From 1989 to 2018, Pacific Forum was an affiliate of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. During the 1989 merger, Pacific Forum retained its name, board, independent program agenda, and funding responsibility.[2] In 2018, Pacific Forum became a fully independent research institute with a full-time staff of 12, a rotating resident research fellow cohort of approximately 5-8 people, and an annual budget of approximately $2.8 million.