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 the 2007 Congress.
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.