Undertakes research into “(a) the promotion of research into Papua New Guinea society and the economy”, and in particular “(b), the undertaking of research into social, political, and economic problems of Papua New Guinea in order to enable practical solutions to such problems to be formulated.” Entry point for external researchers. Established as New Guinea Research Unit (NGRU) in 1961; renamed to Institute for Applied Social and Economic Research (IASER) in 1975.