In 1971, the Ukrainian Scientific Research Institute of Ecological Problems (USRIEP) was established in Kharkiv, on the basis of Kharkiv Laboratory Department of the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Land Reclamation. It was set up as the All-Union Scientific Research Institute for Protection of Waters (VNIIVO), according to the USSR Ministry of Land Reclamation and Water Management Order of 31 March 1971 No. 77 "On the Establishment of the All-Union Scientific Research Institute for Protection of Waters (VNIIVO)" and the Resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers' State Committee for Science and Technology of 19 March 1971 No. 18.

The USRIEP has the Analytical Centre (AC), accredited by the State Committee for Standardisation of Ukraine. The AC was set up on the basis of the USREIP Director's Order No. 5 of 26.04.2000 as part the institutional reform initiated in order to reorganize and rationalize the Institute's laboratory system, and enhance its analytical and quality assurance capability in line with the provisions of the Law of Ukraine "On the Metrology and Metrological Activity" (No. 11/98-VR of 11.02.98). The AC structure comprises the following elements: Metrological Service, Water Quality Control Laboratory, Environmental Research/Analysis Laboratory, Analytical Sector at the Laboratory for Research in Environmental Sustainability, Air Quality Control and Protection Laboratory, Biological Research and Biotesting Laboratory, and Municipal/Industrial Wastewater Management Laboratory.

GAMMA System Training Centre was set up at the Institute to provide training for the system operators and monitoring personnel using the operational model, which comprises the following basic components: radiation monitoring station, meteorological station, data processing and communication tools.

Also, the Institute has provided premises for the Regional Thematic Centre on Pollution Monitoring, set up in order to provide the institutional framework for the development of a common pollution monitoring policy in the three riparian countries of the Dnipro Basin, and to create a network of specialists representing various research and governmental organizations and facilitate the interactions between them in the process of developing and implementing the Strategic Action Plan for the Dnipro Basin, and support free and prompt exchange of information and knowledge in the process of introducing the basin approach to the organization of monitoring in the transboundary sections of the Dnipro Basin.

The Institute is a major co-founder of the regional Industrial Waste Management Centre, set up to support the development of regional capacity for industrial and municipal waste management.

In 2003, the Institute received the License for Construction Activity (AA No. 665261, Decision on Approval No. 117 of 24.07.2003) from the Ukraine's State Committee for Construction and Architecture.

Since 2003, the Ukrainian Scientific Research Institute of Ecological Problems of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine has been a holder of the Certificate (NG No. 00236 of 13.10.2003) confirming its inclusion into the Register of Research Organisations Supported by the State.

Institute Management:

Director:
Anatoliy Vladimirovich Gritsenko, Doctor of Sciences (Geography)
Tel./Fax: +380 57 702-15-92

1st Deputy Scientific Director:
Alexander Georgievich Vasenko, Ph.D. (Biology)
Tel.: +380 57 702-15-85

Deputy Scientific and Marketing Director:
Elena Alekseevna Dmitrieva, Doctor of Sciences (Economy)
Tel.: +380 57 715-60-93

Acting Scientific Secretary:
Natalia Vladimirovna Savchenko
Tel.: +380 57 702-15-83