The Egyptian Water Research Center (WRC), which supoprt the Ministry of Public Works and Water Resources (MPWWR), has identified the need for building Institute capacity to design and implement strategic research studies to enhance planning and policy capabilities within MPWWR. This paper assesses the structure and needs of a Strategic Research Unit (SRU) to be located within the WRC. The SRU will promote collaboration among the WRC's programs, provide technical analysis to support the MPWWR, and create a national center of excellence for assessing long-term water strategies.