This strategy would help HEIs strengthen and improve their "research culture". In implementing the National Higher Education Research Agenda (NHERA), CHED would be more efficient in evaluating research proposals submitted by the HEIs. It would also be more effective in its tasks to monitor on-going researches, package and disseminate research results, provide technical support to viable researches, and design as well as implement training programs for the research manpower of HEIs.

The creation of the Zonal Research Centers (ZRCs) was conceived along this thought. Each ZRC was selected based on its potential and readiness to assist the research activities of colleges and universities in its identified region(s) of jurisdiction.

Currently, there are 9 ZRCs selected to carry out the functions of research in higher education.

1. Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) :: Regions I, II and CAR
2. University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) :: Regions IV and V
3. De La Salle University (DLSU) :: NCR Group I
4. University of the Philippines - Diliman (UP Diliman) :: NCR Group II
5. University of San Carlos (USC) :: Region VII Group I
6. Siliman University (SU) :: Region VII Group II
7. Visayas State College of Agriculture (ViSCA) :: Region VIII
8. Notre Dame of Marbel University (NDMU) :: Regions XI and ARMM
9. Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) :: Regions IX and XII

The UPLB CHED ZRC covers 82 HEIs in the provinces of Albay, Batangas, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Cavite, Laguna, Marinduque, Masbate, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Quezon, Rizal, and Sorsogon.