A more comprehensive description of PSA’s strategic goals and objectives can be found in the 1999 Strategic Plan for PSA. This plan will be reviewed and revised at a future PSA Council meeting.
In summary, the scientific goals of PSA are to:
- Advance science and technology by increasing interdisciplinary collaboration within the Pacific region, by:
- Holding Congresses and Inter-Congresses and other interdisciplinary meetings to address common concerns and priorities, and to share knowledge,
- Maintaining vital scientific working groups that will facilitate interdisciplinary research on important subjects,
- Facilitating communications within and outside the research community, especially focusing on narrowing the “digital divide”,
- Forming effective and productive partnerships with other scientific organizations, academic and research institutions, governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations, and
- Developing a comprehensive set of program material to assist presentations, proposals, and research carried out by PSA’s constituents;
- Build scientific and technological capacity in the Pacific region, by:
- Enhancing communication opportunities for isolated scientists and scientific groups, through such activities as leveraging travel grants, in-country programs, and encouraging special efforts to include these colleagues in PSA-related research activities,
- Promoting the active participation of women and other under-represented groups in the PSA and regional scientific activities,
- Diversifying the leadership opportunities within PSA,
- Strengthening PSA’s education and mentoring activities for capacity-building,
- Increasing the involvement of students and young scientists in PSA, and
- Fostering common scientific protocols and methodologies;
- Encourage science for public policy and the common good in the Pacific, by:
- Encouraging policy relevance in Congresses and Inter-Congresses and other symposia and meetings,
- Enhancing the policy relevance of PSA and how official PSA resolutions can exert a greater influence on encouraging sound decision-making,
- Facilitating policy-relevant research and activities and creating links between PSA and other international bodies involved in policy formulation, and
- Concentrating on science for public policy; and to
- Promote the “Science of the Pacific” and Pacific Island involvement in regional and international scientific activities by:
- Partnering with Pacific Island scientists and institutions to ensure that Pacific Island states and scientists are actively involved in PSA’s activities,
- Developing greater research strength and capacity within the Pacific Islands ,
- Facilitating an organized program of Pacific Research Initiatives, and
- Holding Inter-Congresses in the Pacific Islands.
Scientific Task Forces have been established to investigate interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary areas identified as relevant. Scientific Committees have been long-established to study and to stimulate solutions to important problems of Pacific interest.