Founded in 2002, CIREQ is a research center in economics and quantitative analysis which is committed to promote research in different areas of economics (see axes) and to bridge theoretical and applied research in order to achieve a deeper understanding of the economy. CIREQ is financed by the Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la société et la culture (FQRSC) and by the Université de Montréal, McGill, and Concordia.

The Center organizes conferences, workshops, and seminars. It also hosts, via visiting scholar programs, more than 50 visiting international researchers every year, for periods of one to several weeks. The Center also plays an important role in the departments' graduate programs.