The research programme covers palaeontology of selected groups of organisms (diatoms, silicoflagellates, radiolarians, foraminifers, molluscs, corals, and vertebrates), sedimentary geology of Mesozoic and Cenozoic carbonate platforms and basins, and geobiology of Tertiary and Recent terrestrial carbonates.

Basic research, representing the major part of activities, has been carried out in the frame of the national research programme Palaeontology and Sedimentary Geology and several research projects, all funded by the Slovenian Research Agency. Applied research has been focused on geological monitoring of the railway section between Divača and Koper (funded by 2TDK d.o.o.).

In recent years the following topics have been studied: Radiolarian dating of Mesozoic deep-water sediments in Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Croatia and Montenegro; Mesozoic stratigraphy and geological mapping of the Julian Alps; Neogene diatomaceous rocks as potential source of hydrocarbons; Taxonomy of Neogene Proboscidea; Palaeobiology and palaeoecology of cave bear; Speleothem formation in caves in Slovenia and Spain; Calcification products of plant roots in Palaeogene calcretes and present-day calcareous soils; Geochemical fingerprint of insoluble material in soil on different types of rocks; Anthropogenic pollution of soil with heavy metals; Insecticidal activity of different siliceous sediments; and Petrographic and provenance studies of lithic artefacts and pottery from archaeological sites in Slovenia.

The institute closely collaborates with other institutes in Slovenia (Department of Geology at Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Geological Survey of Slovenia, Biotechnical Faculty, Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute) and also has a well established cooperation with several foreign institutes from Spain, France, Austria, Italy, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Croatia, Montenegro and USA. The researcher cooperate in study programmes at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana, and at Postgraduate School ZRC SAZU.

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*Trümpy, R. 1971: Stratigraphy in mountain belts (23rd William Smith Lecture). -Quaterly Journal of the Geological Society (London), 1970, v. 126; p. 293-318. doi: 10.1144/gsjgs.126.1.0293