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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.

Multiple Tasks and Multiple Rewards: Evidence on Performance Incentives from Health Programs in China

Renfu Luo
Scott Rozelle
Sean Sylvia
In many developing countries, absenteeism, lack of accountability, and corruption among public employees prevent the effective distribution of public services. Researchers examined how performance incentives and increased resources for school principals affected the implementation of a school-based...

The Impact of Price Information on Informal Traders in Kenya and Uganda

The researcher used a randomised evaluation in Kenya and Uganda to study the impact of varying access to information about prices in buying and selling markets, and encouraged informal traders to enter new markets and take advantage of price differences.

Seed Fairs for the Diffusion of New Crop Varieties in India

Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test whether organizing short learning sessions for villagers about early adopters’ use of a flood-tolerant rice seed variety, Swarna-Sub1, impacted other farmers’ adoption of it. These “farmer field days” were a cost-effective strategy to improve...

The Impact of an Agricultural Training Program on Technology Use in Bangladesh

Maria Jones
Florence Kondylis
Daniel Stein
Despite recent economic growth in Bangladesh, food insecurity remains widespread. Researchers evaluated the impact of an agricultural training program for farmer groups on technology adoption in rural Bangladesh, and investigated what drives adoption and who is affected by the training, both...

Improving Rug Firm Performance through Exporting in Egypt

Researchers partnered with Aid to Artisans (ATA), a US-based nonprofit, and Hamis Carpets, an Egypt-based distributor, to provide small-scale rug manufacturers the opportunity to export to high-income countries. Offering small firms the opportunity to export rugs to high-income markets increased...

Impact of Financial Control on Women's Labor Supply and Gender Norms in India

Researchers worked with local banks and the state government of Madhya Pradesh to provide women with their own bank accounts, training on how to use them, and direct deposit of wages earned through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to measure the impact of...

Comparing Livelihood Approaches for the Ultra-Poor in Ghana

Nate Barker
Elizabeth Bradley
Angela Ofori-Atta
The Graduation Approach, a model for holistic livelihoods programs, has been proven to have lasting impacts on poor families’ income, assets, food security, and mental health, but these programs can be expensive to implement. In Ghana, researchers are evaluating the impact of different variations of...