National Facilities falling under Management of the NRF

South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO)

The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) is the National Facility for optical and infrared astronomy, and forms part of the National Research Foundation. Since the early 1970s, the major telescopes of the SAAO have operated on a hilltop 1800 metres above sea level, near the Karoo village of Sutherland, about 370 km inland (better weather, semi-desert site, free of light and other pollution). SAAO headquarters, including the main library, computing facilities and engineering workshops, are in Cape Town on the historic site of the former Royal Observatory

South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)

Scientists at the Institute are involved in research on fish in marine, estuarine and freshwater environments, ranging from the cold Southern Ocean to tropical Lake Malawi and the western Indian Ocean islands. Research in the Institute was initially directed at marine fish taxonomy but has diversified over the years to include freshwater fish taxonomy, ecology, ethology, conservation, embryology, genetics, palaeontology, telemetry, morphology and molecular biology. In addition, contract research is done on subsistence fisheries, aquatic resource management and a variety of environmental issues.

HartRao (Hartbeeshoek Radio Astronomy Observatory)

The Observatory began as Deep Space Station 51, built in 1961 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States of America. The station tracked many unmanned US space probes. These included the Ranger, Surveyor and Lunar Orbiter spacecraft, which landed on the Moon or mapped it from orbit, the Mariner missions which explored the planets Venus and Mars and the Pioneers which measured the Sun's winds.The station was handed over to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 1975 and was converted to a radio astronomy observatory. In 1988 the observatory became a National Facility operated by the Foundation for Research Development (FRD). In 1999 the FRD was restructured as the National Research Foundation (NRF).

Hermanus Magnetic Observatory (HMO)

The HMO was transferred to the NRF from the CSIR in August 2001 as a result of a study on the future of the observatory, undertaken by Professor Friedel Sellschop of the University of the Witwatersrand. The study emphasised the importance of the HMO as a national asset and suggested that it be made a national facility. High-level human-resource training and research capacity-building are top priorities in the transformation of the observatory into a national facility. The HMO is expanding its scientific research capacity by: · Redeveloping and expanding past research collaborations; · Re-establishing participation in the South African National Antarctic Research Programme; · Expanding contacts with higher education, particularly with historically black universities; · Participating in South Africa's satellite programme by developing contacts with Stellenbosch University and the Institute for Satellite and Software Applications at Houwteq; · Establishing collaborations with research organisations and universities abroad; and · Encouraging visiting scientists to work at the HMO.