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?
Browse news articles about J-PAL and our affiliated professors, and read our press releases and monthly global and research newsletters. For media inquiries, please email us.
The J-PAL Middle East and North Africa (MENA) January 2024 newsletter features updates and exciting news on expanding efforts under Egypt Impact Lab, the renewal of the Global Evidence for Egypt Spotlight Seminar Series Partnership, our conference on Partnership Development for Climate Adaptation in...
The world’s forests store an estimated 861 billion tonnes of carbon—equivalent to approximately 100 years worth of anthropogenic emissions, at current rates—and with good husbandry could potentially store up to 226 billion tonnes more. Clearly, preserving and repairing forests is a vital element of...
What if the cure for people not having money was just giving them money, no strings attached? The argument for this idea is people know their own situation best. They can decide if they need a cow or training or a school. They just need some money.
Universidad del Valle de Guatemala highlights the introductory training course on the use and application of evidence taught by J-PAL LAC in Guatemala in December 2023. The course was part of PROSA disseminating activities. PROSA is the first program launched by the alliance between J-PAL and UVG...
The Instituto de Economía UC highlights the graduation ceremony of the seventh cohort of the Diploma in Impact Evaluation of Public Programs and Policies that we organized together. Forty-one students from ten Latin American countries and one European country are now part of a vibrant network of...
Over-promising and under-delivering is of course one of the occupational hazards of my world, where the latest innovations in development thinking are subjected to the occasionally brutal test of evidence. The latest on the docket is Universal Basic Income (UBI).