Scientific research in the field of human evolution during the Late Neogene and Quaternary is developed within the Centre itself, promoting awareness and knowledge transfer to society and encouraging and supporting collaboration in conducting excavations and deposits of these periods, both Spanish and worldwide. In addition, the CENIEH is responsible for the conservation, restoration, management and record of archaeological and paleontological collections from Atapuerca and other archaeological and paleontological sites both national and international.

The National Research Centre on Human Evolution (CENIEH) is a Research Institute with open access to the national and international scientific and technological community. Its main field of research is human evolution, palaeobiology, palaeoecology and palaeoeconomy, during the Late Neogene and Quaternary, but the centre also promotes awareness and knowledge transfer to society and encourages and supports collaboration in conducting excavations worldwide. Its equipment and technological offer are specialized in earth sciences and geochronology. Other laboratories provide versatile applications in the fields of geology, archeology, geomaterials, heritage conservation, new materials, and dosimetry. Other services are curation, restoration and management of fossil and lithic collections from excavations in archaeological and paleontological sites. The CENIEH is remarkable for its capacity to store and preserve archaeo-palaeoantological collections.