Roles & Responsibilities of the Council

The PNG Science and Technology Council Act of 1992 defines the role and responsibilities of the Council as:

1. Gather information on scientific and technological activities taking place or being planned or required and, through a process of analysis and consultation, determine their positive and negative implications and the optimum course of action.
2. To maintain liaison with government agencies and organizations, private sector, universities, research institutions and non-government organizations and any international bodies to ensure cross-sectoral consideration of scientific and technological issues.
3. To advise the National Executive Council, central agencies, government departments and other appropriate bodies regarding the merits, implications relative priority, potential duplication and the resource requirements of policies, programs and projects.
4. To review and co-ordinate prospective aid projects specifically related to science and technology and to advise upon priorities for additional donor assistance.
5. To facilitate effective links-including joint research and the exchange of specialists between Universities, research Institutions, Statutory Authorities and the private sector.
6. To conduct or case to be conducted technological assessments on the potential social, economic and cultural impacts (both positive and negative) of projects, and thus anticipate and place for these consequences.
7. To establish working groups, sub-committees and to implement other such arrangements as the need arises.
8. Sponsoring and supporting other scientific and technology activities, to award and encourage the awarding of grants for research, training scholarships, prizes, pilot applications, visits, special initiatives for women, conferences, exchanges, exhibitions, displays, directories of personnel and of work in progress, publications and other forms of information dissemination.
9. And to advise the National Executive Council and Central agencies of Government regarding the best use of the presently available financial resources, facilities, scientists, technologists, educators and trainers.