research institution; research organization
A general term for any organization, institute, or facility dedicated to research, including universities, think tanks, and laboratories.
この研究機関は医学の分野で有名です。
This research institution is famous in the field of medicine.
研究機関 is a broader, more abstract term for a research organization, whereas 研究所 names a concrete institute or lab.
Compound of 研究 (research) and 機関 (organization, institution).