The Institute of Applied Sciences (IAS) at The University of the South Pacific (USP) interfaces the University's expertise and facilities to the independent island countries of the South Pacific Region. In particular, as a laboratory based institute, it makes these resources available to regional organizations, governments, business, and the people of the region. The Institute of Applied Sciences was established in 1977 (under the name of Institute of Natural Resources) at the Suva campus of the University of the South Pacific with a full time staff of one using the facilities and space provided by the science teaching departments at the University. IAS has now grown to have 50 full time staff and its own laboratories and scientific equipment located in the Marine Science Building at the "lower" Laucala Bay Campus by the sea. The various units at IAS are the Laboratory Services, Natural Resources Management Unit, Drug Discovery, Quality Control Unit and the South Pacific Regional Herbarium. The Institute also works with other schools, institutes and individual departments at USP on interdisciplinary projects that require a wider range of skills than those usually found in individual departments or faculties. Another role of IAS is to organize short technical and scientific training courses that cannot be met through the normal teaching program of the university. In addition, there are often several visiting scientists, graduate students or exchange staff from various overseas universities or organizations using the Institute as a base for their research work at any one time. IAS also sponsors many local postgraduate students to assist in its work and develop local capacity. The activities of the institute are carried out through projects units working around the core facility, the Laboratory Services. The project areas are not fixed and are designed to change as the needs of the region and staff interests change.
