The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of more than 1,000 researchers at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty.
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of more than 1,000 researchers at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty.
Our affiliated professors are based at over 120 universities and conduct randomized evaluations around the world to design, evaluate, and improve programs and policies aimed at reducing poverty. They set their own research agendas, raise funds to support their evaluations, and work with J-PAL staff on research, policy outreach, and training.
Our Board of Directors, which is composed of J-PAL affiliated professors and senior management, provides overall strategic guidance to J-PAL, our sector programs, and regional offices.
J-PAL recognizes that there is a lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of economics and in our field of work. Read about what actions we are taking to address this.
We host events around the world and online to share results and policy lessons from randomized evaluations, to build new partnerships between researchers and practitioners, and to train organizations on how to design and conduct randomized evaluations, and use evidence from impact evaluations.
Browse news articles about J-PAL and our affiliated professors, read our press releases and monthly global and research newsletters, and connect with us for media inquiries.
Based at leading universities around the world, our experts are economists who use randomized evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty. Connect with us for all media inquiries and we'll help you find the right person to shed insight on your story.
J-PAL is based at MIT in Cambridge, MA and has seven regional offices at leading universities in Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, North America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
J-PAL is based at MIT in Cambridge, MA and has seven regional offices at leading universities in Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, North America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
Our global office is based at the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It serves as the head office for our network of seven independent regional offices.
Led by affiliated professors, J-PAL sectors guide our research and policy work by conducting literature reviews; by managing research initiatives that promote the rigorous evaluation of innovative interventions by affiliates; and by summarizing findings and lessons from randomized evaluations and producing cost-effectiveness analyses to help inform relevant policy debates.
Led by affiliated professors, J-PAL sectors guide our research and policy work by conducting literature reviews; by managing research initiatives that promote the rigorous evaluation of innovative interventions by affiliates; and by summarizing findings and lessons from randomized evaluations and producing cost-effectiveness analyses to help inform relevant policy debates.
How do policies affecting private sector firms impact productivity gaps between higher-income and lower-income countries? How do firms’ own policies impact economic growth and worker welfare?
How can we identify effective policies and programs in low- and middle-income countries that provide financial assistance to low-income families, insuring against shocks and breaking poverty traps?
J-PAL MENA at The American University in Cairo (AUC) welcomed its first cohort of interns in June 2022 as part of a new summer internship program. The program is designed to facilitate engagement with regional development challenges through integration with J-PAL MENA’s work across the Policy &...
Our work at J-PAL is better and more effective when it is informed by a diversity of perspectives. In addition to improving recruitment for full-time roles, J-PAL Global partnered with the Research in Color Foundation to develop a paid internship opportunity aimed at increasing diversity in the...
This note provides an overview of the evidence from randomized evaluations that has come out during the Covid-19 pandemic thus far to combat these barriers. These general lessons on increasing uptake of healthy behaviors and improving the delivery of health products and services may be of value in...
SfPI is part of a broader effort to equip the scientific ecosystem with the capabilities needed to apply the scientific method to itself—to create, in other words, a practice of “metascience.” Under SfPI, J-PAL will apply the methodological approach of randomized evaluation to the practice of...
J-PAL North America and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) created the Implementing Evidence-Based Tutoring for High Impact learning path to give local education agencies and tutoring providers easily accessible information about effective program components and how to...
The Amazon Forest–covering over nine countries in Latin America–has an essential role in the environment and climate. Which policies are the most effective in protecting it and reducing its deforestation? The blog post outlines some open policy questions for randomized evaluations to conserve the...
Kim Dadisman and Cat Darrow, the associate directors of J-PAL North America’s policy & communications and research & training teams, discuss their backgrounds before coming to J-PAL North America, highlights from their work at J-PAL so far, and their top priorities for the year ahead.
Affiliated researchers Jessica Cohen and Maggie McConnell and our Health Care Delivery Initiative staff highlight the importance of randomized evaluations in maternal and newborn health and discuss future research generation in collaboration with social scientists, clinicians, and policy-makers.