The Research Center of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, or ZRC SAZU as it is commonly referred to in Slovenia, consists of 18 research units or institutes throughout the country. ZRC SAZU conducts basic research across a range of fields, including natural, earth, and spatial sciences and the social sciences and humanities.

In terms of applied research, the expertise of the ZRC SAZU institutes has direct application in lexicography and the creation of Slovenian dictionaries; the care, preservation, protection, and management of the cultural and natural heritage; environmental protection; water resource management; professional support in building infrastructure (highways and railways), and the development of methodology, and preventive or intervention programs for the mentally ill.