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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.

Building Effective, Resilient, and Trusted Police Organizations in Mexico City

Rodrigo Canales
In this multi-part study, researchers, in partnership with the Ministry of Public Security of Mexico City and the National Security Commission, are evaluating how police organizations in Mexico City can be more effective, resilient, and trusted.

The Impact of Reframing Large Debt Burdens into Smaller Goals on Reducing Debt in the United States

Jeremy Burke
Researchers have partnered with a non-profit debt management provider and IPA to evaluate whether reframing difficult, long-lasting tasks, such as paying off large debts, into more easily-attainable “sub-goals” can help borrowers accomplish their goals of debt repayment and increase client retention...

Targeted Information for The Adoption of Flood-Tolerant Rice in India

Manzoor H. Dar
Eleanor Wiseman
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the effect of providing information and experimental kits of an improved variety of flood-tolerant rice, Swarna-Sub1 or SS1, to agro-dealers on adoption rates among their customers. Overall, informing agro-dealers and providing them with seeds...

Principal Training to Improve Student Achievement in Puerto Rico

Researchers are evaluating the impact of changes in school management practices on student outcomes over time by introducing a large-scale principal training program for school directors in Puerto Rico and testing different strategies to sustain improved management practices after the program.

Scripted Teacher Lessons on Student Learning in Chile

Marina Bassi
Ana Reynoso
Researchers partnered with the Chilean Ministry of Education to evaluate the impact of pre-packaged classroom materials and standardized directions for teachers on teaching quality and student learning. The program improved student learning outcomes substantially, with equal benefits for both boys...

Environmental inspections for pollution regulation enforcement in China

Douglas Almond
Shuang Zhang
In collaboration with China’s National Environmental Inspection Program, researchers are evaluating the impact of reporting firms’ hourly emissions data to environmental inspectors on the likelihood of firms being inspected, local air pollution, local economic output, and health outcomes.

Meet Your Future – The Effect of Mentoring Ugandan Vocational Students on Employment and Earnings

Livia Alfonsi
Mary Namubiru
Sara Spaziani
In Uganda, researchers introduced a mentoring program to evaluate the impact of interactions between young, successful vocational training graduates and current vocational training students on their employment status and earnings. Students who received mentoring were more likely to be working three...

Information Campaigns to Increase Mobile Banking Adoption in Ghana

In Ghana, researchers worked with a bank that provides services to low-income customers with limited access to mainstream banking to evaluate the impact of sending pre-recorded informational voice calls and text messages on the adoption of mobile banking. Clients that received messages encouraging...