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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.

Encouraging Savings through SMS Messages in the Dominican Republic

There is a growing body of evidence on the efficacy of SMS reminders to encourage banking clients to save more. Researchers in the Dominican Republic partnered with savings and credit institution Banco Unión to conduct two randomized evaluations of tailored SMS reminders.

The Effects of STEM Summer Programs on College Major, Persistence, and Graduation for Underrepresented High School Students in the United States

Helen Ho
Silvia Robles
Researchers evaluated three STEM-focused summer programs for high school students and found that the programs increased students’ likelihood of attending a highly-ranked university, graduating, and earning a degree in STEM.

Improving Price Negotiations and Profits through SMS-based Agricultural Information for Farmers in India

Bart Minten
Researchers partnered with Thomson-Reuters to evaluate whether receiving information through SMS messages generated economic benefits for farmers in India. Results showed no effect of the intervention on prices, crop losses, or cultivation practices. However, increased access to information seems to...

The Impact of Entrepreneurship Training Using Imagery Techniques in Colombia

Leonardo Iacovone
Ashley Pople
Researchers are designing and evaluating a soft skills training program that incorporates imagery for entrepreneurs who have experienced violence or other traumatic or challenging life circumstances in Bogotá, Colombia.

The Indirect Effects of a Campaign Against Electoral Violence in Nigeria

Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation in Nigeria to determine whether a campaign against electoral violence could spread through social networks to affect the perceptions and behaviors not only of the individuals targeted by the campaign but also others to whom they have social ties. The...

The Importance of Management Support for Teacher-Led Targeted Instruction in Ghana

Researchers partnered with Ghana Education Services (GES), The National Teaching Council (NTC), The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), The National Inspectorate Board (NIB), and UNICEF to evaluate whether additional managerial support from head teachers and circuit supervisors...

Follow-Up Phone Calls to Reduce the Costs of Job Search Among Job Seekers in Pakistan

Nivedhitha Subramanian
Kate Vyborny
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of reducing the psychological costs of job applications, such as the tendency to postpone applications because completing a task today seems more burdensome than tomorrow, on job application rates and interviews in Lahore, Pakistan...