The Board of Trustees shall establish and operate an Institute for the Study of Developmental Disabilities to conduct research and provide education, treatment and other services regarding developmental disabilities. The Institute for the Study of Developmental Disabilities may promote and advance knowledge through research in the causes and treatment of developmental disabilities, may develop programs to meet the need for staff skilled in the treatment and care of persons with a developmental disability, and, as mutually agreed by the Board of Trustees and the Department, may assist in the training of competent personnel for service in the State Developmental Centers and elsewhere. In pursuit of its goals, the Institute may examine patient records in the custody or under the control of the Department.