Invited researchers are an important element of J-PAL’s effort to increase the number of high-quality randomized evaluations providing actionable insights on the most effective approaches to reduce poverty and improve lives worldwide. The more than 550 invited researchers in the J-PAL network are eligible to apply for funding from J-PAL or work with a J-PAL regional office to implement their evaluation.
Learn more about invited researchers
Like J-PAL affiliated professors, invited researchers are also professors based at academic institutions where freedom to publish results is protected. Invited researchers typically have less experience than affiliated professors in carrying out randomized evaluations. By joining J-PAL as an invited researcher, they become eligible for a three-year term to apply for funding from a specific J-PAL initiative(s) or to work with a specific J-PAL regional office to implement their research project, opening doors to gaining this experience—often in partnership with a J-PAL affiliated professor.
We seek to recruit invited researchers from universities around the world, with particular emphasis on individuals from or based in a low- or middle-income country. In expanding our invited researcher program, we seek to build diverse networks of researchers around the world who are carrying out randomized evaluations, crowd in subject-matter expertise to J-PAL initiatives, and help researchers strengthen their research portfolio and advance their careers.
Some invited researchers previously served as post-doctoral associates with J-PAL or members of our affiliate network, or participated in one of J-PAL’s Regional Scholars programs. Many invited researchers go on to become J-PAL affiliated professors; in 2022, 92% of our new affiliates were previously invited researchers.
Invited researcher criteria
Invited researchers typically have less experience carrying out randomized evaluations than affiliates and are invited to either a specific J-PAL initiative(s) or a specific J-PAL regional office. Invited researchers to a J-PAL initiative are eligible to apply for funding from that initiative. Invited researchers to a J-PAL regional office are eligible to contract with that regional office to carry out field research.
Like J-PAL affiliates, invited researchers should be currently affiliated with a university or its equivalent, where academic freedom to publish results is protected, either as a professor or as a principal investigator. Researchers working at funding and implementing organizations (e.g. the World Bank, ADB or IDB) are not eligible to become invited researchers because of potential conflicts.
Due to limits on research funding and staff capacity, we can only add a limited number of researchers to each initiative or office every year. Eligible invited researchers are identified through an extensive annual centralized search process, nominated quarterly by initiative co-chairs or regional scientific directors, or through an annual self-nomination process (see below). Final selections are made by a committee of J-PAL affiliates.
Self-nomination form
The 2025 self-nomination application to become a J-PAL invited researcher will open on May 1st, 2025.
To be eligible for consideration as a J-PAL invited researcher, researchers must meet the criteria noted above, and must provide the following as part of their self-nomination:
- CV
- Two publications in peer-reviewed journals
- Proof of PhD degree in economics or related quantitative discipline
- Proof of affiliation to and independent PI status at a university
- Brief personal statement detailing training, experience running RCTs or interest in doing so in the future, and research interests
- A reference letter from a J-PAL affiliate, your department chair, or another senior academic
Please email IR_support@povertyactionlab.org with any questions.
Additional information on active Invited Researchers' eligibility
Use the filters below to identify all active invited researchers that are associated with each J-PAL initiative and regional office. Alternatively, download this PDF listing all invited researchers and their eligible initiatives and regional offices.
All invited researchers are eligible for the following initiatives and regional offices:
- Agricultural Technology Adoption Initiative (ATAI)
- Crime and Violence Initiative (CVI)
- Digital Agricultural Innovations and Services Initiative (DAISI)
- Digital Identification and Finance Initiative (DigiFI)
- Displaced Livelihoods Initiative (DLI)
- European Social Inclusion Initiative (ESII)
- Gender and Economic Agency Initiative (GEA)
- Governance Initiative (GI)
- Humanitarian Protection Initiative (HPI)
- Innovation In Government Initiative (IGI)
- Jobs and Opportunity Initiative Global (JOI GL)
- Learning for All Initiative (LAI)
- Science for Progress Initiative (SfPI)
- Partnership for AI Evidence
- J-PAL Africa
- J-PAL Europe
- J-PAL Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
- J-PAL South Asia
Please note that when a researcher is eligible to work with a regional office, they are eligible for all of the initiatives housed at that office.