Aurora Research Institute's mandate is to improve the quality of life for NWT residents by applying scientific, technological and indigenous knowledge to solve northern problems and advance social and economic goals. As such, the Aurora Research Institute is responsible for:
- licensing and coordinating research in accordance with the NWT Scientists Act;
- promoting communication between researchers and the people of the communities in which they work;
- promoting public awareness of the importance of science, technology and indigenous knowledge;
- fostering a scientific community within the NWT which recognizes and uses the traditional knowledge of northern aboriginal peoples;
- making scientific and traditional knowledge available to people of the NWT; and
- supporting or conducting research which contributes to the social, cultural and economic prosperity of the people of the NWT.