Dr Irene McMaster
Principal Knowledge Exchange Fellow
European Policies Research Centre
Personal statement
She has undertaken several major evaluation and research studies of EU territorial and spatial development policies, including the ex ante evaluations of the 2014-2020 Northern Periphery and Arctic and North Sea Region Programmes, ex ante and ongoing evaluations of the 2007-2013 Northern Periphery Programme and a study on implementation arrangements for the 2007-13 Ireland, Northern Ireland and Western Scotland Cross Border Territorial Cooperation Programme. She has also been involved in the ex post evaluation of the impact of Structural Funds on management and implementation on behalf of DG Regio; and ESPON studies of the spatial and urban dimensions of the 2000-2006 Objective 1 and 2 programmes and ‘European Territorial Cooperation as a Factor of Growth, Jobs and Quality of Life’. She participated in the 2010 OECD territorial review of the NORA region (2011) and has been appointed as a specialist advisor to a House of Lords Regional Marine Co-operation Inquiry (2014). She is also involved in research on the Central and East European EU Member States, writing on the regional economic development policy in Central and Eastern Europe and the management and implementation of Cohesion policy.
Prize And Awards
- Strategic Themes Research and Knowledge Exchange Impact Awards: Research Team of the Year (Joint winner)
- Recipient
- 25/8/2025
- European Commission AMI expert list
- Recipient
- 2024
- HASS Research Impact Award
- Recipient
- 2023
- Specialist Advisor to House of Lords European Committee Enquiry on Regional Marine Cooperation
- Recipient
- 9/2014
Publications
- Flexibility and Simplification in Cohesion Policy under the 2028-2034 MFF Proposals
- Mendez Carlos, Bachtler John, Van Der Valk Odilia, McMaster Irene
- (2026)
- https://doi.org/10.2861/2441307
- Transnational Territorial Cooperation Strand Fiche
- McMaster Irene, Gorney Helene, Vironen Heidi, Fonseca Liliana, Maguire Rachel, Kah Stefan, Van Der Valk Odilia, Gaugitsch Roland
- (2026)
- Interreg A Programme Fiche
- McMaster Irene, Van Der Valk Odilia, Vironen Heidi, Georgieva Neli, Kah Stefan
- (2026)
- Developing Irish Sea Cooperation Intergovernmental Cooperation : Opportunities and barriers to cooperation across the Irish Sea space
- McMaster Irene, Michie Rona, Soares Anthony, Campbell Aidan
- (2026)
- Harvesting Report on Post 2027 INTERREG : Results of Stakeholder, Citizen and Programme Consultations
- McMaster Irene
- (2025)
- Integrated territorial investments : place-based cohesion policy in practice?
- Ferry Martin, Kah Stefan, McMaster Irene
- Public Policy Portuguese Journal Vol 9, pp. 10-23 (2024)
Professional Activities
- Irish Sea Intergovernmental Cooperation
- Speaker
- 19/5/2026
- Interreg in 2028-2034: Interreg looking ahead to support Europe’s strategic priorities
- Speaker
- 7/5/2026
- Cooperation Around the Irish Sea In Practice
- Speaker
- 26/2/2026
- The Times they are a-changin’ - A new European narrative on the adaptability of small places,
- Speaker
- 28/11/2025
- Reforms Debates and Interreg
- Speaker
- 12/11/2025
- Opportunities in Territorial Cooperation
- Speaker
- 6/11/2025
Projects
- PROVISION OF RESEARCH SERVICES TO UNDERTAKE A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY ON THE OPPORTUNITIES AND BARRIERS TO COOPERATION ACROSS THE IRISH SEA
- McMaster, Irene (Principal Investigator) Michie, Rona (Research Co-investigator)
- 28-Jan-2025 - 30-Jan-2026
- Collecting and analysing data for the post-27 INTERREG - €127,835
- McMaster, Irene (Principal Investigator) Vironen, Heidi (Co-investigator) Georgieva, Neli (Co-investigator) Kah, Stefan (Co-investigator)
- EPRC staff seconded to Stichting EPRC Strathclyde University (EPRC Delft). The ESPON project “Collecting and analysing data for the post-27 INTERREG“ (Core-IB) is implemented within the framework of the ESPON Thematic Action Plan (TAP): Living, working and travelling across borders. The aim is to provide evidence-based analyses that contribute to the definition and the future orientation of the next generation of INTERREG post-2027. It addresses a multitude of stakeholders across the multi-level governance system, including the member states and the European Commission. The spatial focus of the project covers all EU internal cross-border regions across the entire ESPON Programme area, including regions on inland borders with Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
- 13-Jan-2025 - 12-Jan-2026
- Regional Policy in Europe: A Comparative Assessment (EoRPA_NO_25_27)
- Mendez, Carlos (Principal Investigator) Bachtler, John (Co-investigator) McMaster, Irene (Research Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2025 - 31-Jan-2027
- RUral Revival: A Life In The Inspirational Countryside (RURALITIC)
- Vironen, Heidi (Principal Investigator) McMaster, Irene (Research Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2025 - 31-Jan-2028
- Ex post evaluation of Cohesion policy programmes 2014-2020 financed by the ERDF. Work package 10 - Institutional capacity and reform
- Bachtler, John (Principal Investigator) McMaster, Irene (Research Co-investigator) Michie, Rona (Research Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2023 - 30-Jan-2024
- Impact Evaluation of Interact
- McMaster, Irene (Principal Investigator) Vironen, Heidi (Research Co-investigator)
- 27-Jan-2021 - 31-Jan-2022
Contact
Dr
Irene
McMaster
Principal Knowledge Exchange Fellow
European Policies Research Centre
Email: irene.mcmaster@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 548 4905