All members of the academic staff and many associated scholars are engaged in individual or team based research projects. The PGIAR undertakes research projects and carries out research and documentation for institutions such as the Department of Archaeology, the Central Cultural Fund and the Department of National Museums. The research out put of the institute is published in local and foreign journals and monographs.

PGIAR recognizes the following subject areas as its research terrains:

1.       Archaeological theory and problematics

2.       Prehistoric and protohistoric archaeology

3.       Archaeology and history: historical records

4.       Historical archaeology

5.       Pre-industrial technology and history of science

6.       Architecture and garden history

7.       Art history: sculpture, painting, prints and crafts

8.       Paleography, epigraphy and numismatics

9.       Ethno-archaeology, cultural anthropology and anthropological archaeology

10.   Environmental archaeology, geo and bio-archaeology

11.   Museology

12.   Conservation/ preservation of cultural property

13.   Heritage/ cultural resource management

14.   Public archaeology; Public and social responsibility of archaeology

15.   Development of archives and archival studies on archaeology and related subjects

16.   Archaeological sciences such as Metallurgy, dating, and etc

17.    Cognitive archaeology

18.   Ancient languages such as Pali, Sanskrit, and etc.