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The Papua New Guinea Institute of Biological Research
(PNGIBR) is a Papua New Guinea (PNG)-based not for profit association formed to
ensure a biologically sustainable future for PNG.
 About Papua New Guinea Institute of Biological Research
- We conduct much-needed research.
- We give national biologists and
conservationists the skills they need to preserve their biodiversity.
- We ensure
information is shared with policy makers, landowners and PNG citizens.
- And we integrate traditional knowledge and customs with modern concepts of conservation
to come up with models that will work in Papua New Guinea.
Our Logo
Our
logo, drawn by PNG artist Benson Avea, shows two of our nation’s iconic animals
and
 vital components of what we are striving to protect:
- The Cassowary, a bird as tall as a human, roams the
rainforest living off fruit and thus renews our forests through its
ecosystem service of dispersing thousands of seeds.
- The Long-Beaked Echidna is the world’s most primitive
living mammal (it lays eggs like reptiles), but now faces possible
extinction through habitat destruction and over-hunting for food.
The cassowary represents the interrelationships that sustain our forest and
the echidna represents the fragility of our unique creatures in the face of
human impact. If we work as informed stewards of our biological diversity the
ecosystem services that we all depend upon will continue to serve us, while
cultural icons like the cassowary and echidna continue to inspire us.
Our History
The Papua New Guinea Institute of Biological Research, Incorporated (PNGIBR)
was officially registered as a not for profit organisation under Section 7 of
the Associations Incorporation Act of PNG on 25th March 2008 and has been
determined by the PNG Internal Revenue Commission to be a tax-exempt charitable
organisation. PNGIBR was founded by a group of PNG biologists for the
purpose of ensuring a biologically sustainable future for Papua New Guinea.
We
developed expertise through a training program that began in 1996 with
Conservation International and continued under the Wildlife Conservation Society
(WCS) 1999-2007. This program trained over 300 PNG students and
professionals in project design, field techniques, statistics and data analysis,
and project write-up and presentation, it funded and mentored 17 PNG Honors
students and it led to scholarships for 14 PNG students to obtain Masters
degrees at top international universities. When WCS shifted its PNG priorities
away from capacity building its staff
 decided to form the PNGIBR to continue
this program.
We felt the training program was a proven success and was crucial to PNG’s
future. PNG citizens must acquire the knowledge and skills required to preserve
their own flora and fauna and to run their own programs. The program’s vision
had always been that the trainees of the program would eventually take it over,
with PNG nationals acting as mentors and role models for future generations with
a branching and multiplying effect, and with PNG nationals on an equal footing
with colleagues from overseas. With our years of experience with CI and WCS, our
Masters education abroad, and a shared commitment to continue building national
conservation capacity we decided to take on the challenge of founding and
leading this new organisation. Our passion for PNG-run conservation efforts gave
birth to the Papua New Guinea Institute of Biological Research.
We
began operations on July 1st, 2008.
 Our Vision
Our Vision is to be a leading institution made up of scientific colleagues
dedicated to conserving Papua New Guinea’s flora, fauna and ecosystems to ensure
a biologically sustainable future.
Our Mission
Our
Mission is to effectively contribute to the conservation
of Papua New Guinea’s
biological diversity and sustainable future.
 We will:
- Conduct useful biological research in collaboration with relevant
stakeholders to ensure a rich national heritage for our society’s livelihood
and spiritual well-being.
- Train aspiring national biologists to ensure that PNG citizens have the
skills they need to conserve their biodiversity in an effective way.
- Disseminate our research findings to the scientific community, to the
people of PNG, and to policy makers for use in conservation and management
efforts.
- Respect the cultural differences among the people and communities we work
with and integrate their traditional ecological knowledge and traditions
with modern concepts of conservation to come up with culturally sensitive
models that will work in PNG.
- Collaborate with and aid others who can contribute to this mission.
Our Beliefs and Values
 PNG’s
rich cultural heritage needs to be part of any plan for a biologically healthy
future. We are uniquely qualified to design and implement such interventions.
Effective and innovative solutions will come from those who can straddle the gap
between modern science and our ancient cultures. Clearly, many of our citizens
grasp the cultural and traditional side of the equation, but few have also had
the benefit of training in modern conservation science. Because many of
the threats to our nation come from outside our borders and outside our
traditions, PNG needs an organisation that can understand these outside threats
while at the same time promoting traditional solutions that will be accepted by
its citizens.
 We are an enthusiastic team of highly trained Papua New Guineans ready to meet
this challenge. We have postgraduate training at top overseas
universities and extensive practical experience in Papua New Guinea. Our goal is
to create an entirely new voice in PNG’s conservation, education and research arena
that will speak equally well to international and national policy-makers, and to
rural people living traditionally in PNG.
In the past conservation, research and education were mainly led by expatriates,
many on short visits to PNG and often directed top down from abroad.
PNGIBR is different—we are building PNG’s ability to conduct research,
conservation, and education from within. We will provide the solid information
our country needs for biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and
sustainability in a culturally appropriate and acceptable way. At the same time
we will continue to train a new generation of PNG biologists and
conservationists to continue the work.
Our Organisational Structure and Governance
- Our Management Team consists of all MSc/PhD level staff scientists. This
Team leads the organisation and votes on matters with a majority rule.
Management annually elects two Co-Directors to lead the organisation with
annual staff evaluations, finances, planning, and donor liaison. We have
chosen a non-hierarchical, democratic structure in which we are all equal
colleagues. We value cultural and gender diversity in our organisation and
value each other’s opinions. Thus we have an inclusive, collective
decision-making and management style that combines our PNG traditional ways
with western organisational structure.
- Our Board of Advisors/Directors are all PhDs (biology, anthropology and
law) and aid with mentoring, fund-raising, legal issues and financial
oversight.
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