The mandate of the department is to: a) undertake community based research and intervention programmes in the areas i) enhancing participation of men in sexual and reproductive health; ii) family planning and contraceptive use dynamics including expanding contraceptive choices; iii) adolescent reproductive health; iv) gender issues including gender based violence; and b) provide statistical expertise to the wide spectrum of research activities carried out by the faculty and students of the institute. The main areas of research currently focused on are: enhancing participation of men in safe motherhood, contraceptive use and family planning, and prevention of RTIs/STIs including HIV/AIDS; and violence against women. The research programmes are funded by various funding agencies such as World Health Organization (WHO), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Indian Council of Medical Research and Indo-US Collaborative study (MCH Grant).

The department also provides statistical and computational assistance to the scientists, students and administrative staff of the institute; and also other institutes and centers such as KEM Hospital, JJ Hospital, Nair Hospital, Haffkine Institute. In order to translate results of the research into programmes and reach people at the community and policy level, the department has been actively associated with organizing national/ international conferences, workshops, symposia, seminars and training programmes; and also publishing papers in peer reviewed journals. The recent international conferences being held were: 1) Enhancing male partnership in sexual and reproductive health during 28 November – 1 December 2004; 2) Actions to strengthen linkages between sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS during 4 - 8 February 2007; and 3) national workshop to develop India-specific action plan to implement strategies for linking sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS Programmes during 20 – 22 November 2007, Mumbai, India.