research lab vs laboratory

research lab and laboratory both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
research lab	Yes	No	No	No
laboratory	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, research lab and laboratory are synonyms defined as:

research lab and laboratory: a workplace for the conduct of scientific research

Other synonyms of research lab include lab, research laboratory, science lab, science laboratory.

research lab (noun)	laboratory (noun)
a workplace for the conduct of scientific research	a workplace for the conduct of scientific research
	a region resembling a laboratory inasmuch as it offers opportunities for observation and practice and experimentation