A Crown corporation, IDRC is guided by a 21-member, international Board of Governors and reports to the Canadian Parliament through the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Approximately 83% of IDRC's 2008/2009 revenues came from Parliament. This year, the Centre's Parliamentary revenues were CA$168.8 million. This represents 3.9% of Canada's international assistance.

IDRC’s mission: Empowerment through knowledge

• We fund applied research by researchers in developing countries on the problems they identify as crucial to their communities. Most supported projects result from direct exchanges between the Centre and developing-country institutions.
• We provide expert advice to those researchers.
• We build local capacity in developing countries to undertake research and innovate.

The Centre supports research under four broad themes:

• Environment and Natural Resource Management (ENRM)
• Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D)
• Innovation, Policy and Science (IPS)
• Social and Economic Policy (SEE)

Where and how we allocate funds

(Percentages based on funding for the 2008/09 fiscal year)

IDRC also funds and administers a training and awards program for young researchers from Canada and developing countries. This funding provides a new generation of Canadians with an opportunity to participate in international development work and helps build a critical mass of trained and experienced researchers in the South. 

Other funding

To increase the resources going to developing-country researchers, IDRC's Partnership and Business Development Division works with donors and foundations around the world. The Canadian Partnerships Program fosters alliances and knowledge-sharing among scientific, academic, and development communities in Canada and the South.

To fulfill its international mandate, IDRC has six regional offices:

• Nairobi, Kenya
• Dakar, Sénégal
• Cairo, Egypt
• New Delhi, India
• Singapore, Singapore
• Montevideo, Uruguay

IDRC's regional offices provide a local perspective to the Centre’s programming, nurture partnerships, and provide a first point of contact for researchers in developing countries. They also ensure closer monitoring of risks associated with the Centre's work and allow IDRC to respond to opportunities in a timely and coherent way. 

IDRC in numbers

Key financial highlights: