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News, ideas, and analysis from J-PAL staff and affiliated professors. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly email updates.

Students doing numeracy exercises as part of Alex’s research in The Gambia, 2018.

The future of education in Africa: A conversation with J-PAL Africa's newest Scientific Advisor

Alex Eble is an associate professor of economics and education at Columbia University's Teachers College, a J-PAL affiliate, and our new Scientific Advisor for J-PAL Africa’s Girls’ Education and Empowerment portfolio. We sat down with Alex to discuss his path into education-focused development work...
A photo of Jacob Wallace smiling with a blurred background.

Affiliate Spotlight: Jacob Wallace on strengthening Medicaid through evidence use and generation

In this Affiliate Spotlight, Jacob Wallace, Faculty Co-Director of the SCALE Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, reflects on his experience researching Medicaid, the promise of test-and-learn approaches, and his new role as Scientific Advisor of J-PAL North America's forthcoming Medicaid...
A man stands in a sweater in front of a light blue wall.

African Scholar Spotlight: Nathaniel Olutegbe

Through our African Scholars Program, we hope to help create more opportunities for African researchers to advance the research agenda on the continent through randomized evaluations. In this spotlight, we speak with Nathaniel Olutegbe of the University of Ibadan in Nigeria.
A man in a suit stands on a red stage and speaks into a handheld microphone

2026 Annual Letter from the Global Executive Director

As aid budgets contracted and scrutiny of development spending intensified, we heard a clear and urgent request from partners most affected: Tell a more compelling, concrete story of why development funding matters and how it delivers results. We responded by launching The Evidence Effect , a...
Photo from UJALA seminar

From evidence to action in agricultural policy: What the UJALA Policy Conference revealed

Last year we launched a new J-PAL policy lab: The UM6P-J-PAL Applied Lab for Agriculture (UJALA), which generates rigorous, policy-relevant evidence to answer critical questions around small-scale agriculture and food security worldwide. The lab, launched in collaboration with OCP Africa and led by...
Satellite photo of a town

Defining urban impact: Embedding data and evidence use in climate-responsive urban development

By
Partnerships between city governments and research and evidence-focused institutions can help bridge the gap between urban policy, implementation, and rigorous evaluation. This is precisely where the role of learning and evaluation partners like J-PAL’s Hub of Advanced Policy Innovation for the...
Two people talking to each other in the convening

Evidence Matters Convening: Advancing policy through partnership with King County, WA and the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities

King County, Washington, Notre Dame’s Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO) , and J-PAL North America went live to co-host an all-day, in-person Evidence Matters Convening in November 2025.
Esther Duflo sits in a blue shirt with a man in a blue suit, facing each other

To boost jobs in low- and middle-income countries, support more than just entrepreneurs

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When J-PAL co-founder Esther Duflo spoke with Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) last fall, she shared a message that resonated deeply with both our organizations: " Evidence is not about confirming what we believe; it’s about discovering what actually makes a difference. "