The purposes of the centre are to undertake, and to stimulate elsewhere, research into such fields as Koorie education and culture, demography, legal status, health, employment, vocational training, housing, land rights and social change; and to publish the results of its research. The centre also acts as a resource centre for university staff and students, as well as the general public, by providing information on matters relating to Koories.
The centre's major research interests are in the fields of language, education, teacher education and racial attitudes to Koories. Recent research includes the following:
* Bala Bala: some literacy and educational perceptions of three aboriginal communities;
* research into motivation patterns of Aboriginal graduates
* national review of Aboriginal employment and training programs;
* Ganai: a study of the Aboriginal languages of Gippsland
* research into the situations of unemployed Koories in Victoria;
* language policy formulation and implementation: an historical perspective on Australian languages;
* Galaija, a feasibility study relating to the teaching of Koorie languages in schools throughout Australia;
* Koorie women and employment: a discussion paper.