The University shall pursue research agenda which are responsive to the specific needs of the community brought by present environmental and developmental challenges. Guided by the local and national development thrusts, the University research agenda shall be focused on but not limited to the following:

1. Agri-Fisheries and Food Security. This thematic area emphasizes on developing agriculture and food systems that are economically viable and sustainable to ensure food security as well as improve the quality of life of farmers and fisher folks. Research and extension activities on the following commodities shall be given priority: coffee, kaong, rice, corn, root crops, high value crops (e.g. banana, pineapple, mango, cacao and vegetables) poultry and livestock, fisheries and aquaculture, urban agriculture, and organic agriculture.

2. Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation. This thematic area is concerned with environmental stewardship and equitable allocation and sustainable use of natural resources with emphasis on environmental protection, biodiversity assessment and monitoring, cleaner environment, climate change, risk reduction management, renewable energy and green technologies, natural resource management, and ecotourism.

3. Smart Engineering, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and Industrial Competitiveness. The term smart engineering covers the methods, processes, systems and tools for the cross-disciplinary, system-oriented development of innovative and interconnected products, services and infrastructures in the field of engineering. Products and process models shall be developed where networking encompasses all stages of development, from interdisciplinary design to production processes and piloting, right the way through product usage and disposal. Smart engineering is about the integration of appropriate product planning, development, and management to ensure the rapid market-ready implementation of innovative product and services and industrial competitiveness through digital development process.

The convergence of the latest computer science and ICT developments in the areas of micro-devices, mobile communication, hardware infrastructures, Internet and software technologies, image recognition and processing, parallel computing, complex adaptive systems and bioinformatics shall be given emphasis. Strong focus shall also be given to mathematics and statistics applications such as industrial and biological modelling, biomedical, social and theoretical statistics; computational mathematics, discrete pure mathematics and physics/engineering.

4. Social Development and Equality. This thematic area focuses on educational, criminological and social sciences researches and development initiatives with emphasis on sustainable development, economic development, gender and development, community development, governance, poverty alleviation, social behavior, attitude and norms, capacity building, peace process and conflict resolution, disaster risk management and social transitions, pedagogy, special education, ICT and education, among others.

This area aims to create inclusive growth and development, social harmony, and equal opportunities among the different social groups and to lessen economic divide, inequality and marginalization in the society.

5. Public Health and Welfare. This area deals with researches on protecting and improving human health and welfare which includes researches on diseases or conditions that may be transmitted to humans from humans or animals and vice versa as well as those connected with the environment as a whole. Disciplines that are also covered are those dealing with epidemiology, statistics, environment, behavior and sociology, economics, mental health, public policy, public safety, delivery of health services, occupational safety and other related fields.