NIE aspires to be a world-class university institute renowned for its excellence in teacher education and education research. In addition to their administrative and teaching responsibilities, professorial staff are encouraged to undertake research in their respective disciplines and provide consultancy to both local and international clients. Resources are available in various funds to aid staff in the facilitation of research projects.
NIE's research centres include the Centre for International Comparative Studies (CICS), the Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice (CRPP) and the Learning Sciences Laboratory (LSL).