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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.

Kenyan Government Bonds as a Savings Tool

Charity Wayua
Researchers investigated the impact of a new product that allowed Kenyans to invest small amounts of money in low-risk, high-return infrastructure bonds using their mobile phones. However, lack of awareness and low product take-up, triggered by logistical issues during implementation and a pending...

Community-Led Transparency and Accountability for Maternal and Child Health in Indonesia and Tanzania

Jean Arkedis
Jessica Creighton
Akshay Dixit
Archon Fung
Stephen Kosack
Courtney Tolmie
In Indonesia and Tanzania, researchers conducted a mixed methods randomized evaluation of a transparency and accountability program designed to improve maternal and newborn health (MNH) outcomes, known as the Transparency for Development (T4D) program. While the T4D program drew strong participation...

The Impacts of Recruiting Committee Gender Composition on Women's Employment Outcomes in Spain

Berta Esteve-Volart
If female managers are more likely to hire women, gender-balanced hiring committees may help promote parity in the long run. Using data from public examinations to enter the Spanish judiciary, researchers found that female candidates were less likely to succeed in the public examinations when...

Improving Student Learning through Classroom Technology Adoption in Pakistan

Waqas Halim
Umar Saif
Researchers partnered with the Government of Pakistan to conduct two parallel randomized evaluations to test the impact of providing supplemental teaching materials on the quality of student learning and teachers’ effectiveness. Overall, the eLearn Classroom intervention improved student achievement...

The Impact of Subsidized Employment on Employment Outcomes in Michigan, United States

Elisabeth Gerber
H. Luke Shaefer
In an ongoing study, researchers are testing whether a subsidized employment program for low-income adults with less than a high school degree in Michigan can improve employment opportunities and earnings while reducing public benefit receipt.

The Effects of a Play-Based Preschool Learning Program in Rural Ghana

Sonya Krutikova
As in many other developing countries, children under the age of five in rural Ghana often fail to reach their developmental potential. Researchers there are partnering with the organization Lively Minds to evaluate the impact of a low-cost, play-based learning program on early childhood cognitive...

The Impacts of Mental Health Treatment on Work and Productivity in India

Researchers evaluated the impact of providing depression treatment and economic assistance on mental health and economic behavior in peri-urban communities near Bangalore, India. Treatment reduced depression severity, a benefit that persisted when paired with light-touch livelihoods assistance, but...