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News, ideas, and analysis from J-PAL staff and affiliated professors. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly email updates.

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Affiliate Spotlight: Sandip Sukhtankar on his path to becoming a economist and the value of interdisciplinary collaboration

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Sandip Sukhtankar is an associate professor of economics at the University of Virginia. He serves on the board of J-PAL’s Digital Identification and Finance Initiative in Africa (DigiFI Africa) and co-directs the Payments and Governance Research Program (PGRP) hosted at J-PAL South Asia. Sandip’s...
A screenshot of J-PAL affiliated professor Sandip Sukhtankar speaking during a virtual interview.

Lessons from gender-sensitive police reform in India: A Q&A with Sandip Sukhtankar on his new paper in Science

J-PAL affiliate Sandip Sukhtankar shares learnings, policy insights, and scaling plans related to a large-scale evaluation of gender-sensitive police reforms in Madhya Pradesh, India, published in July 2022 in Science.
A woman speaks into a microphone while standing in front of a crowd and a banner that reads "Gender Sector Launch"

Alumni Voices: A perennial student

As the former director of Policy, Training and Communications at J-PAL South Asia, Shagun Sabarwal '21 was instrumental to pushing forward J-PAL's mission of evidence-based policymaking in India and expanding our portfolio of scale-ups and state partnerships. Now leading WomenLift Health’s efforts...
Masked students sit at desks in a classroom.

J-PAL South Asia launches ASPIRE with US$6.3 million grant from Veddis Foundation to strengthen the culture of evidence-based policymaking in India

J-PAL South Asia’s efforts to promote policymaking based on scientific evidence and data in India has received a major boost with the launch of the Alliance for Scaling Policy Impact through Research and Evidence (ASPIRE) in partnership with the Veddis Foundation.
Podcasters are seen gathered at the Bokolmanyo refugee camp, in Bokolmanyo, Ethiopia. (Photo courtesy Dr Vandana Sharma)

End the pandemic of violence against women

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To end violence against women and girls requires effective prevention strategies that target its root causes. Such programs address pervasive inequalities and power differentials—especially gender norms that justify and normalize violence against women and girls.
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J-PAL and CEGA launch the Digital Agricultural Innovations and Services Initiative

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Through generous support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, J-PAL and UC Berkeley’s Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) launched the new Digital Agricultural Innovations and Services Initiative (DAISI) to support innovative, policy-relevant research on the availability, quality, and...
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Gender and Economic Agency Initiative funds nineteen new research projects on women’s work

GEA has completed its second full funding round, supporting nineteen research teams to produce evidence that addresses critical knowledge gaps on what works to support women’s economic agency. Read about the funded projects.
Headshots of Abhilasha and Amber

Alumni working together: Abhilasha Purwar ‘15 and Amber Luong ‘15 on the need for disruptive innovation to fight climate change

Amber Luong and Abhilasha Purwar first met on a J-PAL South Asia research team. Abhilasha has since co-founded Blue Sky Analytics, a climate tech startup, and Amber is now head of partnerships at Blue Sky. Read their story in our latest alumni interview.