Programmes
Administration and Internal Activities
ASSAf is governed by a Council, chaired by the President of the Academy. The Council comprises 13 members, 12 of whom are elected, and one of whom is appointed by the Minister of Science and Technology, as representative of the Department’s National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI).
The secretariat of the Academy is managed the Executive Officer, Prof Roseanne Diab, appointed on 1 May 2008. In the absence of the Executive Officer, the office is managed by the Chief Operations Officer, Dr Xola Mati. The secretariat comprises 20 staff members. For names and contact details of staff, click here.
Evidence-based Study Projects
Evidence-based study project activities form the core of the Academy’s function and are a key area of future development.
Current studies include: Click here for more details
Improved Nutritional Assessment in South Africa
State of Humanities in South Africa
PhD Study: Enhancing the Production of Postgraduates in South Africa
Clinical Research and Related Training in South Africa
Low Carbon Cities
Science for Poverty Alleviation
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education
Biosafety
Completed studies include: Click for more details
Report on Strategic Approach to Research Publishing in South Africa
Science-based Improvements of Rural/Subsistence Agriculture
Local Economic Development in Small Towns
Scholarly Publishing Programme
The Scholarly Publishing Programme of the Academy is overseen by the Academy’s Committee on Scholarly Publishing in South Africa (CSPiSA), chaired by Prof Wieland Gevers. The Committee’s work is supported by the ASSAf Scholarly Publishing Unit (SPU).
The proposal behind the Programme was submitted to the Department of Science and Technology in November 2008, requesting funding over 3 years for concerted implementation of the ten recommendations developed in the 2006 Academy Report on “A Strategic Approach to Research Publishing in South Africa”. The Department had previously accepted these recommendations, on the assurance that the Academy had also obtained the support of the Department of Higher Education and Training, and other stakeholders. The Programme is aligned directly with the Ten-Year Plan for Innovation of the DST as adopted by the Cabinet.
The ASSAf Scholarly Publishing Programme is conceptualised as a targeted intervention into the country’s national system of Innovation (NSI), focused on the enhancement of the quality, quantity and worldwide visibility of original, peer-reviewed publications produced by researchers in the public sector, and the fostering of a new generation of highly competent and productive scientists and scholars. In March 2006 ASSAf published the Report on a Strategic Approach to Research Publishing in South Africa, making recommendations regarding the publishing and funding of South African research.
Report on a Strategic Approach to Research Publishing in South Africa : Summary
The ASSAf Scholarly Publishing Programme currently comprises:
- Book Study
- National Scholarly Editors’ Forum
- Incentives for Editors
- Open Access: SciELO SA
- Peer Review Panels
- Online Scientific Writing
Liaison Activities
Liaison activities include liaison with ASSAf Members, national stakeholders and international stakeholders.