The Institute for Advanced Policy Research (IAPR) is a public policy research institute created at the University of Calgary in the Summer of 2004. The IAPR's mandate to is to enhance the quality of public policy research generated at the University of Calgary, to disseminate that research to academics, the public, and policymakers, and to engage graduate students in policy relevant research. The emphasis of the Institute is on providing a solid, analytical, evidenced based foundation for public policy discourse by integrating scholarly knowledge with practical applications. The Institute draws together existing public policy expertise from several departments and faculties across campus to provide a collaborative, integrated, cross-disciplinary approach to research in the public policy area. The intention is to build the intellectual critical mass necessary to produce pioneering public policy research and contribute to the development of public policy in Canada. Through specialized workshops, conferences, public lectures, and its publication program, the Institute will contribute to the University of Calgary's capacity to increase external funding for public policy research, enhance the training of senior undergraduate and graduate students, and disseminate public policy research. The objectives of the IAPR are to:

• conduct research on the global context in which Canada
• generate high quality public policy research on priority issues of international, national, provincial and local significance,
• integrate senior undergraduate and graduate students into the research enterprise,
• increase external funding for public policy research at the University of Calgary ,
• disseminate to all levels of government, business and the community the results of public policy research projects.

The Institute is a cornerstone in supporting the University's Academic Plan, which establishes priorities in the following areas:

• Leading innovation in energy and the environment,

• Understanding human behaviour, institutions and culture,
• Creating technologies and managing information for the knowledge society
• Advancing health and wellness.