Mary Simon, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president, tells reporters in Ottawa that the relationships between Inuit and western scientists could be improved. (CBC)

A new Ottawa-based research centre will help bridge the divide between Western science and Inuit knowledge about Canada's Arctic, national Inuit leader Mary Simon announced Tuesday.

The Inuit Knowledge Centre, also known as Inuit Qaujisarvingat, will help scientists "interact fully and appropriately" with Inuit in northern communities, while also helping Inuit access Western science systems.

Simon said the centre will allow Inuit to have more input on research into such issues as Arctic sovereignty, resource development and climate change.

"We could actually do the research that is related to the North and the Inuit from the centre so that's it's more related to what we feel are the priority areas," Simon told CBC News on Tuesday.

Simon said that Inuit knowledge is based on observation, hypotheses and experimentation, similar to science.

She added that Inuit knowledge is often undervalued in Arctic science and policy, but it can stand on its own and can often work with scientific processes.

The new centre will offer training materials on appropriate research processes and practices for researchers going to Inuit communities, Simon said.

Inuit Qaujisarvingat will be based at Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami's headquarters in Ottawa.