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

A Crown corporation, they support leading thinkers who advance knowledge and solve practical development problems. They provide 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.

Working with their development partners, they multiply the impact of their investment and bring innovations to more people in more countries around the world. They offer fellowships and awards to nurture a new generation of development leaders.

Their head office is located in Ottawa, Canada, while five regional offices keep them close to their 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 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.”