The Ontario Tobacco Research Unit (OTRU) is the lead research and evaluation agency for the Smoke-Free Ontario Strategy. The Ontario Tobacco Research Unit was established in 1993 as the research and evaluation component of the Ontario Tobacco Strategy with initial funding from the province and in-kind contributions from the academic community. During the past 20 years, we have expanded the scope o
f our work, and both provincial government and extramural funding, to become a key player in the tobacco control community in Canada and internationally. Mandate
-Exercise leadership in the design and conduct of research projects
-Increase Ontario’s capacity to conduct research, monitoring and evaluation
-Monitor programs and activities conducted under the auspices of the Smoke-Free Ontario Strategy
-Provide advice and technical expertise on program evaluation and best practices
-Analyze and disseminate science-based information for the research and public health communities
-Strengthen and broaden our provincial, national and international network of researchers, programmers and policymakers
Sponsors
The Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto is our principal sponsor. Our co-sponsors include the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and the University of Waterloo. Our sponsors provide in-kind contributions of investigator time, facilities, and administrative support. Funding
OTRU receives funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, external grants and contracts, and in-kind contributions from our sponsors.
