The Institute was created under the initiative of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) and was founded in 1984, when Prime Ministers Prem Tinsulanonda of Thailand and Pierre Elliott Trudeau of Canada presided at the signing of a Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) aid agreement that provided the necessary start-up funding for the Institute.
The Institute's activities are broad in scope: (1) to conduct and promote policy research; (2) to establish an information center containing updated information on relevant policy issues; (3) to create a research network linking institutions and individuals engaged in policy research issues; and (4) to disseminate the results of policy research to maximize their impact on decision-making and public opinion.
To meet its objectives, the Institute established six research programs and two non-program research projects. Each program is headed by a Director and is staffed with highly qualified scientists and policy analysts. The six TDRI Programs are: Human Resources and Social Development, International Economic Relations, Macroeconomic Policy, Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Technology Development, and Sectoral Economics.
TDRI is governed by a Council of Trustees and a Board of Directors. The President, as Chief Executive of the Institute, is responsible to the Council and the Board for decisions on Institute finances, operations, and direction.