The research center started its activities in 2003 as "The Center for Ethics and Education", and continued its activities in 2007 with two research and specialized departments of the center. Since 2017, by adding the department for Islamic and spirituality studies, the new round of activities under the title of the Research Center for Ethics and Spirituality have been started with three research departments.

Goals
•    Explanation and refinement of the foundations and frameworks of the Islamic ethics, education, and spirituality and its development to various personal and social fields
•    Explanation of the ethical-educational system of Islam and proving its capability and superiority over other systems
•    Rational defense of the moral and spiritual teachings of Islam and answering the questions 
•    Presentation of the up to date moral examples for fulfilling the needs of the contemporary human and society
•    Forming a center for answering the needs of the cultural and policy-making centers of the Islamic Republic of Iran
•    Producing the moral-educational-spiritual code needed for the Islamic civilization and emphasizing the revival and expansion of the Islamic moral and spiritual teachings

Policies
•    Commitment to the bases and original elements of the Islamic morality and spirituality, and the school of Ahl al-Bayt (a)
•    Considering the real issues of the Islamic society in the fields of morality and spirituality
•    Active connection with the research centers of the Shia seminaries and universities and using their potential and achievements
•    Emphasis on teamwork in research projects
•    Using the potentials of the sciences and critical study of other spiritual cultures and religions
•    Active interaction with the institutions of the Islamic Republic of Iran related to the religious education for providing practical studies

Ethics Department
•    Performing research plans in the areas of the history and philosophy of the Islamic morality, new ethical issues of the Islamic society, reconstruction of the methodology of the ethics, the system of Islamic morality and comparing it with other systems, ethical needs of the society of Iran, and practical ethics
•    Review the works of the leaders of the schools of Islamic ethics and critical study and translation of the important works of other religions on ethics 
•    Monitoring the public morality 

Education Department
•    Compilation and explanation of the system of Islamic character education (foundations, goals, principles, methods, factors, obstacles, stages, program, organizations, etc.)
•    Identification, review, and reconstruction of the character educational doctrines regarding their authenticity, rationality, and effectiveness.
•    Expansion of the comparative studies among the Islamic sects and identification of the differences and the exclusive aspects of the educational school of Ahl al-Bayt (a)
•    Study in the field of the semantics of the concepts of character education
•    Identification of the current educational issues and pathology of the public morality (e.g., work ethic, discipline) and planning to improve public morality
•    Setting significant moral and spiritual figures as moral examples and publication of their biography
•    Promoting and supporting the strengths of the national culture such as respecting the elders, kindness, honor, hospitality, etc.

Islam and Spirituality Studies Department
•    Semantics of the Islamic spirituality and presenting its features
•    Introduction and analysis of the existing views, theories, and research activities in the field of spirituality
•    Future study of spirituality in Iran
•    Identification and criticism of non-religious spirituality in Iran and false spiritualties
•    Identification of shortcomings and suggestion of some ways of an effective propagation of the Islamic spirituality from Islamic seminaries

Works
The research center has published twenty-two works, eight of which have won awards.