Funding comes from contracts for specific projects in the main won through competitive tender and includes a contract with the Scottish Executive to provide a cluster of research and dissemination services. Other sources of income include grants from local authorities and teacher unions. The Chairman and two other members are nominated by the Secretary of State for Scotland. Its work covers all phases of education, formal and informal, from pre-five to higher education and includes overseas consultancies and collaborative projects with other institutions. Recent funders of research carried out by SCRE include government departments, local authorities, teaching unions, health boards and charitable trusts.
Projects range from short focussed studies and evaluations to extended monitoring programmes.
SCRE's publications include newsletters, briefing documents, research reports, books on research methods and school support packs. With the exception of the SCRE Research Report series, research featured is not limited to its own work. The Chairman and two other members are nominated by the Secretary of State for Scotland. The Board meets three times a year.