Invited Researchers

Invited researchers are an important element of J-PAL’s effort to increase the number of high-quality randomized evaluations providing actionable insights on the most effective approaches to reduce poverty and improve lives worldwide. The more than 550 invited researchers in the J-PAL network are eligible to apply for funding from J-PAL or work with a J-PAL regional office to implement their evaluation. 

Learn more about invited researchers

Like J-PAL affiliated professors, invited researchers are also professors based at academic institutions where freedom to publish results is protected. Invited researchers typically have less experience than affiliated professors in carrying out randomized evaluations. By joining J-PAL as an invited researcher, they become eligible for a three-year term to apply for funding from a specific J-PAL initiative(s) or to work with a specific J-PAL regional office to implement their research project, opening doors to gaining this experience—often in partnership with a J-PAL affiliated professor. 

We seek to recruit invited researchers from universities around the world, with particular emphasis on individuals from or based in a low- or middle-income country. In expanding our invited researcher program, we seek to build diverse networks of researchers around the world who are carrying out randomized evaluations, crowd in subject-matter expertise to J-PAL initiatives, and help researchers strengthen their research portfolio and advance their careers. 

Some invited researchers previously served as post-doctoral associates with J-PAL or members of our affiliate network, or participated in one of J-PAL’s Regional Scholars programs. Many invited researchers go on to become J-PAL affiliated professors; in 2022, 92% of our new affiliates were previously invited researchers.

Invited researcher criteria

Invited researchers typically have less experience carrying out randomized evaluations than affiliates and are invited to either a specific J-PAL initiative(s) or a specific J-PAL regional office. Invited researchers to a J-PAL initiative are eligible to apply for funding from that initiative. Invited researchers to a J-PAL regional office are eligible to contract with that regional office to carry out field research.

Like J-PAL affiliates, invited researchers should be currently affiliated with a university or its equivalent, where academic freedom to publish results is protected, either as a professor or as a principal investigator. Researchers working at funding and implementing organizations (e.g. the World Bank, ADB or IDB) are not eligible to become invited researchers because of potential conflicts. 

Due to limits on research funding and staff capacity, we can only add a limited number of researchers to each initiative or office every year. Eligible invited researchers are identified through an extensive annual centralized search process, nominated quarterly by initiative co-chairs or regional scientific directors, or through an annual self-nomination process (see below). Final selections are made by a committee of J-PAL affiliates.

Self-nomination form

In 2023, J-PAL is piloting a self-nomination process for invited researcher status. The self-nomination form will be open through June 30, 2023. In July and August, the Invited Researcher Selection Committee will review nominations and make final decisions. Due to limited research funds and staff capacity, we will only be able to select 20 self-nominated researchers for invited researcher status in 2023. 

 

To be eligible for consideration, researchers must provide the following as part of their self-nomination: 

  •  Link to CV
  • Two publications for consideration by the IRSC
  • Proof of PhD degree in economics or related quantitative discipline
  • Proof of affiliation to and independent PI status at a university
  • Brief personal statement detailing training, experience running RCTs or interest in doing so in the future, and research interests
  • A reference from a J-PAL affiliate, your department chair, or another senior academic

The self-nomination form can be accessed here

Current invited researchers who would like to self-nominate to other initiatives or regional offices can do so through the same self-nomination form. We will review those self-nominations on a rolling basis.  

Additional Information on Active Invited Researchers' Eligibility

Use the filters below to identify all active Invited Researchers that are associated with each J-PAL initiative and regional office. In addition, all J-PAL Invited Researchers are eligible to apply for funding from the following initiatives and regional offices:

  • Agricultural Technology Adoption Initiative (ATAI)
  • Digital Agricultural Innovations and Services Initiative (DAISI)
  • Digital Identification and Finance Initiative (DigiFI)
  • Innovation In Government Initiative (IGI)
  • Jobs and Opportunity Initiative Brazil (JOI BR)
  • Jobs and Opportunity Initiative Global (JOI GL)
  • Learning for All Initiative (LAI)
  • Science for Progress Initiative (SfPI)
  • J-PAL South Asia

Explore Invited Researchers

Benjamin Castleman

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor of Education and Public Policy
Organization Name
University of Virginia

Julieta Caunedo

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
University of Toronto Rotman School of Management

Pablo Celhay

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC Chile)

Sylvain Chabé-Ferret

J-PAL title
Research Fellow
Organization Name
Toulouse School of Economics (TSE)

Bhaskar Chakravorty

J-PAL title
Lecturer, Department of Economics
Organization Name
Warwick Institute for Employment Research

Aaron Chalfin

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
University of Pennsylvania

Eric W. Chan

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
Babson College

David Chan

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
Stanford University

Amitabh Chandra

J-PAL title
Professor of Public Policy
Organization Name
Harvard Kennedy School

Azam Chaudhry

Organization Name
Lahore School of Economics

Ali Cheema

J-PAL title
Founding Member, Board Member, Associate Professor
Organization Name
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)

Matthieu Chemin

J-PAL title
Associate Professor
Organization Name
McGill University

Shyamal Chowdhury

J-PAL title
Senior Lecturer in Agriculture and Resource Economics
Organization Name
University of Sydney

Darin Christensen

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Political Science
Organization Name
University of California, Los Angeles

Fotini Christia

J-PAL title
Associate Professor of Political Science
Organization Name
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Anne Christophe

J-PAL title
Senior Researcher
Organization Name
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Eric Chyn

J-PAL title
Associate Professor
Organization Name
UT Austin

Jacobus Erasmus Cilliers

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
Georgetown University

Jeff Clemens

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
University of California San Diego (UCSD)

Isabelle Cohen

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
University of Washington (UW)

Rob Collinson

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
University of Notre Dame

Margherita Comola

J-PAL title
Associate Professor of Economics
Organization Name
Paris School of Economics (PSE)

Gabriella Conti

J-PAL title
Professor
Organization Name
University College London (UCL)

Zack Cooper

J-PAL title
Associate Professor of Health Policy and Economics
Organization Name
Yale University

Raphael Bottura Corbi

J-PAL title
Associate Professor of Economics
Organization Name
University of Sao Paulo - FEARP/USP

Kalena Cortes

J-PAL title
Associate Professor
Organization Name
Texas A&M University

Francisco Costa

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
University of Delaware

Chris Costello

J-PAL title
Full Professor
Organization Name
University of California, Santa Barbara

Ash Craig

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
University of Michigan

Alejandrina Cristia

J-PAL title
Research Director
Organization Name
Université Paris Dauphine-PSL

Maureen Cropper

J-PAL title
Distinguished University Professor
Organization Name
University of Maryland, College Park

Benjamin Crost

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign

Cesi Cruz

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
University of British Columbia

Jose Ignacio Cuesta

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor of Economics
Organization Name
Stanford University

Jose Ignacio Cuesta

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
Stanford University

Zoe Cullen

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor of Business Administration
Organization Name
Harvard Business School (HBS)

Daniel Da Mata

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
LAB-FGV

Jonathan Davis

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
University of Oregon

Lucas Davis

J-PAL title
Jeffrey A. Jacobs Distinguished Professor in Business and Technology
Organization Name
University of California, Berkeley

Ana De La O

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Organization Name
Yale University

Joost de Laat

J-PAL title
Professor
Organization Name
Utrecht University

Golvine de Rochambeau

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
Sciences Po

Sisir Debnath

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi

Stanislas Dehaene

J-PAL title
Professor (of Experimental Cognitive Psychology)
Organization Name
College de France

Ghislaine Dehaene-Lambertz

J-PAL title
Director of the Developmental Brain Imaging Lab
Organization Name
INSERM-CEA Cognitive Neuroimaging unit, NeuroSpin Center

Solène Delecourt

J-PAL title
Assistant Professor
Organization Name
UC Berkeley Haas School of Business

Banu Demir Pakel

J-PAL title
Associate Professor of Economics
Organization Name
Bilkent University

Ellora Derenoncourt

J-PAL title
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Organization Name
Princeton University