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

Invitees engage in discussion during a session of the 2025 UJALA Customized Training Program.

Researcher-Led Evaluations: UJALA’s push for rigorous agricultural evidence

The UM6P-J-PAL Applied Lab for Agriculture (UJALA) is built on a simple but powerful premise: Evidence is most useful when generated in partnership with those implementing programs on the ground.
People at the UJALA event

Bridging disciplines to shape sustainable rural futures in Africa

Rural Africa faces interconnected challenges, from climate change adaptation to soil restoration and others, that require more than isolated disciplinary responses. Addressing these complex issues demands research that is both methodologically rigorous and deeply grounded in local realities. Yet too...
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...
Click from CGIAR gender conference

Closing gender gaps in agriculture: Insights from the CGIAR conference in Cape Town

In October 2025, Cape Town hosted the CGIAR Gender in Food, Land, and Water Systems Conference, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and donors to chart actions for closing gender gaps in agriculture. J-PAL staff attended and presented in one of the key plenaries over the three days.
A collage of headshots of the researchers

Advancing agricultural transformation through locally-led research

The UM6P-J-PAL Applied Lab for Agirculture (UJALA) announced its first cohort of UJALA African Scholars.
PhD students and faculty gather to mark the launch of the UM6P-J-PAL Applied Lab for Agriculture’s African Scholars Program

Creating partnership opportunities for early-career researchers in Africa

On September 17, 2025, the UM6P-J-PAL Applied Lab for Agriculture (UJALA) unveiled its new African Scholars Program at the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P)’s campus in Rabat. The program will support early‑career African researchers to become leaders in rigorous, policy‑relevant randomized...
Kohlipura village, India. GOTN: The survey team debriefing after a long day of work.

Researcher Spotlight: Gautam Rao on co-producing evidence with policymakers

In this episode of the Researcher Spotlight Series, host Sambhav Choudhury speaks with Gautam Rao, associate professor of economics at UC Berkeley. From his unconventional journey from electronics engineering to economics, Gautam shares insights on his behavioral economics and mental health research...
Workers in a ptivate garment factory

The Evidence Effect: What we’ve learned working with the private sector for inclusive growth

The private sector is a fundamental force for driving global prosperity. For corporations and investors, there’s enormous opportunity in low- and middle-income countries’ growing markets and talent. What’s less clear is how to partner most effectively for maximum impact: How can multinationals...