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

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Building research partnerships to understand the promises of Summer Youth Employment Programs

In the first of a two-part blog series, Judd Kessler (University of Pennsylvania), Sara Heller (University of Michigan), and Julia Breitman (New York City Department of Youth and Community Development) discuss their research partnership to evaluate summer youth employment programs and the...
A person looks at housing listings on a laptop

Researching racial equity: Racial discrimination, choice constraints, and policy implications

In this interview with J-PAL staff, J-PAL affiliated professor Peter Christensen (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) discusses his ongoing series of evaluations, including a 2021 paper on housing discrimination, and the role randomized evaluations can play in addressing racial inequities.
Person opening opening mail with letter containing text "Health Insurance Marketplace: You're almost done at Healthcare.gov..."

Overcoming administrative burdens: Strategies to increase access to health insurance in the United States

A new J-PAL policy insight highlights evidence from randomized evaluations on the impact of informational “nudges”—strategies designed to inform individuals about various aspects of health insurance and influence behavior without changing legal or economic systems—on health insurance take-up. In...
An aerial view of homes in Los Angeles

The LA Homelessness Evaluation Network: Supporting service providers in their efforts to generate and use evidence

J-PAL North America is partnering with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to offer LA-based homeless service providers a supportive “community of practice” around rigorous research. Through this effort, we aim to bolster organizations’ ability to generate and use evidence to inform decision-making as...
Rows of houses in the Bay Area in California on a hill in the sunlight

BAE Incubator partner series, part five: Seeking systems-level change to address housing instability

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Homelessness in the United States is a pressing issue that requires increased research on effective strategies to address it and foster long-term housing stability. With grant funding from Google.org—Google’s philanthropic arm—the Bay Area Evaluation (BAE) Incubator supported Bay Area service...
Two envelopes; one with the Minnesota Management and Budget Logo and text "400 Centennial Office Building 658 Cedar Street Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155." The other with the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy Logo and text "Prescription Monit 2828 University Av Minneapolis, MN 5 http://pmp.pharm Supporting Patien. Dr. Prescriber PMP Letter 111 Main St Anvtown. MN 55555"

Building research partnerships to address the opioid crisis in Minnesota, part two

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Mireille Jacobson (University of Southern California), Weston Merrick (Minnesota Management and Budget or MMB), and Adam Sacarny (Columbia University) sit down with J-PAL staff to discuss the results of their randomized evaluation assessing how various letters affected physicians’ use of Minnesota’s...
Headshot of Matthew Notowidigo in front of a bookcase

Introducing Matthew Notowidigdo, new co-scientific director of J-PAL North America

In this interview, the new Co-Scientific Director of J-PAL North America, Matthew Notowidigdo discusses his background and previous work with J-PAL North America, and he and Amy Finkelstein outline their priorities and goals for their work together as co-scientific directors.
Photo of Larry Katz with a background of rocks

Reflecting back and looking forward: A decade of generating evidence with J-PAL North America

Lawrence Katz, former co-scientific director of J-PAL North America, reflects on nearly ten years advising the regional office and provides key insights for the future of evidence-based policymaking in the region.