The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab

Our mission is to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. We do this through research, policy outreach, and training.

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Blog

Letter from the Global Executive Director: J-PAL's response to COVID-19

J-PAL Global Executive Director Iqbal Dhaliwal outlines the actions J-PAL is taking to slow the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the safety of our staff.

Inaugural cohort of the DEDP program

News

MIT launches master's in data, economics, and development policy, led by Nobel laureates

MIT launches master’s in data, economics, and development policy, led by Nobel laureates. The first cohort of 22 students from 14 countries share a common ambition: harnessing data to help others.

2019 Nobel laureates in Economics

Blog

Recapping Nobel Week 2019

Our co-founders Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, with longtime J-PAL affiliate Michael Kremer, were awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences on December 10, 2019. In the week leading up to the award ceremony, the laureates delivered lectures on their award-winning research and...

News

Can We Have Prosperity Without Growth?

An article in The New Yorker describes how the critique of economic growth, once a fringe position, is gaining widespread attention in the face of the climate crisis.

J-PAL affiliated researchers have 1004 ongoing and completed randomized evaluations in 83 countries

Tweets by @jpal

Transitioning from a classroom to an online video conference is challenging for everyone involved—teachers must make extra effort to engage students effectively, and students in turn have to make an extra effort to stay engaged amid distractions at home. In developing the MicroMasters in Data, Economics, and Development Policy, we’ve tried different approaches to online education and identified key lessons essential for keeping students engaged and learning: j-p.al/y0s

April 6th
As of March 17, J-PAL has suspended all research activities that involve in-person interactions in order to limit the spread of COVID-19. Drawing on expertise from across our network, our Research and Training team has compiled best practices on transitioning from in-person surveys to online or phone-based surveys. Access these resources and a full recording of a webinar with J-PAL Africa Scientific Director Tavneet Suri on adapting to phone surveys here: https://j-p.al/1cc03

March 31st
At J-PAL, our absolute priority is the safety of our staff, students, researchers, partners, and research participants. Our Global Executive Director Iqbal Dhaliwal outlined the measures we are taking to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in a letter to affiliates and staff: https://j-p.al/covid19

March 18th
How do you know if your organization is achieving its intended impact? Join us in Cambridge, MA, USA for a five-day in-person course that equips participants with resources and knowledge to engage with impact evaluations of social programs. The course provides an in-depth look at why and when randomized evaluations can be used to rigorously measure social impact, methods and considerations for their design and implementation, and how findings can inform evidence-based policies and programs. Lectures and case studies use real-world examples to prepare participants to apply learning at their home organizations. The course covers both the technical design and pragmatic considerations of measuring impact with a randomized evaluation. Applications will be accepted until April 17, 2020. However, we encourage candidates to apply at their earliest convenience, as space is limited and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Apply today! https://j-p.al/2020ESP

February 24th
February 19th

Staff engagement in face of a pandemic

Katrina Pereira, Human Resources Manager at J-PAL Global, outlines how J-PAL staff have come together to build a vibrant virtual community in face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

6 hours ago

Emmanuel Bakirdjian, J-PAL ‘17, uses evidence to help farmers increase agricultural yield across East Africa

We caught up with Emmanuel Bakirdjian, a former senior research manager at J-PAL Africa. Emmanuel joined J-PAL Africa in 2012 and oversaw many of its research projects. Now the Africa Regional...

2 days 5 hours ago

Amanda Dawes Ibáñez, J-PAL ‘14, is at the nexus of research and policy design

In this installment of our Alumni Spotlight series, we caught up with Amanda Dawes Ibáñez, a former senior research manager at J-PAL Latin America & the Caribbean (LAC). Amanda joined J-PAL LAC during...

2 days 5 hours ago

Can information lead to better voting decisions? Evidence from information campaigns in India

Out of 539 winners in India’s 2019 general election for the lower house of Parliament, 29 percent have, at some point, been charged with serious criminal cases, including cases related to rape, murder...

1 week 3 days ago

How to keep students engaged in online learning

Transitioning from a classroom to an online video conference is challenging for everyone involved—teachers must make extra effort to engage students effectively, and students in turn have to make an...

2 weeks ago