IRIS is a policy research and advisory centre dedicated to facilitating economic growth and improving governance in developing and transition countries. In partnership with international donors, reformers, and scholars, IRIS conducts research, designs and implements programmes, and promotes the sharing and application of innovative ideas and insights. Based in economics, but taking an interdisciplinary approach, IRIS focuses on the role of institutions — the formal and informal rules by which individuals organise economic, political, and social activity. IRIS’s main areas of expertise include economic and institutional analysis, enterprise development, governance and civil society, and legal and regulatory reform.

Located in the Economics Department at the University of Maryland, College Park, IRIS is staffed by lawyers, economists, and development specialists. IRIS operates within University Research Corporation, International — a non-profit research and advisory affiliate of the University.

The website includes details of IRIS's technical assistance projects and a list of publications, including many that can be downloaded in full-text format.