The institute engages in research, which focuses on the following areas: contemporary Canada, US-Canadian relations, North American political economy, and Canada's role on the global stage. Specific areas of concern include energy, trade, the US-Canadian border, security challenges, regional economic integration, immigration, globalization, and environment, among others.[3] An example of the institute's initiatives is the One Issue, Two Voices publication series, which involves dialogues between Canadian and American authors discussing the two countries’ bilateral relationship.[3] A discussion on health care in 2008, for instance, involved Antonia Maioni and Theodore Marmor, who revealed the disparities in spending, coverage, and access for the two countries.[4] Information from the series inform and help shape policies that affect US-Canadian relationship. Scholars of the institute also engage in research on subjects such as systemic financial risk.
Funding for the institute includes Congressionally-appropriated funds but the bulk of its revenue is sourced from fund-raising activities in Canada.[3] Other sources include income from projects and the works of the institute's scholars as well as grants from the private sector and the Canadian embassy in Washington, D.C.[3]
The institute's public policy scholars include Louis Belanger and James T. McHugh.[5][6] Christopher Sands currently serves as the institute's director.[7]