The research domains of CREST cut across diverse fields of science and thematic areas such as Evaluation studies, Science, Technology and Innovation policy, Human resources for science and innovation, Innovation for inclusive development, Scholarly publishing and social studies of science, Research evaluation and the social impact of research, Science communication theory, and Science communication practice.

CREST offers postgraduate academic programmes in two main areas: Monitoring and Evaluation Studies (a Postgraduate Diploma in M&E Methods; a M. Phil. in Monitoring and Evaluation  and a PhD in Evaluation Studies) and Science and Technology Studies (a Postgraduate Diploma in Research Management and Administration, a M. Phil. in Science and Technology Studies and a PhD in Science and Technology Studies).