Breakthrough Listen Africa Programme 2026. Call for Proposals
The Electronics Research Foundation and the TART community are delighted to announce financial support from the Breakthrough Listen programme to extend the TART telescope network in Africa, in partnership with SARAO, DARA and Rhodes University. Up to five additional TART deployments and installation workshops across Africa will be funded by this call.
The call is open to African institutions or consortia interested in hosting a TART telescope. Hosts will be selected for funding based on their site readiness, sustainability, expected impact on Human Capacity Development in the country, and availability of co-funding.
Proposal for this call should be submitted as a PDF-format document (3 pages maximum) addressing the following questions:
- Description of host institution, number of faculty and students (potentially) involved in radio astronomy.
- Availability of co-funding for a TART telescope.
- Long-term sustainability of a TART telescope at the host institution: availability of funding and staff for operation, maintenance and scientific exploitation of the telescope
- Proposed telescope site and site readiness.
- Ability and willingness of the host institution to organise an installation workshop. (Please address questions of lecturing venue(s), accommodation options, distance from the telescope site, the number of local students that would be joining, etc.)
- Availability of co-funding for the installation workshop.
- Composition of the local installation team and workshop LOC.
- Ability of the host institution to manufacture the TART array structure locally. This requires access to CNC tools for working with plywood, and basic fabricating skills. Expected impact of a TART installation in the country: number of students and faculty that could benefit from a TART at the host institution(s), proposed development of a scientific programme around the TART, etc.
If you have questions, get in touch with the TART community.
Further proposal details are contained in the PDF of Call Details
- Submit your proposals as a single PDF by e-mail to cfp2026@tart.africa.
- Proposal deadline: 15th April
- Selection announcement: 15 May