Founding Board of the SKA
The Founding Board , formed in April 2011 carried out the preparatory work for the SKA Organisation (SKAO) which was subsequently formed in December 2011.
This global group of people made many of the key decisions which have driven the direction and timeline for development and deployment of the SKA. The founding board is now disbanded, but the SKA thanks and acknowledges the immense hard work that they undertook to help build this global telescope project.

From left to right: 1. Dr. Jinxin Hao, Deputy Director, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China) 2. Dr. Franz-Josef Zickgraf, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (Germany) 3. Patricia Vogel, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Netherlands) 4. Jean-Marie Hameury, Institut National des Sciences de l’Univers du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France) 5. Patricia Kelly, Deputy Secretary, Australian Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (Australia) 6. Mr Jonathan Kings, Project Director, Ministry of Economic Development (New Zealand) 7. Prof. John Womersley, Director of Science Programmes, Science and Technology Facilities Council (United Kingdom) 8. Dr. Gabriele Villa, Director of Projects Department, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (Italy) 9. Dr. Val Munsami, Deputy Director General, Department Science and Technology (South Africa). Image credit: INAF
Founding Board Members (disbanded) | |
Financial Authority Representatives: | Science Representatives: |
Australia | |
Ms Patricia Kelly Deputy Secretary, Australian Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research | Prof Brian Boyle SKA Director anzSKA Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) |
China | |
Dr Jinxin Hao Deputy Director, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences | Dr Bo PengNational Astronomical Observatories |
France | |
Dr Jean-Marie Hameury Institut National des Sciences de l’Univers du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS-INSU) | Dr Wim van Driel Observatoire de Paris |
Germany | |
Dr Franz-Josef Zickgraf Germany Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) | Prof Michael Kramer Max-Planck-Insitut fur Radioastronomie |
Italy | |
Dr Giampaolo VettolaniIstituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF) | Dr Luigina FerettiIstituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF) |
New Zealand | |
Dr Jonathan Kings Project Director, Ministry of Economic Development | Dr Melanie Johnston-Hollitt Chair, New Zealand SKA Research & Development Consortium Victoria University of Wellington |
Republic of South Africa | |
Dr Val Munsami Deputy Director General, Department Science and Technology | Dr Bernie Fanaroff Project Director of SKA Africa |
The Netherlands | |
Ms Patricia Vogel (Deputy Chair)Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO) | Prof Mike GarrettGeneral Director ASTRON |
UK | |
Professor John Womersley (Chair) Director Science Programmes, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) | Prof Steve RawlingsUniversity of Oxford |
Observers: | |
Dr Greg Fahlman National Research Council, Canada | Dr Russ TaylorUniversity of Calgary, Canada |
Dr Elena Righi-SteeleEuropean Commission | |
Ms Rowena SireyEuropean Southern Observatory | |
Dr Yashwant GuptaNational Centre for Radio Astronomy, Pune University campus, India |
Dr Hideyuki Kobayashi National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), Japan | |
Dr Bong-Gyu Kim Director of the Radio Division Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), Korea | Dr Jongsoo Kim Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), Korea |
Board Secretary: | |
Ms Michelle Cooper Science and Technology Facilities Council |