International Development Research Center

The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) funds research in developing countries to promote growth, reduce poverty, and drive large-scale positive change.

A corporation owned by the Monarchy of Canada, it supports leading thinkers who advance knowledge and solve practical development problems. IDRC provides the resources, advice, and training they need to implement and share their solutions with those who need them most. In short, IDRC increases opportunities — and makes a real difference in people’s lives.

Its head office is located in Ottawa, Canada, while five regional offices keep us close to our work. They are located in Montevideo, Uruguay; Nairobi, Kenya; Dakar, Senegal; Amman, Jordan; and New Delhi, India.

IDRC is governed by a board of up to 14 governors, whose chairperson reports to the Canadian Parliament through the Minister of International Development.

IDRC was established by an act of Canada’s parliament in 1970 with a mandate “to initiate, encourage, support, and conduct research into the problems of the developing regions of the world and into the means for applying and adapting scientific, technical, and other knowledge to the economic and social advancement of those regions.”