The University Research and Publications Center (URPC) was established in 1972 with its original name “Socio-Economic Research Center” (SERC) as the research arm of Notre Dame University. Through the years, SERC has engaged in researches and other information-generation activities useful for private agencies and government in Central Mindanao and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) regions in program planning, formulation and implementation.

Over the years, the demand for research was compelling, and the University expanded its research activities in order to serve the needs of the internal and external clients. In 1996, restructuring had been pursued and the University Research Center (URC) was created to consolidate all research units in the University into one. SERC became a part of the new and broader structure of the URC together with Institutional Research and Development (IRD) and Data Bank (DB).

In recent years, the Center expanded its focus to researches that tackle governance and other peace-related topics.  On November 11, 2008, the Center was awarded as the 2008 Best Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Research Program in Region XII by the Commission on Higher Education Region XII.

During SY 2015-2016, the Center’s name was changed to Research and Publications Center (RPC) to highlight publications as an integral and key component of research. Along this context, the University journals were peer-reviewed and published regularly, and faculty researches were also submitted for review in high-impact journals.

In the same school year, the University contracted Philippine universities like Ateneo de Manila University and other universities abroad for Collaboration Research Programs (CRP).  This collaboration effort was done under the Oblates Research Institute (ORI), with the ultimate goal of boosting wider faculty involvement in researches related to peace, culture and development studies in the Bangsamoro.  The research outputs are expected to be published in high-impact international journals.

Today, the Center operates as the University Research and Publications Center (URPC), the main research and publication arm of Notre Dame University. It coordinates institutional and faculty research, supports peace, culture, and development studies in the Bangsamoro, strengthens linkages with government and civil society, and oversees the regular peer review and publication of the University’s journals and other scholarly outputs.