RMK Engineering College has been emphasizing on Research and Development (R&D) in various areas of engineering through

R&D projects funded by the college or external agencies like DST, AICTE, etc
Research centers where research scholars pursue their Ph.D. degrees
Organizing International and national conferences, seminars and workshops funded by the       college or external agencies like DST, AICTE, etc
Publishing the RSM International Journal of Engineering, Technology and Management (ISSN       No: 974 – 9535)

Currently research activities of about 2 crores of external funding are in progress.

Dr. A. Jagadeesh, who is heading the R&D Department of the College is an eminent scientist of international repute and has been honored by various universities and organizations at international and national level.

Dr. K. Chandrasekaran , Dean and Professor of Mechanical Engineering is an eminent scientist in the area of Product Design recognized by international and national universities and organizations. He is the co-founder and vice president of Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) in India.

Some of the significant R&D projects completed by the College are

Hand Operated Mobile Washing Machine project funded by DST, New Delhi
Digital Stethoscope project funded by University of Queensland , Australia
Web based Telemedicine application for rural society funded by DST, New Delhi

The College is an approved Research Center of Anna University , Chennai and Anna University of Technology , Chennai for research scholars to pursue Ph.D. for the departments namely

Mechanical Engineering
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Computer Science and Engineering
Electronics and Communication Engineering
Information Technology
Business Administration
Computer Applications