Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit

Name

Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit

Legal name

Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa

Website

https://pcsuhawaii.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (PCSU) is a University of Hawai'i at Mānoa research unit that administers 40+ conservation projects across the Hawaiian Islands, including invasive species committees, watershed partnerships, and endangered species recovery programs, funded by federal, state, and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Research Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Project Preparation Facilities & Technical Assistance Windows (BPADAOAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Conservation research services
• Invasive species management
• Watershed protection programs
• Native species conservation
• Ecosystem restoration research

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: PCSU administers funding from federal and state agencies for conservation, natural resource management, and biodiversity research projects across Hawaii.
2. Foundation Funding: Private foundation grants supporting conservation and ecosystem restoration initiatives in Hawaii and the Pacific.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (PCSU) is a University of Hawai'i at Mānoa research unit that administers over 40 conservation and natural resource management projects across the main Hawaiian Islands. It provides project development, grant proposal assistance, human resources, procurement, safety coordination, and project administration for federal/state agencies, private foundations, landowners, and conservation organizations. The unit's core function is coordinating collaborative research and field operations that protect native Hawaiian species, ecosystems, and cultural resources.

Product overview

Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (PCSU) is a research unit within the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa focused on protecting and restoring Hawai'i's native species, ecosystems, and cultural resources. PCSU operates as a research and administrative services organization rather than a commercial product company. It administers over 40 conservation projects across the main Hawaiian Islands, including Island Invasive Species Committees, Watershed Partnerships, and Wildlife/Bird Recovery Projects. PCSU provides project development, grant proposal assistance, human resources support, procurement services, and safety coordination for conservation initiatives. The organization publishes technical reports and scientific literature but does not offer commercial software products or technology platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Project Development Services Grant proposal assistance and project development support for conservation initiatives across Hawaii, provided to federal/state agencies, private foundations, and conservation organizations.
• Human Resources Support HR administration, job listings, timesheet scheduling, and volunteer program coordination for PCSU projects and conservation staff.
• Procurement Services Purchasing, reimbursements, and travel administration for conservation project operations across the Hawaiian Islands.
• Safety Coordination Injury reporting, vehicle accident reporting, standard operating procedures, and safety protocol management for field staff across all PCSU projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40 projects across the state of Hawai'i with funding grown from $2 million to nearly $25 million annually since 1990s

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Hawai'i at MānoacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPCSU is a formal unit within the College of Natural Sciences (CNS) at UH Mānoa since January 2020. The unit provides research administration and coordination services for conservation projects across Hawaii.
• Hawai'i-Pacific Islands Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPCSU has maintained membership in the Hawai'i-Pacific Branch of the national CESU Network since 2004, providing collaborative research framework.
• Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition addressing invasive species issues across Hawaii through coordination and policy development.
• Oʻahu Invasive Species CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-based invasive species control efforts on Oʻahu island.
• Big Island Invasive Species CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvasive species prevention, detection, and control on the Big Island of Hawaii.
• Maui Invasive Species CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvasive species control and eradication efforts on Maui.
• Kauaʻi Invasive Species CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProtecting Kauaʻi's native ecosystems from invasive species threats.
• Moloka'i Invasive Species CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvasive species management on Moloka'i island.
• Three Mountain AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWatershed protection partnership covering Haleakala, Mauna Kahalawai, and West Maui mountains on Maui.
• East Maui Watershed PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProtecting East Maui's watersheds and native ecosystems.
• Mauna Kea Watershed AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation and restoration of Mauna Kea mountain ecosystems.
• Ko'olau Mountains Watershed PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProtecting Oʻahu's Ko'olau Mountains watershed resources.
• Wai'anae Mountains Watershed PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWatershed protection efforts for Wai'anae Mountains on Oʻahu.
• Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecovery efforts for endangered forest birds on Kauaʻi including the 'Akeke'e and 'Akikiki.
• Maui Forest Bird Recovery ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation of Maui's endangered forest birds including the Kiwikiu.
• Maui Nui Seabird Recovery ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeabird conservation efforts across Maui, Moloka'i, and Lanaʻi.
• Kauaʻi Endangered Seabird Recovery ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecovery and research for endangered seabirds on Kauaʻi.
• Hawaiʻi Ant LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and control efforts for the little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) in Hawaii.
• Plant Extinction Prevention ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreventing extinction of Hawaii's most critically endangered plant species.
• Mauna Kea Forest Restoration ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcosystem restoration and native species recovery on Mauna Kea.
• Turtle Recovery ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation efforts for endangered sea turtles (hawksbill and green sea turtles) in Hawaii.
• Joint Base Pearl Harbor-HickamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilitary installation with natural resources management needs.
• Pacific Missile Range FacilityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilitary installation on Kauaʻi with environmental stewardship requirements.
• Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii (RCUH)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRCUH handles PCSU employee hiring, payroll, and benefits administration as the employer of record for research staff.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Three Mountain Alliance: Three Mountain Alliance is a Maui watershed protection partnership coordinated through PCSU and other state/federal partners. It is a direct operational peer at the project level, focused on invasive species control and native forest restoration across Haleakalā, Mauna Kahalawai, and West Maui mountains.
• Conservation International Hawaii: Conservation International's Hawaii work on biodiversity hotspots, invasive species, and community-based conservation overlaps with PCSU's watershed and species-recovery projects. Both organizations compete for foundation grants targeting Hawaiian ecosystem protection and collaborate through shared coalitions.
• The Nature Conservancy (Hawaii Program): The Nature Conservancy's Hawaii chapter runs watershed protection, invasive species control, and forest bird conservation projects that overlap directly with PCSU's portfolio. Both organizations compete for the same federal and private foundation conservation dollars in Hawaii and partner on co-stewardship land initiatives.
• Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS): CGAPS is hosted within PCSU and coordinates invasive species policy across Hawaii's interagency landscape. It functions as a peer convening body on rapid-response species (e.g., coconut rhinoceros beetle) and shares PCSU's stakeholder model bridging state, federal, and NGO actors.
• USGS Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center: USGS PIERC conducts applied ecological research on Hawaiian ecosystems, forest birds, and invasive species — research themes and federal funding sources that closely mirror PCSU's portfolio. Both publish technical reports and serve as CESU-affiliated research providers to federal land managers.

Others

• Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii (RCUH): RCUH is PCSU's employer-of-record and administrative services counterpart, handling HR, payroll, and procurement for PCSU staff. While not a programmatic peer, RCUH is the enabling infrastructure provider that determines PCSU's hiring speed, benefit structure, and compliance posture.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Pacific Region: USFWS Pacific Region administers the Endangered Species Act programs for many of the forest birds, sea turtles, and plants PCSU works on. It is both a major funding partner for PCSU projects and the federal incumbent whose regulatory authority sets the agenda for many of PCSU's recovery projects.
• National Park Service, Pacific Islands Region: Pacific Islands NPS was PCSU's original institutional home (founded 1973 as an NPS research unit), and the agency remains a primary federal partner. NPS Hawaii Volcanoes, Haleakalā, and Kalaupapa parks host many of the field sites where PCSU projects operate invasive species and endangered species work.
• Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife: DOFAW is the state agency counterpart to PCSU, managing state forests, wildlife, and watershed programs throughout Hawaii. PCSU frequently implements projects on behalf of DOFAW through cooperative agreements, making DOFAW both a principal customer and the broader incumbent in the same conservation domain.

Emerging players

• Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum: Bishop Museum is a Hawaii-based research and cultural-heritage institution with overlapping natural history collections, Hawaiian species research, and publications. While its core mission is museum-based, it produces technical conservation science and is a peer in the Hawaii biodiversity research ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Pacific-Cooperative-Studies-Unit-104543658320242
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pacific-cooperative-studies-unit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit