The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of more than 1,000 researchers at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty.
J-PAL co-founders Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, with longtime affiliate Michael Kremer, were awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics for their pioneering approach to alleviating global poverty.
Research
At J-PAL, we believe investing in rigorous research is essential to finding solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. Working with implementing partners, J-PAL’s affiliated professors conduct randomized impact evaluations to test and improve the effectiveness of social programs.
J-PAL researchers have led more than 2,300 randomized evaluations across a diverse range of topics, from clean water to microfinance to crime prevention. The research group at J-PAL helps create the infrastructure necessary to support our affiliates’ research around the world.
Research staff forge relationships with implementers on the ground and contribute to the design of survey instruments, data collection, statistical analysis, and data publishing. Together, affiliated professors and research staff have established J-PAL as a leader in running high-quality impact evaluations.
We also create practical research resources and make them accessible to all. We focus on tools designed to help researchers develop and carry out randomized evaluations, and to support those teaching the method to others.
Our comprehensive resource library features evaluation manuals, templates and examples of different analysis and survey tools, coding tools for STATA, guidelines on ethics and transparency, and sample lecture slides and case studies. J-PAL also provides affiliated professors with grants and technical assistance to promote research transparency.
In addition to generating research resources, J-PAL staff serve as “matchmakers,” helping connect affiliates with implementing partners to catalyze new research and innovation. Our funding initiatives for affiliated professors support randomized evaluations that seek solutions to policy challenges in governance, post-primary education, healthcare delivery, and child health, among other topics.
In this way, J-PAL research contributes to the ecosystem of knowledge and evidence on key questions in social policy and international development.
Informing Policy and Practice
J-PAL translates research into action, promoting a culture of evidence-informed policymaking around the world. Our policy analysis and outreach helps governments, NGOs, donors, and the private sector apply evidence from randomized evaluations to their work, and contributes to public discourse around some of the most pressing questions in social policy and international development.
J-PAL bridges gaps between researchers and policymakers. We understand that for data and research to be influential, it must address local priorities and be accessible to decision-makers.
We work with J-PAL affiliated professors to distill results from rigorous impact evaluations into lessons that are clear, concise, and relevant to policymakers. With an in-depth understanding of the landscape of high-quality scientific research, we develop and disseminate cross-cutting policy insights.
We build partnerships with governments, NGOs, and high-level decision-makers to support use of evidence to drive policy reform and catalyze adoption of evidence at scale. This includes providing funding, technical assistance, and embedded staff to help shape programs and policies that deliver results.
To date, more than 600 million people have been reached by programs and policies that have been informed by evaluations by J-PAL affiliated researchers.
Education and Training
J-PAL works to strengthen the capacity of researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and donors who generate, use, and advocate for evidence in decision-making. With a focus on learning and innovation, we deliver graduate-level open-enrollment online courses and tailored in-person training programs around the world to build skills for impact evaluation.
J-PAL’s suite of training resources includes in-person Evaluating Social Programs courses, customized courses for governments and other partners, and free open-enrollment online courses. Many of our lecture videos, case studies, and teaching resources on randomized evaluations are available online at no cost.
At our courses, participants discuss the importance of theories of change, effective outcome measurement strategies, and key considerations for evaluation design and implementation. Trainings also help decision-makers to distinguish relevant and high-quality evidence to inform policymaking.
J-PAL and MIT Open Learning have also developed a series of rigorous online courses as part of the MITx MicroMasters program in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy (DEDP).
DEDP MicroMasters participants engage with cutting-edge economics research and gain a strong foundation in microeconomics, development economics, public policy, and probability and statistics. Most DEDP MicroMasters courses are taught by MIT professors and are open to anyone interested in using evidence to promote effective policies and programs.
Past reports
2023-24
The 2023-24 edition of “Improving Lives Through Evidence” is a call to action for urgent collaboration to achieve a shared vision for a better world. Instead of despairing at the size and stickiness of our problems, we must proactively collaborate on designing innovative solutions, rigorously testing them, and then working carefully to scale them up.
2022-23
As we enter J-PAL’s third decade, there is no shortage of challenges: Climate change, humanitarian crises, persistent bias and discrimination, and lagging early childhood development are all sobering reminders of how much urgent work there is still to do.
2021-22
The Covid-19 pandemic continues to disrupt people’s lives and communities across the world. Evidence-informed policymaking is key to ensuring that the most vulnerable are able to adapt. In the 2021-22 edition of "Improving Lives Through Evidence," learn how we forged partnerships for more equitable and evidence-informed policies in 2021, and how we will build on our vision in the new year.
2020-21
Last year brought new challenges and demanded innovative solutions. Read how our research, policy, and capacity building work evolved to adapt to lockdowns and meet new evidence needs in the 2020-21 edition of “Improving Lives Through Evidence."
2019-20
We launched many exciting initiatives to expand the frontiers of research and evidence-informed policy, and our existing research initiatives contributed funding to help launch 56 new randomized evaluations that test the most effective approaches to fighting poverty. We grew our online MicroMasters program and admitted the first class of students in our new Master’s in Data, Economics, and Development Policy at MIT. And we welcomed 20 top researchers to our affiliate network, while growing our talented team of research, policy, training, and operations staff worldwide.
2019 was also notable for an exceptional reason: J-PAL co-founders Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo and our longtime affiliate Michael Kremer were awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.
History
The Poverty Action Lab was founded in 2003 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) by professors Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Sendhil Mullainathan, with the goal of transforming how the world approaches the challenges of global poverty.
In 2005, the lab partnered with Community Jameel, an independent, global organization advancing science to help communities thrive in a rapidly changing world. Following the partnership, the lab was renamed the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) in honor of the late Abdul Latif Jameel, the founder of Abdul Latif Jameel and father of MIT alumnus and founder and chairman of Community Jameel, Mohammed Jameel KBE.
Today, J-PAL’s core staff includes more than 400 research, policy, education, and training professionals across seven offices worldwide.
J-PAL co-founders Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, with longtime affiliate Michael Kremer, were awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics for their pioneering approach to alleviating global poverty. In their announcement, the Nobel Committee noted, "The research conducted by this year’s Laureates has considerably improved our ability to fight global poverty. In just two decades, their new experiment-based approach has transformed development economics, which is now a flourishing field of research."
Our work is generously supported by visionary foundations, governments, and individuals. Major donors include Arnold Ventures, Co-Impact, Community Jameel, The Gates Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, King Philanthropies, The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, The Target Foundation, The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, The National Institutes of Health, and UK International Development.
Timeline
MIT professor Ben Olken, pictured above (right), joins Abhijit Banerjee (second from left) and Esther Duflo (center) as Co-Director of J-PAL.
J-PAL LAC and its partners Enterprise Solutions to Poverty (SEP), Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), and the Ministry of Social Development and Inclusion of Peru (MIDIS) of Peru assembles the Quipu Commission to generate evidence that the government can use to design and implement better social policies.
The Youth Initiative (YI) and the Post-Primary Education (PPE) are launched with support from the Nike Foundation, and Echidna Giving, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Douglas B. Marshall, Jr. Family Foundation, and the UK Department for International Development.
Amy Finkelstein, Scientific Director of J-PAL North America, wins the John Bates Clark medal. The medal is awarded to the top economist under age 40.
Seven professors join J-PAL's affiliate network, bringing the total number of affiliates to 71.
Timeline
MIT professor Ben Olken, pictured above (right), joins Abhijit Banerjee (second from left) and Esther Duflo (center) as Co-Director of J-PAL.
J-PAL LAC and its partners Enterprise Solutions to Poverty (SEP), Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), and the Ministry of Social Development and Inclusion of Peru (MIDIS) of Peru assembles the Quipu Commission to generate evidence that the government can use to design and implement better social policies.
The Youth Initiative (YI) and the Post-Primary Education (PPE) are launched with support from the Nike Foundation, and Echidna Giving, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Douglas B. Marshall, Jr. Family Foundation, and the UK Department for International Development.
Amy Finkelstein, Scientific Director of J-PAL North America, wins the John Bates Clark medal. The medal is awarded to the top economist under age 40.
Seven professors join J-PAL's affiliate network, bringing the total number of affiliates to 71.