2026 October Global Monthly Newsletter
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
October 17 marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. With more than 800 million people living in extreme poverty, rigorous research on what works to improve the lives and livelihoods of people experiencing poverty is essential.
The Evidence Effect highlights examples of life-changing programs that warrant more attention, investment, and consideration for scaling. Explore powerful approaches like cash transfers that create relief and opportunity, and the Graduation approach that provides a comprehensive path to economic stability for the most vulnerable families.
Apply for the PAIE Scholars Program
Are you a researcher with a completed PhD, based at a university in a low- or middle-income country in Asia or Africa, working to understand how AI can improve lives? The PAIE Scholars Program is a new opportunity to develop and lead policy-relevant evaluations of AI for social good. Selected scholars receive training in randomized evaluation and the evaluation of AI-enabled interventions, plus a US$1,000 award, and can then compete for up to US$10,000 in proposal-development and travel support. Apply soon—applications close October 16, 2026 at 12:00pm ET.
Mohammed VI Polytechnic University joins ADEPT
The Alliance for Data, Evaluation, and Policy Training (ADEPT) welcomed Mohammed VI Polytechnic University to its network of partner universities at an event in Rabat, Morocco in September. This partnership aims to expand academic pathways and make high-quality training in economics, quantitative methods, and evidence-informed policy more accessible to students around the world.
EVIDENCE, INSIGHTS, AND MORE
⛱️ Evidence from randomized evaluations of Summer Youth Employment Programs (SYEPs) in Boston, Chicago, and New York City helped inform growing public investment in SYEPs, which serve over 140,000 youth in these cities each summer. Studies found consistent evidence that young people who participated in SYEPs were less likely to engage with the criminal justice system, more likely to be employed over the summer, and, in some cases, perform better in school.
🛡️ Inclusive insurance products aim to help people manage risks to their health, livelihoods, and assets. In 2025, AXA EssentiALL and J-PAL launched a collaboration to generate new research and insights on inclusive insurance. A new white paper, released during Financial Inclusion Week, spotlights three key recommendations for the academic community, development actors, and insurance stakeholders.
💼 A needs assessment by the Egypt Impact Lab examines Egypt's hidden labor market problem: job opportunities and worker qualifications aren’t matching up. But before policymakers can address this mismatch, they need to understand which solutions work. Evidence from randomized evaluations can help answer this question.
👟 Not getting enough exercise contributes to diabetes and hypertension, but it is challenging to design programs that effectively incentivize people to exercise. Researchers in Tamil Nadu, India tested whether letting adults choose their own step goal and associated cash reward could increase how much they walked without increasing program costs. Participants who chose their own goal walked more compared to those assigned a one-size-fits-all target.
📊 For governments, evidence-informed policymaking sometimes starts with a simple question: what can we learn from the information and experience we already have? Guatemala's Ministry of Education is asking that question as it develops an impact evaluation for Acompáñame a Crecer, a public early childhood education program.
TUNE IN
A shared journey: J-PAL South Asia on the power of partnerships in creating change
WELCOMING OUR NEW AFFILIATED PROFESSORS
In summer 2026, 20 talented researchers joined the J-PAL network. Get to know them and their impactful work.
Nina Buchmann
University of California, Berkeley
Duncan Webb
Nova School of Business and Economics
FROM OUR RESEARCH NETWORK
Our network of over 1,100 affiliated researchers at universities worldwide conduct randomized evaluations to test what works in alleviating poverty. Check out their latest research:
Mobile Education Builds Resilience During Shocks in Five Countries
Authors: Noam Angrist (University of Oxford), Micheal Ainomugisha (Building Tomorrow), Sai Pramod Bathena (Alokit), Peter Bergman (University of Texas at Austin), Colin Crossley (Youth Impact), Claire Cullen (What Works Hub for Global Education and Youth Impact), Thato Letsomo (Youth Impact), Moitshepi Matsheng (Youth Impact), Rene Marlon Panti (Innovations for Poverty Action), Shwetlena Sabarwal (World Bank), and Tim Sullivan (NewGlobe)
From Peer Effects to Network Evolution: Evidence from the Illinois Workplace Wellness Study
Authors: Alden Cheng (University of Illinois), Damon Jones (University of Chicago), David Molitor (University of Illinois), and Julian Reif (University of Illinois)
For updates about new working papers, published papers, and datasets from the J-PAL network, subscribe to our Research Digest.
FEATURED EVENTS
Bihar से Bharat: Evidence on SJY and what it means for India and the world
🗓️ October 16 | 9:30am IST | Patna, India
Bihar, India took an evidence-based approach to addressing extreme poverty and reached about a million of the most vulnerable people. On October 16, join J-PAL South Asia as they share evidence on the impact of the Satat Jeevikoparjan Yojana (SJY), one of the largest government-led scale-ups of the Graduation approach. Watch live on YouTube »
Webinar: Admissions for the DEDP Master's Program at MIT
🗓️ October 21 | 9:00-10:00am ET | Online via Zoom
Interested in learning more about MIT's Master of Applied Science in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy (DEDP)? Join us for a webinar with Professor Sara Ellison (MIT), the DEDP program team, and a DEDP program alumnus about the application process, admissions, and coursework. Register »
J-PAL North America Homelessness Evaluation Resource Hub launch event
🗓️ October 27 | 2:30-3:30pm ET | Online via Zoom
Join J-PAL North America for the release of the Homelessness Evaluation Resource Hub, a free online repository with resources for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners on evidence-informed approaches to homelessness prevention and reduction. Register »
Five years of JOI Brazil: Evidence and perspectives on labor markets
J-PAL Latin America and the Caribbean’s Jobs and Opportunity Initiative (JOI) Brazil celebrated its fifth anniversary by convening researchers, policymakers, and implementers in São Paulo. Discussions explored three key topics: how artificial intelligence may change jobs and skills, why entrepreneurs need tailored support depending on the barriers they face, and how responsibilities and working conditions in the care sector affect access to opportunity. Learn more »
FEATURED TRAINING
Evaluating Social Programs
🗓️ Enroll before November 30 | Self-paced
There’s still time to join J-PAL’s free online course on impact evaluation in practice. From developing a theory of change to navigating challenges and ethical considerations, you’ll learn about each step of designing a randomized evaluation.
🗞️ MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
Climate Action Learning Lab bridges research and policy for effective climate solutions, MIT News
Give India’s poor cash. But don’t stop there, Indian Express
Needy couples got cash and a spending plan. Results were good — and bad, NPR
🚨 OPEN POSITIONS
📣 FEATURED: Director of Policy and Communications, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
General Data Research Associate
General Field Research Associate
Policy Manager - Labour Markets & Education, New Delhi, Delhi, India
Research Manager - Emissions Trading Scheme, India
Senior Partnership Manager, Indonesia
Communications Associate, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Senior Policy Associate, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Senior Policy Manager, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States