Requests for Proposals
Risk Valuation Measurement Top-Up Fund for Randomized Evaluations
The Value of a Statistical Life (VSL) is a measure widely used in policy and funding decisions to help policymakers analyze tradeoffs and inform cost-benefit analysis of policies to improve people’s well-being. For example, when regulating air pollution, the government needs to decide acceptable emissions levels given the effects on mortality, morbidity, and other outcomes. The VSL is one way to quantify how individuals make choices every day that have consequences on their future income, health, and safety. However, many VSL estimates used today have limitations, notably that they are mostly based on high-income country research, then adjusted using a few key assumptions to apply in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
To contribute to improving knowledge around this key tool, J-PAL aims to fund a number of rigorous studies through this RFP to:
- Test key assumptions in existing VSL estimates and how they’re calculated, and
- Provide new estimates in LMICs.
In doing so, we hope to improve the VSL measure as a tool and inform how policymakers use it to make important decisions under uncertainty and budget constraints. This RFP is funded by GiveWell.
Eligibility
All J-PAL affiliates and invited researchers are eligible to apply for the Risk Valuation Measurement (RVM) Top-Up RFP in collaboration with their implementing, policy, and/or other research partners. J-PAL postdoctoral fellows are eligible to apply for all types of research funding. Graduate students who have a J-PAL affiliate or invited researcher on their thesis committee are eligible to apply for up to $75,000 in funding. This fund operated via the funding infrastructure of the King Climate Action Initiative (K‑CAI). It is open to applications from all relevant sectors, including Agriculture; Crime, Violence, and Conflict; Education; Environment, Energy, and Climate Change; Finance; Firms; Gender; Health; Labor; Political Economy and Governance; and Social Protection. To be considered for funding, all proposals are required to first submit a letter of interest. Studies must include randomized evaluations and be sufficiently powered in order to apply. Please carefully review the RFP Overview before applying. The Proposal Guidelines include a template for the LOI and full proposal.
Proposal Timeline
J-PAL’s Risk Valuation Measurement Top-Up RFP is currently accepting proposals. Letters of Interest are due at 3:00 PM ET on Thursday, September 17, 2026. Applicants will be notified via email whether they are approved to apply to the Main Application round, which will open Wednesday, September 23 with applications due at 3:00 PM ET on Wednesday, October 21. Please note that all applications are required to submit a letter of interest by the September 17 deadline. Funding decisions will be announced in late November.
For risk valuation measurement opportunities facing a significant external time constraint or a time-limited measurement window, J-PAL can also accept off-cycle applications on a rolling basis. Interested applicants should email [email protected].
Application Instructions and Submission Links
You will submit both the LOI and the full proposal via an online portal that requires registration. To apply to J-PAL’s Risk Valuation Measurement Top-Up RFP, you will first need to register via our online portal. Please review these instructions for applicants. If you experience any errors or technical issues, you can first check this J-PAL guide to WizeHive as well as the platform's FAQ section. For further information and troubleshooting, please contact [email protected] and CC [email protected]. For all other questions, please email [email protected].
Letter of interest: All applications are required to submit a letter of interest (LOI). They must be submitted by Thursday, September 17, 2026. Select LOIs will be invited to the full proposal stage.
Full proposals: The initiative team will notify you via the portal once we have reviewed your LOI and you are clear to begin your proposal. In the interim, to facilitate your proposal development, we have hosted reference application documents below that outline in detail all required information that applicants will be asked when submitting a full proposal via our online portal system. You are welcome to begin drafting your proposal materials using these templates. Please, however, do not complete or submit these reference documents until your proposal is invited.
Applicant References
Proposal Guidelines & Budget Template
FAQs
Am I eligible to apply to the risk valuation measurement top-up RFP?
You are eligible to apply for the risk valuation measurement top-up RFP if you are a J-PAL affiliate, a J-PAL postdoc, a J-PAL invited researcher, a PhD student who has a J-PAL affiliate or invited researcher on their thesis committee, or a J-PAL or IPA office working in collaboration with a J-PAL affiliate or invited researcher.
I am a policymaker or implementing organization interested in evaluating an innovation. How can I connect with an eligible researcher in the J-PAL network?
Our team is glad to facilitate connections between potential partners and J-PAL’s network of researchers. We would be interested in hearing more about your organization and the program or policy you are interested in evaluating so we can identify if there are researchers in our network who may be available and interested. Please contact our team at kcai@povertyactionlab.org.
What does K-CAI’s scaling fund entail, and who qualifies for it?
K-CAI’s scaling fund (referred to as "Path-to-Scale") includes several very flexible types of funding, such as data collection and early-stage work. Path-to-Scale funding will be available to support technical assistance to partners in government, NGOs, and the private sector to adapt, pilot, and scale policies and programs that have already been evaluated with an RCT, and found to be effective. If you are unsure whether your project qualifies to be considered for scaling funding, please contact [email protected] and the K-CAI team will be happy to discuss options. A more in-depth Guide to Path-to-Scale Awards is available from the K-CAI main page.
Other RFPs
King Climate Action Initiative (K-CAI): K-CAI’s main RFP for research and scaling projects is currently closed. Path-to-scale proposals may continue to submit expressions of interest by contacting [email protected]. Taking a two-track approach to informing climate policy, the King Climate Action Initiative (K-CAI) at J-PAL funds proposals to design, pilot, evaluate, and scale innovations at the nexus of climate change and poverty in our four focus areas:
- Climate change mitigation: Reducing carbon and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to slow the pace of climate change and its damaging effects
- Pollution reduction: Reducing harmful carbon co-pollutants and thereby improving public health, without reducing critical access to energy
- Climate change adaptation: Building people and communities’ ability to adapt to the economic, social, and environmental impacts of climate change, particularly in low- and middle-income countries
- Energy access: Increasing access to affordable, reliable energy for people experiencing poverty and encouraging shifts in energy systems towards cleaner sources
K-CAI funds two types of awards. Research awards fund full randomized evaluations, pilot research projects, and travel/proposal development projects to identify potentially high impact innovations and evaluate their effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Path-to-Scale awards fund technical assistance to governments, firms, and NGOs to adapt, pilot, and scale evidence-based climate change solutions with demonstrated impact. K-CAI works across developing countries that will be hardest hit by climate change and high-emitting developed countries.
J-PAL Air and Water Labs (AWLs): For more information on the AWL application process, visit the AWL website.