The UP SRC operates on a distinctive interdisciplinary basis (combining humanistic and social studies and natural sciences) and lays particular emphasis on the research of topics related to the Mediterranean and the Upper Adriatic area.

Its basic activities are:
- basic and applied research,
- preparation of expert studies and counselling,
- education,
- organization of scientific and professional meetings,
- publishing,
- documentation and librarianship.

The UP SRC is an active player in the international scientific arena, collaborating with similar foreign institutions.

The centre’s researchers also participate in educational processes conducted at all three Slovene universities, thus allowing for the transmission of their findings and research results to the educational sphere.

The centre comprises the following organizational units:

1.  Scientific and research organizational units, i.e., institutes, conducting research programmes, basic, development and applied research commissioned by public institutions and business companies, professional analyses and counselling, training of young researchers, and educational activities in their subject fields:

• Institute for Mediterranean Humanities and Social Studies (headed by Dr. Mateja Sedmak)
• Institute for Biodiversity Studies (headed by Dr. Boris Kryštufek)
• Institute for Mediterranean Agriculture and Olive Growing (headed by Dr. Dunja Bandelj)
• Institute for Mediterranean Heritage (headed by Ddr. Mitja Guštin)
• Institute for Linguistic Studies (headed by Dr. Goran Filipi)
• Institute for Historical Studies (headed by Dr. Egon Pelikan)
• Institute for Kinesiology Research (headed by Dr.Rado Pišot) 
• Institute for Geographical Studies (headed by Dr. Milan Bufon)
• Law Institute (headed by Dr. Rado Bohinc)

 
2.  Infrastructural organizational units providing professional and technical support to the scientific and research organizational units:

Annales University Press
Public Opinion Centre
Centre for Cooperation with Economy
Library
Laboratory for Molecular Ecology
Centre for Project Management
IT Centre
Olive Oil Testing Laboratory
Environmental and Spatial Studies Centre

In the period from 2009 to 2013, the infrastructural support is also provided by the Infrastructural Group of the UP SRC (headed by Peter Čerče).

3.  Administrative organizational unit providing common services for all other organizational units and performing tasks necessary for successful management of a public institution.

In the period from 2009 to 2013, the basic research activity of the UP SRC will be conducted within the  following four research programmes:
- The Mediterranean and Slovenia (headed by Dr. Jože Pirjevec)
- Areas of Cultural Contact in Integration Processes  (headed by Dr. Milan Bufon)
- Biodiversity (headed by Dr. Boris Kryštufek)
- Kinesiology for the Quality of Life (headed by Dr. Rado Pišot)

In addition to the four basic research programmes, the centre also carries out several other basic and applied projects and places special emphasis on conducting international projects in collaboration with foreign partners, which assures it a recognized position on the international scientific map.