[2] The Institute's archaeological research projects cover a wide geographic and temporal range, but focus on the cultures of the Near East and the Southeastern United States.

Through collaboration with academic departments on campus, the Institute offers a wide range of opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at Mississippi State University to engage in archaeological-related research and learning activities.

The stated mission of the Cobb Institute is to provide sponsorship and support for research, outreach and instructional programs related "to the Middle Eastern origins of Western Civilization and to the Indians of the South, particularly in Mississippi."

E. Jerry Vardaman 1972-1988 Joe D. Seger 1988-2014 Michael L. Galaty 2015-2017 Evan Peacock 2017-2018 James W. Hardin 2018–present Since its inception, the Cobb Institute has provided funding and assistance for archaeological research and fieldwork in the Near East, the Mediterranean Basin, the Southeastern United States, and the Caribbean.

In 1980, the Roman Nabataean site of Elusa that located in the southern of Israel was the first sponsored place by the Cobb institute to conduct the research work in Middle East.

[5] In order to achieve better cooperation results, the Hebrew University in Jerusalem provided a teaching program of the Middle East work to the MSU students.

In 1981, Jack D. Elliott, Jr completed an associated research article named The Elusa Oikumene and the Cobb institute has published it to achieve promoting and educating results.

[7][8] The following are some of the mining results of this project: Over the past fifty years, researchers at the Cobb Institute have conducted several archaeological investigations at the Lyon's Bluff site (22OK520).

The site was first excavated by Moreau Chambers in the 1930s;[9] Mississippi State's involvement began with Richard Marshall in the 1960s and continued with field schools supervised by Janet Rafferty and Evan Peacock in 2001 and 2003.

[16] Partial collection list： In order to achieve the purpose of promotion and education, the museum will also hold an exhibition on the pottery making process and the meteorite tools.

[16] The Professional protection history personnel from this institute are in charge of perform this cultural resource management services, and the main purpose of the service is to help clients who want to develop projects, such as companies and developers, government agencies and citizens, to satisfy the law and provide assistance of the relationship between clients and local, state and federal agencies and tribes.