The SAPRI will be advised by already existing and newly proposed high-level committees and some more technical panels, as illustrated in Figure 19 and detailed in the following sections.
Joint DSI-DEFF Steering Committee
This committee represents the custodian departments of the SAPRI, namely DEFF and DSI. The two departments will be using this committee to give expression to their respective high-level strategies, ASOS and MARS (Section 1.1.2).
Administration
Data center
Consortium partners and stakeholders
SAEON central administration
SAEON SAIAB
SUN
Logistics
SAPRI Advisory Panel
SANAP Coordination Committee
DPS
Antarctic Legacy of South Africa
Digital Antarctic
UCT Multiple
DEFF
SAEON Management
SAPRI Management
LTO-LAND
Marion Island Base
Gough Island Base
SANAE IV Base
SAPRI Scientific Panel
LTO-OCEAN
Ship and land- based Laboratories
Mooring Platforms
Seafloor Platforms
Ship-based Platforms
Thematic User Fora
DPS LTO-Land LTO-Ocean Polar Lab
POLAR LAB
Temperature Controlled
Facility
Sub-zero Technology
and Calibration
Sub-zero Storage
SAPRI Advisory Panel (SAP)
While the working structure of the SAPRI will be shaped by NRF guidelines, the high-level priorities of the SAPRI need to be advised upon by an advisory panel of organisational stakeholders. The SAPRI Advisory Panel (SAP) will be officially appointed by SAEON Management. During the setup phase, this operation will be done in consultation with the initial team that developed the approved SAPRI proposal. The SAP is responsible for developing a common understanding among the consortium partners and for advising the SAEON MD and the SAPRI Manager on strategic directions for the development of the RI and the ongoing refinement of the SAPRI business model, inclusive of the SAPRI’s Key Performance Areas and Indicators. The SAP will provide comment and recommendations on the business plans, annual reports and budgets. The SAP will ensure alignment with the national strategies and will advise on the implementation of the scientific strategic directions proposed by the Scientific Panel. It is composed of an independent chair (the exact method of election still to be decided), the SAPRI Manager, the chairperson of the SAPRI Scientific Panel, one senior representative from every consortium partner, chairperson of the SANAP coordination committee, chair of the users forum, and one senior representative for each of DSI, DEFF and DIRCO. The SAP will meet twice a year, following the reports from the Management Team and the Scientific Panel; a first meeting to receive and approve the annual reports and a second meeting to approve the business plans for the new year.
During Phase 1 of SAPRI, more frequent meetings may be organised to provide timely advice to the SAEON MD and the SAPRI Management Team.
Figure 19 Schematic of the advisory structure. Yellow boxes indicate the proposed advisory bodies and their relationship with the other structures.
SAPRI Scientific Panel (SSP)
A continuous alignment with international scientific research is of paramount importance in polar sciences. A SAPRI Scientific Panel (SSP) will be established to advise on the long-term scientific directions and their integration with the research plans proposed by SCAR and the other international bodies illustrated in the Introduction. The SSP will prepare recommendations to be submitted to the SAP, which will advise on their implementation to the SAEON management and NRF Board. The
NRF Board
---1,
SAEON Management
Joint D51-DEFF Steering Committee
SAPRI Advisory Panel
SANAP Coordination
SAPRI Scientific Panel
SAPRI Integrated Facilities
Thematic User Fora
members of the SSP will be scientists of high international standing, also including international scientists from an array of disciplines. The chair of the SSP will be elected by majority.
Given that the SMCRI and BIOGRIP Research Infrastructures are involved with the SAPRI, they should have representation on the SAPRI Scientific Panel.
One of the initial tasks of the SAPRI management is to develop the terms of reference and identify possible candidates for this panel and to send out formal invitations. The members of the SSP are envisaged to be the South African representatives in the major international science committees and research groupings, such as CCAMLR, SCAR, SCOR, IWC and others. The SSP will advise the technical design of the observational platforms and inform the procurement process in consultation with the Management Team.
Thematic User Fora
The SSP is assisted by four thematic User Fora, one for each of the SAPRI scientific pillars namely LTO Land, LTO Ocean, Polar Lab and DPS. This apparent separation of the community of practice is implemented in recognition of the specific requirements of the multiple disciplines involved in polar sciences and served by the RI. This division is however not prescribed and joint meetings of the Fora are encouraged to enhance interdisciplinarity and shared use of resources. The Fora will have at least one annual meeting, with the addition of ad hoc meetings that will be advertised on the RI web site and mailing list. Participation will be open to all current and prospective users. The SAPRI Coordinating Officers will each chair their respective user forum.
The User Fora will be able to advise SAPRI management on availability and feasibility of additional infrastructures for take-over or research cruises, or whether SAPRI own infrastructures may be used for other EEZ related endeavours or on international polar expeditions, should requests arise.
SANAP Coordination Committee
The proposed integration of the SANAP-science component will require a dedicated advisory structure that is parallel to the management of SAPRI, with the aims to advance the implementation and coordination of the SANAP related activities. The Committee revises plans for expeditions based on the scientific and operational requirements of SAPRI partners and users as submitted by the PI of the funded SANAP projects and other endorsed projects. Following the scientific recommendation from the independent NRF science review panel or other international review process, the Committee will ensure the alignment between the logistics requirements and the scientific aims. It will deliberate and negotiate the logistical priorities and schedules among the partners. It is co-chaired by a nominee from DEFF and the SAPRI Manager and it will include the NRF representative of the SANAP competitive research funding programme to ensure continuity and alignment. The other members consist of the South African representative of COMNAP and the SAPRI Coordinating Officers (Logistics, DPS, LTO Land, LTO Ocean, Polar Lab). In addition to this, the chair of the Prince Edward Island Advisory Committee (PEIAC) should be included. This panel will also invite the Principal Investigators of the endorsed scientific and long-term projects to aid the decision-making process on the logistics related to the science to be undertaken.
Members will not sit on this committee for fixed terms because the terms will be dictated by the incumbent in the respective position. The Committee may consult with the Scientific Panel and the specific User Fora if deemed necessary and it would benefit with input from several technical figures,
such as but not exclusive to: the DEFF fleet managers and helicopter teams and senior technicians, the vessel operators and the vessel Captains, the technical teams overseeing the maintenance of scientific systems onboard the vessel, Chief Engineers and communications experts. The terms of reference and identification of members to serve on this committee will be one of the initial tasks of the SAPRI Management.
4.2.1 Fiduciary control
The NRF is a science council established under Act 23 of 1999 within the domain of the DSI. It has a governing board appointed by the Minister of Higher Education Science and Innovation. As with the other two RIs hosted by SAEON, there is no room within the NRF structure for control through a governing board dedicated to SAPRI. Instead the NRF Executive will be responsible for implementing the fiduciary controls over SAEON and thus over SAPRI. The SAP will be accountable for offering sound advice and SAEON Management will be accountable for implementing that advice within the constraints and context of the larger organisation.
4.2.2 Ethical conduct
University ethics committees or funding bodies for research projects are responsible for ensuring that legal and ethical standards are met during the execution of research projects. Therefore, while ethics pre-approval will not be a SSP and/or SAPRI Data Centre related activity, by the time SAPRI data are submitted to the SAPRI Data Centre repository for archiving, SAPRI Data Centre staff will verify that legal and ethical guidelines have been followed.
Data will be stored on secure servers. The SAPRI Data Centre will be compliant with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPI) and Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA). The POPI Act is designed to protect personal information processed by both private and public bodies, whereas the PAIA Act is legislation which allows access to any information held by the State, and information held by private bodies that is required for the exercise and protection of any rights.
Metadata records will not contain personal information for scientists or data owners, but work contact details will be used. These details are typically provided by the users themselves with the understanding that they will be made available in the metadata record.