BRICS ASTRONOMY COOPERATION

1. BRICS ASTRONOMY COOPERATION Takalani Nemaungani, Secretariat – BAWG Director: Astronomy, DHEST BRICS Astronomy Meeting in Rio de Janeiro 30 Sept 2019

2. Astronomy – why is it important ? • Answers fundamental questions on the origins of the universe and humanity’s place in it. • It is a driver of innovation and an important catalyst for scientific and technological development • It is a gateway science for outreach and tool for socio-economic development

3. Background - BRICS Astronomy Working Group (BAWG) • 1stBRICS Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Ministerial Meeting held in Cape Town on 10 February 2014 – identified 5 thematic science priority areas: • Prevention and mitigating of natural disasters – Brazil • Water resources and pollution treatment – Russia • Geospatial technology and its applications – India • New and renewable energy, and energy efficiency – China • Astronomy – South Africa • 2nd BRICS STI Ministerial Meeting in March 2015 in Brazil - signed a (MoU) on STI cooperation. This MoU makes provision for three governing structures: • BRICS STI Ministerial Meeting • BRICS STI Senior Officials Meeting • BRICS STI Working Groups – expert groups in each of the thematic areas • BRICS Astronomy Working Group (BAWG) • 3rd BRICS STI Ministerial meeting held in October 2015 in Moscow - Work Plan was adopted

4. Purpose and Role - BAWG • The BAWG is: • responsible for promoting cooperation activities in the astronomy priority area; • convenes BAWG meetings and workshops at least once a year; • composed of government officials, focal points (astronomy institutions) and experts;and • chaired by the South African Department of Higher Education,Science and Technology (DHEST)which provides secretariat support. • As the Secretariat, South Africa: • provides administrative support to the BAWG and its programmes; • coordinates the networking of the BRICS astronomy communities to get to know each other and work together; • Facilitates development of content and ensures follow-up on actions; • captures and maintains proceedings/resolutionsof the BAWG; and • disseminates information to the astronomy communities using various media(email,etc) including a website - http://www.bricsastronomy.org

5. BAWG WORKSHOPS The BRICS Astronomy Workshop: • is held annually ahead of the BAWG back-to-back; • provides a platform for BRICS member countries to engage on science policy issues and scientific topics to explore mechanisms for promoting BRICS cooperation in astronomy.

6. 2015 Workshop and Working Group Meeting • The inaugural BAWG Meeting was held in Cape Town, on 12 December 2015; • Workshop focus: policy instruments, innovation, industry developments and opportunities in the BRICS countries; • Terms of Reference for the Working Group was developed during the Working Group meeting. • Agreed on drafting a BRICS Framework for Scientific Cooperation in Astronomy (Science Plan)

7. 2016 Workshop and Working Group Meeting

8. 2016 Workshop and Working Group Meeting • The 2nd workshop and BAWG meeting was held in Ekaterinburg,Russia, on 5-8 September 2016; • Workshop Focus: Astronomical Data and Computation; • Adopted the Terms of Reference; • Noted progress on the draft Science Plan and agreed it needed to be complemented by a roadmap; • 1st BRICS Call for Proposals issued in 2016

9. 2017 Workshop and Working Group Meeting

10. 2017 Workshop and Working Group Meeting • 3rd workshop and BAWG meeting was held in Pune, India, on 21-23 September 2017. • Workshop focus: Astronomy Infrastructure and Instrumentation • Agreed that BRICS Astronomy activities now under development effectively replaces the proposed roadmap • Issued a call for at least three or four possible flagshipflagship project concept proposals – on a 3-page template

11. 2017 Workshop and Working Group Meeting Finalised the framework document

12. 2018 Workshop and Working Group Meeting

13. 2018 Workshop and Working Group Meeting

14. WORKING GROUP 2018 Workshop and Working Group Meeting www.dst.gov.za

15. WORKING GROUP 2018 Workshop and Working Group Meeting • Thematic Focus Area: Ideas for strengthening BRICS astronomy into the future • It was held in Kwamhlanga, Durban, South Africa on October 29-31, 2018 • Agreed on 3 flagship proposals www.dst.gov.za

16. WORKING GROUP 2018 Workshop and Working Group Meeting • Thematic Focus Area: Ideas for strengthening BRICS astronomy into the future • It was held in Kwamhlanga, Durban, South Africa on October 29-31, 2018 • Agreed on 3 flagship proposals www.dst.gov.za

17. 2018 Workshop and Working Group Meeting • The fourth workshop and BAWG meeting was held in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal, on 29 to 31 October 2018. • Workshop focus: Ideas for strengthening BRICS astronomy into the future • Welcomed the re-instatement of astronomy as an eligible focus area under the 3rd BRICS STI Framework Programme through the 2018 Call for Proposals • Eighteen proposals for flagship projects were presented during the 2018 BRICS Astronomy Workshop • To assist in identifying a more limited number of projects a task team was set up during the Workshop with experts from each BRICS country.

18. 2018 Workshop and Working Group Meeting Outcomes and task team deliberations • The task team was tasked with clustering the eighteen (18) proposals submitted and presented at the 2018 BAWG Workshop into 3 flagship/thematic projects: • Optical transient network • Neutral Hydrogen / 21 cm cosmology • Big data infrastructure collaboration towards Square Kilometre Array (SKA), Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) and other future large-survey projects. • The detailed proposals should be sent through to the secretariat no later than 15 July 2019 • Proposals to be presented by the PIs at the upcoming BWAG in Rio de Janeiro on 29 September to 2 October 2019

19. 2018 Workshop and Working Group Meeting The proposals should strive to meet the following criteria as much as possible: • Representation and involvement by all BRICS countries where possible but with a minimum of three countries. Permission should be sought from relevant facilities where applicable. • Scientific excellence. • Socio-economic impact which includes but is not limited to technology development and transfer, outreach, human capital development programmes (student exchanges, etc.), relevance to the Next/4th Industrial Revolution, involvement of the private sector. • Leveraging of existing and future national projects. • A project plan detailing relevant capital and operational expenses, and timelines should be clearly articulated. • A scalable project with a phased approach.

20. BRICS Astronomy Funding Update….. • As mentioned previously, the 1st Call yielded only 3 funded astronomy projects , report backs are scheduled for the BRICS meeting in Brazil in September by the PIs. • The second Call did not include Astronomy but had Big Data, however no astronomy related projects were funded. In total only 32 of the 462 projects were approved in 6 thematic areas. • The 3rd and latest Call is still on-going, the call was extended from end April to end May 2019 with South Africa closing end March 2019 due to internal re-organization of calls. Astronomy is included in this call, projects can include instrumentation and infrastructure. • 4The awards will be announced by December 2019 with implementation commencing during the 1dt Quarter of 2020, there are indications that this will be delayed. All projects will run for 3 years maximum and include at least 3 BRICS partner countries.

21. BRICS Astronomy Funding Update….. • Total funding allocated by each country for the 3rd Call: (per project for the 3 years in US Dollars) • China (max 18 projects) 289000 • Brazil (higher allocation for infrastructure) 51300 128000 • Russia (min-max/ 466200 777000 • India 71600 • South Africa 178400 • Based on the previous two calls there is only a 7% chance of success • PIs are meant to provide an update at our BRICS meeting in September in Brazil

22. Achievements of the BAWG to date………. • A network of BRICS astronomy community has been established to build working relationship and trust • ToR and a secretariat put in place to provide administrative support and coordination • A BRICS framework for scientific cooperation has been approved – science plan • A website is in place as repository and tool for communication • 3 BRICS Call for Proposals issued and funded projects • 4 countries would have hosted BAWG meetings and workshops by end of 2019 except for China – meetings very successful • 3 Flagship projects identified and detailed proposals under development

23. Achievements of the BAWG to date………. • A network of BRICS astronomy community has been established to build working relationship and trust • ToR and a secretariat put in place to provide administrative support and coordination • A BRICS framework for scientific cooperation has been approved – science plan • A website is in place as repository and tool for communication • 3 BRICS Call for Proposals issued and funded projects • 4 countries would have hosted BAWG meetings and workshops by end of 2019 except for China – meetings very successful • 3 Flagship projects identified and detailed proposals under development

24. Challenges of the BAWG to date………. • Language and cultural barriers – a diverse BRICS community • Response to BAWG events somewhat slow • Success rates through BRICS call is slow due to limited funding – interest is very high • Funding is limited at this stage – credibility at risk in the long-term if funding is not significantly improved • 3 funding instruments for SA-China astronomy – bilateral astronomy funds, bilateral S&T agreement and BRICS Call • Secretariat capacity is limited – no dedicated full time person

25. Thank you BRICS Secretariat Contact: http://www.bricsastronomy.org Takalani.Temaungani@dst.gov.za