The ÖK-IAD was founded in 1976 as a national committee of the International Association for Danube Research. Its aim is to bring together stakeholders involved in water and watercourse research in the Austrian Danube region. Another focus is cooperation with experts from government agencies and companies in the field of watercourse management.

The ÖK-IAD provides technical support for pilot studies on surface waters and groundwater within the scope of its capabilities and also provides financial support in the form of start-up funding. The Reinhard Liepolt Prize, awarded every two years for research activities in the Danube river basin, honors young scientists.

In addition, the ÖK-IAD organizes its own conferences and regularly participates in relevant national and international symposia and conferences in terms of content and organization. One of its main areas of expertise is interdisciplinary topics related to aquatic systems.

The ÖK-IAD collects relevant scientific literature and supports the publication of scientific papers.