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 224 affiliated professors at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty.
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 224 affiliated professors at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty.
Our affiliated professors are based at 73 universities and conduct randomized evaluations around the world to design, evaluate, and improve programs and policies aimed at reducing poverty. They set their own research agendas, raise funds to support their evaluations, and work with J-PAL staff on research, policy outreach, and training.
Our Board of Directors, which is composed of J-PAL affiliated professors and senior management, provides overall strategic guidance to J-PAL, our sector programs, and regional offices.
We partner with NGOs, governments, donors, multilateral organizations, businesses, and other research centers to conduct randomized evaluations, build research capacity, scale up what works, and promote the use of evidence in decision making.
J-PAL recognizes that there is a lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of economics and in our field of work. Read about what actions we are taking to address this.
We host events around the world and online to share results and policy lessons from randomized evaluations, to build new partnerships between researchers and practitioners, and to train organizations on how to design and conduct randomized evaluations, and use evidence from impact evaluations.
Browse news articles about J-PAL and our affiliated professors, read our press releases and monthly global and research newsletters, and connect with us for media inquiries.
J-PAL is based at MIT in Cambridge, MA and has seven regional offices at leading universities in Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, North America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
J-PAL is based at MIT in Cambridge, MA and has seven regional offices at leading universities in Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, North America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
Our global office is based at the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It serves as the head office for our network of seven independent regional offices.
Led by affiliated professors, J-PAL sectors guide our research and policy work by conducting literature reviews; by managing research initiatives that promote the rigorous evaluation of innovative interventions by affiliates; and by summarizing findings and lessons from randomized evaluations and producing cost-effectiveness analyses to help inform relevant policy debates.
Led by affiliated professors, J-PAL sectors guide our research and policy work by conducting literature reviews; by managing research initiatives that promote the rigorous evaluation of innovative interventions by affiliates; and by summarizing findings and lessons from randomized evaluations and producing cost-effectiveness analyses to help inform relevant policy debates.
How do policies affecting private sector firms impact productivity gaps between higher-income and lower-income countries? How do firms’ own policies impact economic growth and worker welfare?
We host events around the world and online to share results and policy lessons from randomized evaluations, build new partnerships between researchers and practitioners, and train organizations on how to design and conduct randomized evaluations.
Women-led small businesses and informal workers were particularly vulnerable to shocks from the Covid-19 pandemic, and many did not have access to government relief programs. One solution may be unconditional cash transfers to help vulnerable communities withstand shocks and improve economic...
How can states strengthen formal systems of justice provision and build citizen trust in the state? And how can informal dispute resolution systems complement or undermine these efforts? The third webinar in the Governance, Crime, and Conflict Initiative’s (GCCI) series will discuss randomized...
Live via Zoom | 9:00-10:30am EST / 4:00-5:30pm EAT
With the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, J-PAL Africa is hosting a practitioner-focused webinar, to highlight the evidence on the impacts of mobile money and digital financial services on poverty, open policy research questions, and challenges that practitioners face in sub-Saharan...
Since 2013, the US Health Care Delivery Initiative has supported randomized evaluations of strategies that aim to make health care delivery in the United States more efficient, effective, and equitable. Over the last eight years, HCDI has collaborated with academics from various disciplines, health...
Held live over Zoom, this four-day training will equip participants with the resources and knowledge to engage with impact evaluations of social programs. The interactive course provides an in-depth look at why and when randomized evaluations can be used to rigorously measure social impact, methods...
Held live over Zoom, this five-day training will equip participants with the resources and knowledge to engage with impact evaluations of social programs in Africa.
On Wednesday, June 24, Rema Hanna (Scientific Director, J-PAL Southeast Asia), and Benjamin Olken (Director, J-PAL; Scientific Director, J-PAL Southeast Asia) shared learning from evidence laying for social protection systems to adequately respond to the COVID-19 context at an online event hosted by...
J-PAL South Asia in collaboration with J-PAL Global organised a series of webinars through June 2020 for officials from the Indian government. This series was geared to support the Indian government as it transitions to a centralised online learning platform to build the capacity of their officers.
Join us each week from 3:00-4:30pm EEST (8:00-9:30am EDT) for this webinar training series on Evaluating Social Programs. Over the course of four weeks, these webinars will provide an introduction to why and how randomized evaluations can be used to rigorously measure social impact. The sessions...
Join us daily from 11am-12:30pm EDT for this free, week-long webinar training series on Evaluating Social Programs. Throughout the week, these webinars will provide an introduction to why and how randomized evaluations can be used to rigorously measure social impact.
What does it mean for women to have agency? Can women’s empowerment be measured? How can we know if social norms have changed? Join us for a webinar with Shagun Sabarwal, Director of Policy, Training, and Communications at J-PAL South Asia, on strategies to measure gender outcomes—agency...
Session hosted on Zoom. Please RSVP: j-p.al/webinar-form
Jessica takes the class through the introduction to randomised evaluations. She explores the ideas behind developing a good research question and project, and uses the application of her fingerprinting study in Malawi.
Tavneet will share insights from transitioning a large-scale survey for the UBI Kenya project from in-person to phone interviews, with a focus on shortening and adapting questionnaires to be conducted via phone. She will start with a presentation, followed by Q&A.
Please note: This is a custom course hosted by the International Rescue Committee. The course is tailored to the needs of professionals from humanitarian, development, government, policy, and academic organizations who are considering, planning, or currently conducting randomized evaluations.