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News in brief 2010
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Call for Interest: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Public Awareness
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The SAASTA/Hydrogen South Africa (HySA) public awareness platform wishes to invite institutions engaging in science outreach and awareness to participate in advancing public engagement around Hydrogen and fuel cells technology. Interested parties are requested to complete the application form. Successful candidates will be invited to participate in a symposium where information will be shared on cutting edge research and developments in the alternative energy sector. Following the information session, shortlisted candidates will be required to submit detailed implementation proposals for funding consideration.
Download:
The deadline for submitting proposals is 17 September 2010 at 12:00.
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National Science Week: 2-7 August 2010
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Theme for 2010: "The Role of Science in Economic Development"
SAASTA, on behalf of the DST, is inviting stakeholders to submit innovative and creative proposals for organising science, engineering and technology activities which contribute to the objectives of the National Science Week.
More information
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Call for proposals: Public engagement with Nanotechnology
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SAASTA wishes to invite the submission of proposals for the development of resource material in order to assist educators to include Nanotechnology in the school curriculum.
Download:
The deadline for responding is at the close of business on 31 May 2010.
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Press statement: Stem Cell Symposium
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A Stem Cell Symposium is scheduled for 2 and 3 August 2010 in Cape Town. The symposium will be followed by a workshop where scientists, physicians and surgeons will offer hands-on tutorials for registered professionals.
Download:
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News in brief 2009
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Relief Teachers
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Sci-Bono seeks to register and train a group of relief teachers whose role will be to temporarily take the place of school teachers selected for training. Relief teachers will spend limited periods at a time, in school classrooms in a care-taker role, while the selected teachers are away on training.
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Invitation to bid: SAASTA National School Debates Project
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SAASTA wishes to appoint a service provider to manage and run the SAASTA National School Debates project for a period of thirty six months.
Prospective Bidders are requested to attend a compulsory briefing session to be held on 26 October 2009.
Download:
The deadline for submitting proposals is 9 November 2009 at 11h00.
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Call for interest: Nanotechnology Outreach and Awareness Project
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It is required that outreach and awareness in the area of Nanotechnology be carried out or implemented by the Science Outreach and Awareness sector. It is the purpose of this call for interest to identify parties who would be interested in undertaking Outreach and Awareness Programmes in the area of Nanotechnology. SAASTA intends to roll out grants to successful candidates for this purpose. SAASTA will shortlist 15 applicants to further partake in the selection process.
Please click here to view the call for interest.
The deadline for submitting proposals is 24 December 2009.
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AFRICAN ORIGINS MONTH: September 2009
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For African Origins Month 2009, SAASTA wishes to appoint a team of people to develop communication material that would promote South Africa's sites of archaeological and palaeontological significance among tourists.
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NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK: 1 - 8 August 2009
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National Science Week, an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) is a countrywide celebration of science involving various stakeholders and/or role players conducting science-based activities during the week. For the fourth year running, the DST has decided to run National Science Week in all nine provinces simultaneously at multiple sites per province.
Read more about the science week and the activities in each province: www.saasta.ac.za/nsw/nsw2009/
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First round of Southern African Science Lens announced
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The first round of Southern African Science Lens, a photographic competition specifically aimed at illustrating and communicating the excitement and impact of science and technology in Southern Africa has been launched. The competition, organised by SAASTA, is open to residents of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique.
Read more about the competition, find inspiration, rules and online entry forms at: www.saasta.ac.za/sciencelens
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News in brief 2008
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Invitation - DNA fingerprinting in forensics - science against crime! |
The Public Understanding of Biotechnology programme (PUB) of the South African Agency for
Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) takes pleasure in
inviting you to attend a Media Round Table (MRT) to debate the topic
of DNA fingerprinting in forensics.
The MRT will take place on Wednesday, the 25th of March 2009 and will be held at the Melrose Arch Hotel in Fourways, Johannesburg. This event starts at 8.00am and will end at 1pm. Free parking will be available to participants of the event.
Please click here for more information.
Please click here for the MRT programme. |
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Hosting of Media Round Tables (MRTs) by Science Centres in South Africa (updated) |
| Invitation to a Media Round Table Working Group Session combined with a Call for Proposals and Terms of Reference
PUB has been hosting a series of media round tables (MRTs) around South Africa. The MRTs are interactive media briefings where the media are the target audience, involving a cross section of relevant stakeholders to enable all perspectives/viewpoints to be expressed and discussed in equal standing. MRTs also help to bridge the communication divide between researchers/scientists and the media which is often responsible for the poor quality and quantity of accurate media reporting. Ultimately, MRTs will lead to improved understanding by the South African lay person of biotechnology issues...
Read more...
Download this announcement as a pdf:
Download a pdf submission form:
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Job Vacancies - National Research Foundation (NRF) |
The National Research Foundation (NRF) supports and promotes research through funding, human resource development and by providing the necessary research facilities to facilitate the creation of knowledge, innovation and development in all fields of science and technology, including indigenous knowledge.
The National Research Foundation, an Employer of Choice, has the following vacancies for highly proficient individuals:
* Programme Officer: HCP
* Project Coordinators: SAASTA
* Multimedia Coordinator: SAASTA
* Liaison Officer: IRG
* Communication Officer: IF
Read more.. |
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Invitation: Bioprospecting Media Round Table |
The Public Understanding of Biotechnology programme (PUB) of the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) takes pleasure in inviting you to attend a Media Round Table (MRT) to debate the much discussed topic of Bioprospecting.
The Bioprospecting MRT will take place on Wednesday, the 25th of February 2009 and will be held at the MonteCasino in Fourways, Johannesburg. This event starts at 8.00am and will end at 1pm. Free parking will be available to participants of the event.
Please click here for more information.
Please click here for the updated MRT programme.
Please click here for the live webcast.
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International Year of Astronomy |
In December 2007, the United Nations declared 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009). The vision of the IYA2009, in line with the global IYA vision, is to help the citizens of southern Africa rediscover their place in the Universe through the day- and night-time sky, and thereby engage in a personal sense of wonder, discovery and an appreciation of astronomy. The primary focus of IYA2009 is to market the impact that astronomy has made on our understanding of the solar system and the universe, and to use this dynamic science to attract and retain students in the natural sciences. The theme for IYA2009 is “The Universe: Yours to Discover”.
IYA2009 has identified the following as its primary goals and objectives:
- Increase scientific awareness;
- Promote widespread access to new knowledge and observing experiences;
- Empower astronomical communities in developing countries;
- Support and improve formal and informal science education;
- Provide a modern image of science and scientists;
- Facilitate new networks and strengthen existing ones;
- Improve the gender-balanced representation of scientists at all levels and promote greater involvement by underrepresented minorities in scientific and engineering careers; and
- Facilitate the preservation and protection of the world’s cultural and natural heritage of dark skies in places such as urban oases, national parks and astronomical sites.
Call for Proposals: IYA2009
The Department of Science and Technology has earmarked funds to support projects and activities to be implemented through various SET stakeholders around South Africa. These implementations need to assist in the realisation of the vision of IYA2009 through the promotion of astronomy amongst the following target groups, with a focus on building and supporting human resources:
A. Educational Institutions (schools, universities):
in order to impact strongly on the current education system through:
A.1 Educational resource development and distribution
A.2 Educator development
A.3 Learner development
A.4 Promotion of astronomy related careers
B. Public:
in order to keep people informed and create a broad awareness of the day- and night-time sky through:
B.1 Public resource development and distribution
B.2 Astronomy communication capacity building and implementation
B.3 Public programmes and events
B.4 Astronomy and media
Deadline
The deadline for submitting proposals is close of business, Friday 13 February 2009. Submissions received after this date will not be considered. Applications are encouraged to submit their proposals earlier where possible.
Downloads
To download these files, please right-click on the links and select "Save Target As..."
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Pub website gets a new look |
The Public Understanding of Biotechnology (PUB) programme’s website now has a new look. The new website is available at the old web address: http://www.pub.ac.za
PUB is an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and implemented by the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) with the aim to promote a clear understanding of the potential of biotechnology and to ensure broad public awareness, dialogue and debate on its current and potential future applications.
“The new PUB website was designed with the user in mind and we hope it will encourage more visits, and even a greater debate on biotechnology issues such as bio fuels and genetic modification (GM),” says Beverley Damonse, the Executive Director of SAASTA.
The new PUB website has introduced features such as fact files, information on past media round table (MRT), frequently asked questions (FAQs) as well as a section on careers packed with information on careers in biotechnology and a profile of stories from students who have studied biotechnology.
All comments and/or compliments can be sent to info@pub.ac.za |
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Call for Proposals - Audiovisual production & touch screen adaptation of SAASTA Media Round Table material |
The Public Understanding of Biotechnology (PUB) programme, an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), is implemented by SAASTA’s Science Communication Unit across all sectors of society.
PUB has been hosting a series of media round tables (MRTs) around South Africa. The MRTs are interactive media briefings where the media are the target audience, involving a cross section of relevant stakeholders to enable all perspectives/viewpoints to be expressed and discussed in equal standing. MRTs also help to bridge the communication divide between researchers/scientists and the media which is often responsible for the poor quality and quantity of accurate media reporting. Ultimately, MRTs will lead to improved understanding by the South African lay person of biotechnology issues. Read more...
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Media invitation: National Astronomy Quiz Finals 2008 |
On Friday, 24 October 2008, the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) will be hosting the National Astronomy Quiz Finals 2008. The finals will be held at SAASTA’s Johannesburg Observatory.
Astronomy Quiz is an initiative of SAASTA aimed at grade seven learners with the main aim of improving learning and teaching of astronomy at primary school level. This is also SAASTA’s contribution to the Department of Science and Technology’s Astronomy month which is celebrated in October.
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Biotechnology in Medical Research Media Round Table |
The Public Understanding of Biotechnology programme (PUB) of the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) takes pleasure in inviting you to attend a Media Round Table (MRT) discussing Biotechnology in Medical Research.
This MRT looks at the use of biotechnology applications in addressing diseases that predominate in developing countries, such as tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS and various cancers and genetic diseases. Such applications can include studying the reaction of the body's immune system to infections, the mechanisms of progression of the disease as well as the genetic basis of diseases. These research efforts will go a long way in supporting the global search for breakthroughs in the understanding of these diseases and could possibly also lead to the identification of diagnostic tools and specific drugs and vaccines. |
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Eastern Cape learners take top honours in national debates tournament |
At a glittering awards function in Pretoria last night, three learners from the Eastern Cape beat stiff competition to win the finals of the national debates tournament.
Over the weekend the top debating teams from North West Province, the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal faced each other in an eloquent battle of wits. In the final round the members of the Eastern Cape team, Andrew de Blocq, Anade Situma, and Ndzwayiba Makabongwe trumped worthy opponents Rebone Matabane, Sizwe Moagi, and Kgwerano Mpamonyane of the Limpopo team. |
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SAASTA celebrates Primary Science Day |
| The South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) has designated the 18th of September 2008 as Primary Science Day. Primary Science Day is a designated day devoted to celebrating the wonders and excitement of science at primary school level. This day will be celebrated at all participating schools in Limpopo, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng provinces. |
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National Science Week 2009 - Closed call for proposals |
National Science Week, an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) is a countrywide celebration of science involving various stakeholders and/or role players conducting science-based activities during the week. For the fourth year running, the DST has decided to run National Science Week in all nine provinces simultaneously at multiple sites per province.
The South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA), a business unit of the National Research Foundation (NRF), will continue to play the role of National Project Manager for the National Science Week 2009 (NSW9).
The focus week will run from Saturday 9 May 2009 to Saturday 16 May 2009. In addition to contributing to science, engineering and technology among various sections of the population, the National Science Week is intended to expose learners to science-based careers, particularly disadvantaged sections of the population.
This is a closed call for proposals which means that only service providers who received a grant NSW 2008 implementation will be considered for the 2009 NSW implementation. |
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Call for proposals - 2nd African Science Communication Conference |
SAASTA is to take a leadership position in promoting broad public awareness,
appreciation and understanding of science, engineering and technology in South Africa.
On the 18th to the 21st of February 20009, SAASTA will be hosting the 2nd
African Science Communication Conference. The theme of this conference
is “Shaping Africa’s future – Science Communication’s contribution to Science,
Technology and Innovation, and the development of democracy in Africa.
SAASTA invites creative and innovative proposals from the Events Management Companies/Organisations, which will handle the logisticalarrangements of the Conference.
ONLY one proposal per applicant with a clear budget breakdown will be considered. Targeted conference size is approximately 250. |
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SAASTA Young Science Writers |
| An announcement on the SAASTA Young Science Writers Competition will be made in April 2009. This will include the launch date with an entirely new competition format. |
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Celebrating Women in Science |
| The Department of Science and Technology is celebrating Women’s Month by recognising a number of South Africa’s leading women scientists. Announcing the 2008 Women in Science Award winners at a gala dinner on 8 August 2008, Minister Mosibudi Mangena applauded women scientists for their immense contribution to the upliftment of all South Africans, and women in particular. |
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SAASTA's National Schools Debate project full steam ahead |
| The South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) this year launched the National Schools Debate competition in conjunction with the South African School Debating Board. Now in its provincial stages of implementation, the competition aims to present scientific information to the youth of South Africa in a manner that will stimulate them intellectually and encourage them to engage each other on science-related issues. |
News in brief 2007
Here you'll find the latest News in Brief as published on our homepage throughout the year.
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NRF Space Workshop report back |
| SA's emerging space programme is taking shape and parties gathered recently to examine the role of the NRF's astro/geo/space national facilities and other space-related activities within the organisation. You can view further info and download the presentations on SA's space portal. |
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AstroQuiz winners announced |
| The winner of the 2007 Astronomy Quiz is Eunice Primary from Bloemfontein! The team prize was a 20cm telescope, from Eridanus Optics in Tshwane. Each team member also received a pair of 8x56 binoculars obtained at cost from Eridanus Optics, plus the book "Skywatching". Eridanus optics also sponsored a solar filter sheet for each school. |
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NRF Space Workshop report back |
| SA's emerging space programme is taking shape and parties gathered recently to examine the role of the NRF's astro/geo/space national facilities and other space-related activities within the organisation. You can view further info and download the presentations on SA's space portal. |
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Ambitious plan to promote S&T literacy among SA youth |
| The Department Science and Technology (DST) has launched the Youth into Science Strategy (YiSS). Part of DST's goal of promoting youth empowerment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, YiSS sets targets including doubling the number of youth who participate in National Science Week; identifying and nurturing at least 5000 talented youths from disadvantaged backgrounds, through maths and science camps, by 2010. |
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Building African partnerships in space |
| Leading African space scientists are gathering from 2 to 5 October 2007, for the 2nd African Leadership Conference on Space Science and Technology for Sustainable Development. The theme is “Building African partnerships in space” where the continent's space professionals will deliberate the role of space science and technology in Africa's development. |
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The sky is no longer the limit |
| Activities during Astronomy Month 2007 include: educator, student and career workshops; stargazing shows; open days at our leading observatories - including a two-day, one-night trip to SALT; career booklets and cartoon strips on national television. |
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World Space Week is here |
| Science and culture meet at the Barnyard Theatre in Tshwane, where a celebrity concert and fashion show will feature school students singing the Planet Song [HipHop music] and the Kids in the Sky Song. This is part of the WSW celebration in SA and takes place on 6 October 6, 2007 from 13:00. |
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SA Science Lens submissions close |
| Thank you for the approximately 500 images entered into SA Science Lens this year! There are some absolute gems among the entries and we look forward to revealing them to the judges and selecting the winners. This is South Africa's only photographic competition, specifically aimed at illustrating and communicating the excitement and impact of science. |
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African Origins Month - know your roots |
| September is African Origins Month 2007. Activities around the country include: cartoons on television, special museum lectures and tours, a mini exhibition on indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) and guided tours through caves of archaeological interest. |
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NSW8 call for proposals announced |
| The call for proposals for National Science Week 2008 has been issued. The deadline for submitting proposals is close of business, Friday 14 September 2007. The focus week will run from Saturday 10 May 2008 to Saturday 17 May 2008. |
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Submit your science pics soon |
| Avoid the last-minute rush and submit your SA Science Lens entry today. Don't forget, you can enter online via this website and upload your image directly to our database. The deadline is 14 September 2007. This is South Africa's only photographic competition, specifically aimed at illustrating and communicating the excitement and impact of science. |
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Marine Biosciences Month is here |
| Activities during Marine Biosciences Month 2007 include exhibitions, excursions, television exposure and radio interviews. The full schedule of events is now available online. |
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International Polar Year update |
| Due to our involvement in Antarctica, South Africans are active participants in IPY. The local launch took place on the SA Agulhas, the South African Polar Research vessel, while at anchor in the Cape Town harbour. More info on the IPY and IHY websites. |
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SA Science Lens kicks off |
| The moment you've been waiting for, has arrived. SA Science Lens, round number five, is underway. This is South Africa's only photographic competition, specifically aimed at illustrating and communicating the excitement and impact of science. |
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NSW 2007 - here's the programme |
| National Science Week 2007 runs from 12 to 19 May and is being celebrated under the theme "Tomorrow’s Science & Technology are in our Youth’s Hands". |
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Social sciences and humanities research in Antarctica? |
| There is a growing need for Antarctic-related research in the social sciences and humanities to obtain a deeper understanding of political, economic, and socio-cultural processes and pressures. A research network is to be set up to start filling this gap. |
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Don't forget ScopeX 2007 in Jhb |
| Interested in Astronomy, sky-gazing, astro-photography, buying/building a telescope? Come visit ScopeX - the Telescope & Astronomy Expo held annually on Astronomy Day. There will be an astrophotography workshop on Friday 20 April and the expo takes place on 21 April 2007. |
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Young Science Writers winners announced |
| The winners of the Saturday Star and SAASTA Young Science Writers Competition have been released. The winning entry was submitted by Dheshnie Govender, a PhD student at the University of Cape Town. The runners-up are: Rodain Joubert, Cayle Sharrock and Ernita van Wyk. |
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Call for Proposals: Science Communication Workshops |
| In support of its objectives to enhance coverage of science in the South African media, SAASTA offers workshops for: scientists, to support them to communicate their messages to the public; and media practitioners, to equip them to communicate science stories. Deadline: 14 February 2007. |
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Call for Proposals: DST Platform Months 2007
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| SAASTA has issued the call for proposals for funding within the DST Platform Months for 2007. The Platform Months are: Antarctica Month (June), Biosciences Month (August), African Origins Month (September), Astronomy Month (October). |
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