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IRPP celebrates: 50 years of trusted research into Canada’s toughest challenges

April 6, 2022 Print

Montreal — One of Canada’s oldest, most trusted think tanks is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP) is part of a small – but mighty – community of independent institutions supporting evidence-based policy-making and inclusive dialogue, at a time when facts are increasingly contested and society more polarized.

“The overlapping social, economic, technological and environmental issues that Canada is dealing with today are more complex, and changing more rapidly, than anyone could have imagined back in 1972 when we were founded,” says Jennifer Ditchburn, President & CEO of the IRPP.

“But this complexity and this intense pace of change is precisely why the world needs institutions like the IRPP. We make it our job to spot the disruptions that require policy responses, we set aside the chatter and take a sober look at the evidence that will lead to sound decision-making.”

The IRPP is marking its 50th anniversary year with a series of panel discussions on emerging policy issues, held in collaboration with nine schools of public policy and administration across Canada. The Institute is also planning a major gala celebration in Ottawa on November 23, 2022, where it will bring together its diverse community of policy-makers, parliamentarians, researchers, and partners from the private and nonprofit sectors.

The IRPP was officially formed in April 1972, after the federal government pledged in a Speech from the Throne to help create “an institute where long-term research and thinking can be carried out into governmental matters of all kinds.” Since then, the Institute has been at the forefront of key policy conversations – including climate change, the Constitution, immigration and diversity, economic growth, and income inequality – both as a convener and as a publisher of in-depth research.

In addition to its in-depth public policy research component, the Institute is home to the award-winning Policy Options magazine and the Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation. Currently, the IRPP’s in-depth research is focused on the social safety net for working-age adults, adult skills and learning, and the aging population.

“What makes the IRPP’s work so impactful is its independence and its high quality. When a decision-maker reads an IRPP study, magazine article, or uses data on provincial COVID policies, they can be confident it is anchored in rigorous research and evidence,” says IRPP Board chair Anne McLellan.

For interviews and media inquiries, contact Cléa Desjardins, the IRPP’s Director of Communications, at 514-245-2139 or cdesjardins@nullirpp.org.
Find out more about the IRPP’s history on our website.

Media Contact

Cléa Desjardins
Communications Director
514-245-2139 • cdesjardins@irpp.org

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