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Browse news articles about J-PAL and our affiliated professors, and read our press releases and monthly global and research newsletters. For media inquiries, please email us.

The Impact of Exposing Corrupt Politicians through Government Audits in Brazil

Billions of dollars in government funds go missing each year due to corruption, but there is limited consensus on how best to tackle this global challenge. Researchers leveraged data from Brazil’s long-standing anticorruption program, which holds public lotteries to randomly select municipalities...

Generating Social Connections for Better Business Practices Among Firms in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Zambia

Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Zambia to measure whether generating social connections between manufacturing firm managers could lead to the diffusion and adoption of best business practices. These social interactions led to the spread of best practices...

Irrigation Tank Rehabilitation for Improved Agricultural Outcomes and Water Management in India

Xavier Giné
Anup Malani
The Government of Telangana is partnering with researchers to determine the impact of restoring water tanks for irrigation on water management, agricultural output, and farmers’ income.

The Impact of Financial Incentives for Traditional Birth Attendants on Postnatal Care Use in Nigeria

Adanna Chukwuma
Chinyere Mbachu
Researchers evaluated whether giving traditional birth attendants (TBAs) cash incentives for maternal postnatal referrals can increase uptake of skilled maternal postnatal care. Cash rewards increased referrals made by TBAs by 182 percent and more than tripled the proportion of clients that attended...

Using Job Search Contracts to Help Job Seekers Return to Work in Germany

Barbara Hofmann
Gesine Stephan
Arne Uhlendorff
Researchers partnered with the German Federal Employment Agency to evaluate the impact of these contracts on job search behavior and employment outcomes. The contracts accelerated job finding when introduced early in the unemployment spell rather than later, but were only effective among less...

The Impact of Debt Relief in India and the Philippines

Researchers evaluated whether offering market vendors cash grants to pay off existing debt and financial training influenced future borrowing behavior. While market vendors were less likely to borrow and borrowed in smaller amounts in the short-term, most returned to debt within six weeks.

The Impact of Government Subsidies on Private Secondary School Performance in Uganda

Felipe Barrera-Osorio
Pierre De Galbert
Shwetlena Sabarwal
Researchers partnered with the Ugandan government to evaluate the impact of a public private partnership (PPP) program with low-cost private secondary schools on absorbing large increases in secondary school enrollment in Uganda. The PPP program led to both greater private school enrollment and...