The mandates of the Atlantic Research Data Centre (ARDC) are as follows:
Provide access to confidential microdata of various Statistics Canada surveys, including Census materials and administrative data
Provide training to the research community
Disseminate knowledge
The ARDC is an inter-university facility and service of Dalhousie University (DAL), Acadia University, Mount St. Vincent University (MSVU), St. Mary's University (SMU), St. Francis Xavier (SFX), and Cape Breton University.
The Atlantic Research Data Centre was officially opened on May 28th, 2002. The establishment and continuing development of the centre is overseen by two inter-university committees: the Governing Council and Advisory Group. Currently, the ARDC has been operating under the direction of Academic Director Dr. Casey Warman
The operational costs of the ARDC are covered through allotments from Dalhousie University, fees from the ARDC partner universities, and funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI).