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ISPF-034, Supporting a neutron and muon user community in Indonesia and Malaysia, 2023/2024 & 2024/2025
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
The initial cost of building and running large research facilities is often prohibitive to developing countries. This programme aims to build research capacity in ODA relevant research areas by allowing access to UK research infrastructures, specifically the ISIS Neutron & Muon Source, for Indonesian and Malaysian researchers. It will also develop a relationship with ASEAN funders to further spread the use of neutron and muon techniques.
ISPF-034, Supporting a neutron and muon user community in Indonesia and Malaysia 2025/2026
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
The initial cost of building and running large research facilities is often prohibitive to developing countries. This programme aims to build research capacity in ODA relevant research areas by allowing access to UK research infrastructures, specifically the ISIS Neutron & Muon Source, for Indonesian and Malaysian researchers. It will also develop a relationship with ASEAN funders to further spread the use of neutron and muon techniques.
ISPF-020, Enabling ISIS Collaboration with Brazil 2023 - 2027
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
The developing of Brazilian use of ISIS is a programme that will enhance the relationship between Brazil and the UK by increasing the number of proposals to ISIS from Brazilian researchers. Currently averaging 2 proposals per year from Brazil to ISIS, we hope to support around 20 completed experiments through the programme and at least 3 extended stays at ISIS by Brazilian researchers and to have 30 Brazilian researchers trained in neutron/muon techniques. The funding will be spent via activities such as: • Calls for proposals for Brazilian researchers to access ISIS • Experiments at ISIS by Brazilian researchers including beam fee costs, and travel and subsistence for Brazilian researchers to come to the facility for experiments • Sabbaticals / 'mini-sabbaticals' at ISIS by Brazilian researchers • In-person workshops and meetings in Brazil • Neutron/muon training school in Brazil • Engagement with Brazilian funding organisations • Support for Brazilian researchers to engage in dissemination activities related to their ISIS experiments once back in Brazil.
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Delivery costs of International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) ODA activities
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Operational costs occurred at Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) associated with hosting and/or managing ODA International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) programmes
Royal Society Delivery Costs - GCRF
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Programme delivery and administrative costs for Royal Society ODA programmes under the Global Challenges Research Fund.
Core and Resilient Futures - UK ODA Fellowships
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Fellowships for non-UK scientists who are at an early stage of their research career and wish to conduct research in the UK. (From the Resilient Futures Collective Fund).
Royal Society Delivery Costs - NF
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Programme delivery and administrative costs for Royal Society for ODA programmes under the Newton Fund.
Core and Resilient Futures - UK ODA Fellowships
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Fellowships for non-UK scientists who are at an early stage of their research career and wish to conduct research in the UK. (From the Resilient Futures Collective Fund).
Delivery Costs for Newton Fund ODA Eligible Activities
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Newton Fund. AHRC Staff delivery costs for ODA eligible activities
Delivery costs of ODA eligible activities
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Delivery costs of ODA eligible activities funded (4%) through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF)
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Delivery costs of International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) ODA activities
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Operational costs occurred at Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) associated with hosting and/or managing ODA International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) programmes
DARA Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy Phase 3
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
This proposal is to continue, deepen and expand the Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy (DARA) project. DARA is a human capital development programme with the principal aim to develop high tech skills in radio astronomy in the eight developing African countries that partner with South Africa in the hosting of the mid-frequency telescope of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). The first two phases utilized the Newton Fund and delivered a basic training to over 300 young people as well as Masters and PhD level training. This proposal is once again a bilateral UK-SA project bidding for Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding as part of the Tomorrow's Talent strand of the new International Science Partnership Fund (ISPF). In this new phase we will extend the HCD pipeline to establish postdoctoral fellows in African partner institutions for the first time. The aim is to complete the establishment of radio astronomy research groups in each partner country so that their citizens can fully engage with the SKA project. We will also continue the basic and Masters level training programme. This third phase will also encompass elements of the DARA Big Data sister project to deepen the training in machine learning techniques required to analyse SKA data and embed synergies with Earth Observation data. We will also continue and expand our partnership with the space sector to showcase how the skills of radio astronomy can be utilized to address development challenges in Africa. The industrial partners also bring entrepreneurship and business start-up experience. Overall, the DARA project addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in terms of increasing high tech skills, research activity and international cooperation.
CERN Non-Member State Doctoral Student Programme
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
The CERN and Society foundation run PhD student placements for researchers from non-member states, funded through partner contributions. Through this programme STFC will provide funding to cover costs for students from Sub Saharan African countries that are on the DAC list to participate in CERN’s Non-Member State Doctoral Student Programme for the first time. Enabling up to 5 high-calibre students in particle physics, applied physics, information technology/computing and engineering from CERN non-member states to obtain world-class exposure, supervision and training in scientific and technological activities at CERN.
African School of Fundamental Physics and Applications Graduate Summer School Programme
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
The African School of Fundamental Physics (ASP) runs an annual programme supporting graduate and postgraduate physicists from ISPF priority African countries (Kenya, South Africa plus LDCs). High calibre students are selected to attend a two-week 'summer school' in Morocco in July 2024 which aims to increase applied physics skills, increase the diversity of the physics research base, and increase engagement with university facilities. One-year’s funding enables 10-15 students from ISPF Priority Countries to attend in 2024. A 3-year sponsorship would support two schools and one conference, covering travel and subsistence for students/researchers, who would otherwise be unable to attend. STFC is working directly with ASP to support this programme which will benefit the African physics research community enabling mobility and networking.
Characterization of high-energy neutron beams at iThemba LABS for use in irradiation of electronics
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
The project aims to characterize high-energy quasi-monoenergetic neutron beams at iThemba LABS for applications in irradiation testing of electronics. High-energy neutron facilities are crucial for testing the effects of atmospheric radiation, induced by cosmic rays, on electronics. The increasing need of reliable electronics is today coming from many growing sectors, like vehicle electrification, automation, and internet infrastructure. The project will evaluate neutron fluxes, spectra, and beam uniformity at energies from 50 to 200 MeV. A variety of neutron techniques, that have been developed and used at the ISIS neutron source of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, will be deployed to perform a complete characterization and a cross-calibration with the ChipIR beamline. Silicon and diamond detectors will be used for their well-known neutron energy response combined with fast signals that allow for time of flight measurements. Activation foils will measure neutron flux and energy distribution with direct reference to nuclear cross sections. SRAM-based detectors will monitor Single Event Upsets to measure neutron flux and beam profiles, aiding cross-calibration with existing facilities like ChipIR at ISIS. This comprehensive approach ensures robust testing and confidence for using these beams for microelectronics testing application. The research teams at ISIS and iThemba LABS have a proven track-record in neutron measurements and instrumentation development as well as operation of fast neutron user facilities. Each team is led by an internationally recognised expert. The total project budget of £ 211k consists of STFC staff time, equipment, calibration at a third reference facility and travel&subsistence. The equipment cost includes silicon and diamond detectors, activation foils, electronics and SRAM based monitors. South Africa is the country that will directly benefit from this Official Development Assistance (ODA) project. A desired outcome of this project is to expand the international user base of the quasi-monoenergetic neutron beams at iThemba LABS for applications in irradiation testing of electronics. On top of being an international centre of excellence, the particle accelerators operated by iThemba LABS can make a huge contribution towards improving the quality of the lives of South African citizens. As an example of direct societal and regional benefit, iThemba LABS uses accelerated proton beams to facilitate the production of radiopharmaceuticals. These radioisotopes are used amongst others for PET imaging of neuroendocrine tumours, prostate cancer and positron annihilation studies. iThemba LABS in general contributes towards developing a cohort of future researchers in nuclear measurements, instrumentation, and related applications.
Digital Advances for Nuclear Science and Applications
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Radiation detection has a wide range of applications in fields such as medical, environmental monitoring and security. However, compact, high-performing commercial systems can be prohibitively expensive and often require specialised expertise and support to operate and maintain, making them inaccessible to many developing countries. A significant portion of the cost is attributed to the data acquisition and analysis components of these devices. For some commercially available software, specialised training workshops and long-term support is required, further escalating costs and limiting accessibility to these systems. To address these challenges, our project aims to develop a scalable, low-power, low-cost and lightweight, streaming digitiser. This digitiser will interface with detectors (both new and existing), digitise the input and stream it to low-power single-board computers. We will also develop pulse shape analysis software to extract information from the detector signals, provide real-time data monitoring and store data for subsequent analysis. When combined with small-volume scintillator detectors, this complete detection system will offer an affordable alternative to existing commercial products. The control and user interface will be deigned for access through WiFi or other lightweight and portable protocols. Due to its light weight and portable design, our system will be ideal for field applications, such as radiation mapping and source identification (for example, mapping of uranium mines). Its scalability and low cost also make it suitable for use in Compton cameras and ion therapy (for example, to monitor or identify the origin of observed γ rays in therapy or security scenarios).
Optical diagnostics system for ion sources
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
The UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) ISIS Neutron and Muon Source (UK) and iThemba LABS (South Africa) will collaborate on the development of optical diagnostics systems for ion sources. Optical diagnostics will be used to improve ion source availability for accelerators and their applications. The diagnostics system will guide decisions on adjustments of the ion source control parameters and provide information for the technological development of ion sources at iThemba LABS. The time-resolved optical diagnostics system will be first developed and tested in the UK using existing ion source test facilities at ISIS. The system will then be deployed in South Africa. The main features of the optical diagnostics system are good time-resolution, wavelength selectivity, capability for simultaneous monitoring of several emission bands and ease-of-use. The setup is based on bandpass filters providing selectivity and silicon photomultiplier detectors providing high-sensitivity and good temporal resolution. The proposed work builds on pioneering development of optical diagnostics at ISIS. The ISIS Low Energy Beams Group (LEBG) have used time-resolved optical diagnostics to study the plasmas of the ISIS Penning and prototype RF ion sources, and for the detection of beam-induced light emission to study the space charge compensation in the low energy beam transport. We will utilise the ion source and low energy beam transport test facilities at ISIS for further prototyping of the diagnostics tool developed for iThemba LABS, which makes the approach efficient and mitigates the risk related to the prototyping stage. The risk related to technology transfer is minimised by arranging a training period for iThemba LABS staff at ISIS where they are trained to use the prototype diagnostics device for monitoring a real ion source and to carry out the data analysis. The research teams at ISIS and iThemba LABS have a proven track-record in ion source and plasma diagnostics development as well as operation of ion sources at accelerator-based user facilities. Each team is led by an internationally recognised expert. The project budget consists of STFC staff time, equipment and travel & subsistence. The equipment cost includes vacuum components, optical fibres, optical components, spectrometers, silicon photomultiplier diodes, pre-amplifier components, power supplies, oscilloscopes and data acquisition computers. Several experimental campaigns attended by researchers from each laboratory will be conducted during the project. The country that will directly benefit from this Official Development Assistance (ODA) project is South Africa. The particle accelerators operated by iThemba LABS can make a huge contribution towards improving the quality of the lives of South African citizens. As an example of direct societal and regional benefit, iThemba LABS uses accelerated proton beams to facilitate the production of radiopharmaceuticals. These radioisotopes are used amongst others for PET imaging of neuroendocrine tumours, prostate cancer and positron annihilation studies. Some of these radioisotopes are used for cardiac and neurological applications and these are produced solely for local clients due to the half-life of the isotopes. iThemba LABS in general contributes towards developing a sufficiently trained cohort of future researchers. The charged particle beams of all these applications are delivered by the ion sources operated by iThemba LABS. The proposed technology transfer of the optical diagnostics system is foreseen to improve the usability and reliability of the ion sources, resulting in better utilisation of the accelerator facilities addressing these development goals and challenges.
South Africa Biome Mapping with UAVs and Satellite Measurements
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
South Africa is a water-scarce country, which experiences highly variable rainfall as well as high evaporative rates resulting in an average of only 9% of rainfall being translated into streamflow. These characteristics have led to a system where water resources are strongly intertwined with the land cover and land use, and thereby the energy and carbon fluxes. The proposed study area is part of the Northern Drakensberg Strategic Water Source Area (SWSA) in the upper uThukela catchment. The study area, includes a vast tract of the protected, near pristine UNESCO World Heritage Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park which falls under the management of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW), contrasted with the heavily engineered Thukela-Vaal Pump storage scheme and impoverished communities with no access to water. The complex terrain and high levels of biodiversity endemism make the landscape sensitive to global change. There is a heavy dependence on the ecosystem services this landscape provides at national, regional and local scales with the livelihoods of the local population closely linked to the natural resources and ecosystem integrity. High soil-carbon stocks and the catchments' substantive contribution to the country's water resources, coupled with trends in land transformation impacting on these ecosystem functions provide a development context of national significance in which to understand global change impacts on ecosystem functioning along a river course from point and plot scale to cumulative downstream impacts. To optimally manage the landscape, as well as identify intervention and restoration activities, fine-scale observations over the relatively large area are required. Being in a developing country, as well as a rural area with complex topography means that fine-scale, field-based observation data are scarce, and is limited to a small research area in the headwater catchments in the protected grassland area (approximately 8 km2 out of a larger area of approx 5000 km2) and a new established site lower in the landscape in a conservation area. Land cover outside the protected areas varies from commercial agricultural cropping and rangelands, to heavily degraded rural village areas. Remotely sensed satellite based information is often inaccurate in areas of rugged, mountainous terrain such as this. The overarching objective of this project, would be to develop and validate fine scale datasets for the selected areas in the Northern Drakensberg for use in land and water management and modelling applications. These datasets are critical for upscaling ongoing in-situ observations across the broader landscape, in order to reduce spatio-temporal uncertainty around the influence of global change on ecosystem biodiversity and functional assets. This would be achieved through the joint expertise of STFC RAL Space in earth observation and SAEON in field based monitoring in combination with their local knowledge The aims and objectives are Design and build a drone-based HyperSpectral Imager (HSI) platform for use in the field in the Northern Drakensberg, South Africa. Perform fine-scale vegetation, land, evapotranspiration and soil water content mapping using drone technology and hyperspectral, thermal and LIDAR at a seasonal temporal resolution. Complement in-situ monitoring with land-based sensors and satellite imagery for tracking seasonal and longer-term shifts in vegetation phenology. Validate the fine-scale data products from the drone and satellite imagery using existing field-based data. Build capacity through knowledge exchange and sharing of procedures and best practice.
Target making skills transfer
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Thin film targets and foils are required for low-energy nuclear physics experiments in nuclear structure, nuclear reactions and nuclear astrophysics. In order to meet current demands of NP physicists engaged in experiments around the world, a large variety of targets are required from isotopes throughout the periodic table. Worldwide expertise in target preparation is becoming rare. In Europe, only a small number of target making laboratories remains. They produce targets for free to their own national users but usually charge the other users. In the USA, Argonne national laboratory has also a target making facility, but again mostly for local use. The target preparation laboratory (TPL) at Daresbury Laboratory provides this service to the UK NP community and it is the only facility of its kind available in the UK. The aim of the proposed work is to develop this expertise at the iThemba Laboratory (iTL) in South Africa and create a close UK-South Africa collaboration in this very niche expertise area. This will be achieved by a series of visits of the Daresbury TPL by staff from iTL, to learn the skills of target productions using various techniques: vacuum deposition, electron beam gun, sputtering, rolling and chemical fabrication techniques.
The Intelligent Observatory
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
The South African Astronomical Observatory and the STFC Hartree Centre are joining forces to deliver the Intelligent Observatory, where the human engineers and astronomers are aided by advanced software solutions to deliver the best scientific products and swift maintenance of the telescopes and instruments. This collaboration will deliver three main results: a platform to interrogate the scientific literature; a unified system to analyse all health-check signals from the instruments and predict necessary maintenance in advance; and automated pipelines to provide scientists with high-quality data, which can automatically correct disturbances from the atmosphere and unavoidable imperfections in the instruments. These three combined activities will accelerate ground-breaking research by the astrophysical community in South Africa and worldwide. Until now, many of these activities have been performed manually, requiring significant time and effort, and observing requests were evaluated only twice a year and allocated some hit-or-miss slots in advance. The SAAO telescopes have been refurbished for robotic operations, to enable a wider use by the community, and observing requests will be processed on a nightly basis. This shift will enable the rapid follow-up of new phenomena, including the many astrophysical transients that are now flagged every night and will become even more abundant with the advent of the Vera Rubin Observatory. This new approach requires operations to be prioritised and automated as much as possible, and advance warning of any possible faults such that the engineering teams can promptly intervene during the day. The Hartree AI researchers will build generative AI solutions, to aid the effective elicitation of knowledge in the scientific literature and in fault logs. Working closely with the SAAO scientists, they will develop a unified platform to collect and analyse all telemetry data (telescope and instrument health, weather stations), including audio and video data, to direct early maintenance efforts. Finally, Hartree and the SAAO will deliver automated pipelines to convert the instrument detector signals in ready data products for science, with minimal user intervention and using all information gathered during every night including the telemetry from the other strand of work. Some of these solutions are not yet available even at the most advanced observatories. Observatories are the best place to develop new technologies in a safe environment, strengthening them for wider industrial applicability. The work on knowledge elicitation will lower the barrier versus access to literature in many fields, accelerating new discoveries but also the interrogation of internal logs for similar occurrences of possible issues. The work on telemetry models will develop solutions for predictive maintenance that can be applied to the industrial sector, e.g. to predict whether some ambient conditions can result in more frequent manufacturing defects or catching early warning signs of machinery faults. The work on pipelines will provide advanced solutions for image reconstruction, defect detection and artifact correction in challenging regimes. By lowering the barrier to excellent science, the tools developed in this combined SAAO-Hartree endeavour can provide many hands-on training opportunities for STEM universities, including historically disadvantaged institutions.
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