May you be inspired by the women within South Africa’s Antarctic Programme.
All the women that attended the 5th South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP) Symposium, earlier this month in Hermanus.
Women sitting here have been dreaming about a career in science and science related positions within the South African National Antarctic Programme. These are all ordinary women, but due to ambition and extremely hard work they are, or are becoming the best in their fields of research.
There is an increasing trend with regards to female Principal Investigators (PI’s) within South Africa’s Antarctic Programme (See Figure below). Of the 29 DST-NRF funded research projects within SANAP (for the period of 2018 to 2020), the Principal Investigator for 13 of these are women.
Women are represented in all four research themes within SANAP (Themes: Earth Systems, Living Systems, Human Enterprise and Innovation: Southern Ocean and Antarctic technology and engineering). Read more about these themes in South Africa’s Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research Plan for 2014 to 2024 (Click here).
Who is the Principal Investigator (PI)
“A Principal Investigator is the primary individual responsible for the preparation, conduct, and administration of a research grant in compliance with applicable laws and regulations and institutional policy governing the conduct of sponsored research.” (www.umass.edu)
Women are represented in all four research themes within SANAP (Themes: Earth Systems, Living Systems, Human Enterprise and Innovation: Southern Ocean and Antarctic technology and engineering). Read more about these themes in South Africa’s Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research Plan for 2014 to 2024 (Click here).
To all the women who:
- are or have been principal investigators of research projects within SANAP;
- obtained an Honours, Master’s, PhD or Post-Doc through South Africa’s Antarctic programme (SANAP);
- still study to become a scientist through SANAP;
- worked on research vessels, studying towards a scientific degree;
- overwintered on Marion Island, Gough Island or SANAE (Antarctica);
- spent a take-over on Marion Island, Gough Island or SANAE (Antarctica);
- started their careers within South Africa’s Antarctic programme;
- work behind the scenes of the Antarctic Programme (DST, NRF and DEA);
- feel SANAP meant the world to them by being the stepping stone for their futures,
…may you keep inspiring women to become what they want to be!
Only a few of the ladies who are or were involved in SANAP.
Inspiring female SANAP Scientist: Prof Isabelle Ansorge (UCT, Department of Oceanography) – Read her inspiring story here!
Prof Isabelle Ansorge, as a young researchers, on the Marion cruise onboard the S.A. Agulhas I in 2003.
Author: Anché Louw (Antarctic Legacy of South Africa), 28 August 2018
