The principal function of MDRU is the initiation and organization of research projects. The research problem or theme may originate in industry or in the university, but projects are developed interactively with companies and researchers. Since the first project started in 1990, MDRU has successfully organized projects related to specific problems including ore reserve estimation, exploration geochemistry and lithogeochemistry, thematic studies on mineral deposits, and regional metallogenic studies. Projects are managed on all scales.
Smaller projects supported by a single company usually involve one graduate student.
On the other hand, MDRU's large projects are supported by industry consortia, and involve groups of researchers, including research associates and postdoctoral fellows, who work as a collaborative team that interacts individually and collectively with industry sponsors and other researchers. The success of MDRU projects is based on the substantial level of funding from the mining and exploration companies and government, the development of a research team involving diverse expertise, and the constant formal and informal interaction with companies.