About Us
The African Neutron and Synchrotron Data Analysis Competency (ANSDAC) project aims to develop expertise amongst emerging Africa-based faculty researchers to engage with and make use of large scale international institutions such as neutron and synchrotron light sources. Although their use is generally free of charge for academic research and the South African National Research Foundation has even become an associate member of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), a lack of expertise in successfully designing an experiment for this environment and effectively analysing the vast amounts of data still limits the number of local researchers making use of the opportunity. This further disadvantages African researchers in comparison to their peers.
While the establishment of a synchrotron light source on the African continent continues to be discussed, initiatives get stalled based on the large amount of funding required as well as the lack of a critical mass of quality users.
The ANSDAC project want to play a small part in addressing the latter. With funding by the Newton Fund administered by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Catalysis c*change, in kind contributions by the Universities of Glasgow, the Western Cape and SASOL and partnering with the Global Challenges Research Fund project START (Synchrotron Techniques for African Research and Technology), three workshops on synchrotron and neutron data analysis will be offered in 2018, 2019 and 2021. Lectures will be held by experts from the Diamond Light Source and the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source in the UK as well as South African specialists.
To register, submit this online form together with your CV and a letter of motivation. The workshop as is free of charge but the number of attendees is limited to 15 per workshop. Registration opens on the 1st of June 2021 closes on the 15th of June 2021 .
The ANSDAC team consists of Dr Emma Gibson (University of Glasgow), Dr Esna du Plessis (SASOL), Prof Masikana Mdleleni (University of the Western Cape) and Associate Prof Nico Fischer (c*change and University of Cape Town).
For more information see FAQ or contact us.
Our Purpose
The ANSDAC project aims to train emerging African-based faculty researchers in the art of analysing data collected at synchrotron and/or neutron facilities. We believe that a lack of expertise in this field is the main hurdle for local researchers to engage with these international large-scale facilities. While the focus is on data analysis, international lecturers will also share insights on how to write successful beamline applications.
Beyond the workshops the project aims to provide an online platform for researchers in (South) Africa to share experiences, news and find support. The ANSDAC project is specifically designed for faculty researchers with the clear expectation that the knowledge provided will be shared with colleagues and students at the
respective home institutions.
About c*change
c*change is a DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Catalysis and is hosted within the Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Cape Town. One of the first six centres established by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) in 2005/06, c*change was devised as a virtual centre. While hosted at the University of Cape Town, 25-30 researchers at 14 research groups and 11 national Higher Education Institutions collaborate in three research programmes, namely synthesis gas conversion, paraffin activation, and olefin functionalization, with a strong focus on the South African chemical industry.
The main mandate of c*change is to train highly qualified MSc and PhD graduates by conducting fundamental research of an international standard. Currently c*change supports approximately 50-55 postgraduate students and 15 post-doctoral fellows, of which 50% are female, over 80% are South African (over 90% are African) and approximately 80% are black, through bursaries and running cost contributions.
About START
At the heart of GCRF-START sits the community of co-investigators whose work in the relevant scientific disciplines is world-leading in their fields. They support a wider group of students and post-doctoral assistants whose contribution to START is vital to nurture future capacity and leadership in the African scientific research community. Working on experiments at the UK’s synchrotron, Diamond Light Source, START researchers and students will bring insights to sustainable energy and improvement in health that will have long-lasting legacies across Africa.
Africa does not yet have a synchrotron light source, but African researchers are keen to apply synchrotron techniques to their research problems. START funds research posts in Africa and the UK, focusing on two crucial research areas to African development, energy materials and structural biology for healthcare.
The motivation for START comes from the societal challenges faced by African communities; for example, 600 million people (70%) in sub-Saharan Africa live without electricity, and a reliable electricity supply is one of the most powerful tools for lifting people out of poverty and ending their dependency on aid. START researchers will investigate energy materials, including solar cell structures, catalysts and batteries. Development of healthcare in Africa is hampered by a lack of fundamental understanding of the cause in diseases such as malaria or HIV. Structural biology gives unprecedented insight into the mechanisms behind such diseases.
About Our Partners
We are indebted to our partner institutions ensuring the success of the ANDSAC project. Besides the home institutions of the team members, namely SASOL and the Universities of Glasgow, the Western Cape and Cape Town, especially the Diamond Light Source, the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, the University of Pretoria and Loughborough and XRD Analytical Consulting need to be highlighted for allowing their scientists to participate as lecturers in the workshops. The support of BRUKER South Africa and Malvern Panalytical supplying software packages for the duration of the workshops is also greatly appreciated.
Our Funding
The main source of funding of the ANSDAC project are the Newton Fund’s Industry Academia Partnership Program administered by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the GCRF funded START project. Additional funding is provided by SASOL and c*change. The project further benefits through in kind contributions by the University of Glasgow, Diamond Light Source, the ISIS Neutron an Muon Source, the University of Pretoria and Loughborough, XRD Analytical Consulting, BRUKER South Africa and Malvern Panalytical.