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?
What have we learned from randomized evaluations that policymakers, practitioners, and funders can use to improve social programs? J-PAL’s library of short briefs called Policy Insights highlight lessons emerging across multiple studies and the mechanisms that help explain the results.
The new Gender sector represents J-PAL’s commitment to further expand the base of policy-relevant evidence to reduce poverty and gender inequality. Chaired by Seema Jayachandran (Northwestern University), the Gender sector will examine a range of issues important to citizens, policymakers, and...
In our interview with Christopher Neilson (Princeton University), he describes his research interest in applications of technology to close information gaps to reduce poverty. “I think in the future, we will see artificial intelligence ‘personal assistants’ helping humans make better choices... I am...
This year J-PAL Europe, with the backing of Community Jameel, aims to tackle social inclusion by focusing on the barriers to inclusion, including education and immigration.
Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) is an evidence-based education intervention that targets teaching to the basic skill level of the child. TaRL pioneer Pratham, together with J-PAL Africa, worked closely with the Ministry of General Education in Zambia to produce a set of videos that transport the...
Drawing on many examples from the LAC region, J-PAL’s Government Partnership Initiative shares insights on how governments are building a culture of using data and evidence in policymaking and about how J-PAL and other evidence-to-practice organizations can best support them in these efforts.
J-PAL Southeast Asia Executive Director Lina Marliani shares examples from J-PAL affiliated researchers’ work to highlight how randomized evaluations can be used to inform open governance programs.