We undertake applied public policy research and engage in public dialogue on federal issues important to the prosperity and quality of life of Ontario and Canada. The Mowat Centre has a mandate to propose innovative, research-driven public policy recommendations that work on behalf of Canadians in all regions of the country, including Ontario.

The Mowat Centre believes that many foundational federal programs are built around outdated assumptions and need to be modernized in light of new Canadian and global economic and social realities.

The development of a dynamic, next-generation policy agenda for Canada will be facilitated by the best academic research, a deep knowledge of international practice, an awareness of the realities of government decision making and an appreciation of the real work of program delivery in communities.

We undertake our work in a manner that supports engaged and thoughtful public debate on policy issues.

The Mowat Centre is committed to generating knowledge collaboratively and capitalizing on new communications technologies. We connect leading public policy researchers with government decision-makers and practitioners to ensure that research is relevant, timely and informed by an understanding of government and practice.

We believe a prosperous, equitable, and dynamic Canada requires strong provinces, including a strong Ontario, and strong cities.  

The Mowat Centre is an independent non-partisan think tank. Our research focuses on those federal policy frameworks and strategies that will most strongly affect Ontario’s prosperity and quality of life in the next century. Our research is comparative, our recommendations are evidence-based and our proposals are grounded in an understanding of how government works and what makes Canada special.

Our research will bring new evidence to old questions and will make recommendations for new strategies and approaches to some of Canada’s most important policy questions.

At the Mowat Centre we conduct our own research, commission research from leading and new scholars and engage in collaborative research projects with other organizations.

We consider our research a success if it influences the public conversation, has an impact on the policy agenda, engages a wide audience and, ultimately, is translated into real policy change that makes Canada a more successful country.

In the best tradition of think tanks, the animating spirit of our research will be to suggest new but practical ways of looking at long-standing public policy challenges, free from the constraints of short-term political pressures or the policy choices of the past.

The Mowat Centre has eight research streams:

• Employment Insurance and income support
• Immigration
• Economic transformation
• Cities
• Federal fiscal transfers
• Democratic Institutions and Processes
• The Environment
• Ontario in the Federation

Our early research will focus on approaches to providing income and training support to the unemployed, options for improving federal-provincial cooperation on immigration policy, supporting innovation and economic transformation through effective economic development strategies, and improving representation in the Canadian Parliament.