WELCOME TO CERIS – THE ONTARIO METROPOLIS CENTRE

Creating and sharing knowledge on the lives of immigrants and the policies that affect them

Who we are

Established in 1996, CERIS – The Ontario Metropolis Centre is a research knowledge creation and transfer net-work that focuses on the resettlement and integration of immigrants and refugees in Ontario. Our research cen-tre is one of five across the country with ties to the Metropolis Project, an international network for comparative research and policy development. We work in a collaborative partnership that includes universities, community organisations and different levels of government. We are funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and a consortium of 14 federal departments and agencies.

What we do

RESEARCH

CERIS promotes and supports innovative policy-relevant research projects in six thematic areas:
Citizenship and social, cultural and civic integration
Economic and labour market integration
Family, children and youth
Health and Well-being
Justice, policing and security
Welcoming communities

CERIS has funded over 120 research projects selected by panels of academic and community researchers and policy makers who evaluate each project’s academic and policy merit. Collaborative and interdisciplinary, our research projects are designed to create new knowledge to inform current immigration policy and practice, train graduate students, support community research, and promote knowledge exchange between researchers and all of our partners.

CAPACITY BUILDING

CERIS trains a new generation of immigration scholars and researchers. Each year, graduate students receive funding to undertake their own research. We also provide support for students to present their work at annual conferences, local seminars, and graduate student workshops and conferences. We collaborate with our partners in the community and in government providing opportunities for them to participate in research projects and to learn more about research design and methods.

KNOWLEDGE MOBILISATION

CERIS supports making relevant research widely available to policy-makers, service providers, researchers, and diverse communities. We hold frequent conferences and seminars to share our research. We also publish materials for a wide range of users and reach out to those who can use our research to catalyse change.

Why we do it

Research has shown that immigrants coming to Ontario face increasing challenges. CERIS affiliates believe that good policy decisions flow from evidence-based research. We also believe that research must translate into action and we work to mobilise knowledge by getting it in the right hands at the right time.

Where we work

Our office is located at York University in Toronto, but our network extends across Ontario. Our research examines immigration issues in large and small cities as well as in rural areas across the province.

PARTNERS

Metropolis Canada
Montreal Metropolis Centre
Prairie Metropolis Centre (PMC)
Metropolis British Columbia
Atlantic Metropolis Centre
Metropolis International