The research goal of the School is to advance the understanding of tropical forcing of climate change and geological evolution of the western Pacific, with 6 integrated research areas of: paleoceanography and paleoenvironment, marine sedimentology, biogeochemistry, oceanic lithosphere evolution, oil and gas resources and exploration, and seafloor process and observation. Aiming at building itself a global top-level discipline and a world-class marine research center and talent training base, and with the mission of answering the national call for development of marine and oil gas resources, the School has been constantly playing an active role in international and national major projects, such as the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP), the construction of National Long-term Seafloor Scientific Observation System, and the South China Sea Deep Project. 

Some important research platforms of the School are:

lThe State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology

l Deep Sea Research Center, Tongji University

l Marine Resource Research Center, Tongji University

lShanghai Research Center of Marine Science and Technology

Some important research projects chaired in recent years are:

lThe South China Sea Deep program, the major fundamental research program funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China.

lNational Long-term Seafloor Scientific Observation System, a national science and technology infrastructure project approved by National Development and Reform Commission of China.

lThe School of Ocean and Earth Science also takes an active role in the International Ocean Discovery Program, and homes to IODP-China office. It has taken a leading role in drilling the IODP 349, IODP 367 and 368 expeditions.

The School is undertaking around 20 key research projects including: the NSFC Key Project, NSFC Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, National Key Research and Development Plan, National Science and Technology Major Project.