12-14 October 2011
iThemba LABS
UTC timezone
Registration now open

About

SANHARP

In support of the South African Government’s vision for expanding nuclear energy in the South African electricity mix as indicated in the Integrated Resource Plan 2010 (IRP2010) and also looking at other nuclear applications (i.e. isotope and radiopharmaceutical production, food preservation, materials research, and others), the Department of Science and Technology (DST) established the South African Nuclear Human Asset and Research Programme (SANHARP).to assist in advancing skills in the nuclear sector.  The skills advancement would range from basic and applied research in all applicable sciences and engineering disciplines, to manufacturing and distinctive aspects of waste management.  SANHARP was established following consensus by key stakeholders in the nuclear sector.  There is a recognition that skills to support the future nuclear energy sector will need to be broadened to support the entire government strategy for the nuclear sector, i.e. the technologies that will be employed in the near to medium term and longer term technologies.

Since April 2009, SANHARP was migrated from within NECSA into the National Research Foundation (NRF), specifically within the Applied Research and Innovation (ARI) directorate, whose role is to promote and develop applied research within the National System of Innovation (NSI).  The organising of SANHARP within the NRF is also designed to maximise benefit through integration of its business processes and systems into that of the Grants Management Systems Administration (GMSA) directorate of the NRF. 

iThemba LABS

The iThemba Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Sciences is a group of multi-disciplinary research laboratories administered by the National Research Foundation. Based at two sites in the Western Cape and Gauteng, these provide facilities for:

  • Basic and applied research using particle beams
  • Particle radiotherapy for the treatment of cancer
  • The supply of accelerator-produced radioactive
  • isotopes for nuclear medicine and research

The basic skills and facilities at iThemba LABS are in the applied and pure sub-atomic sciences and associated technologies. Worldwide, these basic sciences are growing strongly. The applications of these sciences to technology are also growing rapidly indeed. For example, there is an international scarcity of radioisotopes creating a market into which iThemba LABS' products have had speedy access due to their quality and innovative nature. There is also a shortage of the skills and human resources required to satisfy these growing markets and economic requirements. The training programmes at iThemba LABS are essential both for transforming the South African science and technology (S&T) workforce and for growing the skills required to build a successful economy in which there are sufficient resources to eradicate poverty.