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The South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement aims to advance public awareness, appreciation and engagement of science, engineering and technology in South Africa. SAASTA is a business unit of the National Research Foundation.

Scope of activities

  • Building the quantity and quality of mathematics and science outputs at school level (developing SET human capital)
  • Raising the general interest in, engagement and appreciation of the public (and especially poorer communities) for the benefit of science (strengthening the SET culture)
  • Communicating science to the South African citizenry (bringing science and scientists closer to civil society).

For further information, click here.

 

NRF Advancement News

Astro/Space/
Geosciences

Biodiversity/
Conservation

Astronomy stars 

Nuclear Sciences

 

SAASTA Announcements

SKA Schools Competition

South Africa has been short-listed with Australia to host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) & the winning country will be announced in February. The 2012 SKA competition is underway and the closing date is 31 March 2012. Click here for the entry form and brochure.

Natural Science Olympiad

Don't forget to enter, you have until 29 Feb to enter your learners. Click here for entry forms.

 

 

 

 

 

Nano tour invitation

SAASTA in collaboration with the National Centre for Nanostructured Materials (NCNM) would like to invite you to the Launch of the Nanotechnology Facility Tour that will take place at CSIR on 23 February 2012 from 8H30 to 13H00.

Click here to see the invitation.

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SAASTA News in Brief

Hamba Khale, Christina (by the South African Science Journalists Association)
Christina Scott, South Africa’s premier radio and TV science journalist has died tragically in a motor car accident, aged 49. A champion of science...
Eastern Cape Province school wins the SAASTA National Schools Debates Competition
Five learners from Hudson Park High School in the Eastern Cape Province showed in convincing style that science isn’t something only scientists and...
SA’s top science learners awarded
In March, over 24 000 learners from around South Africa and SADC countries - the largest number ever in the 47 years of the competition - wrote the...

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