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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.

Supplementing Savings Groups with External Funds to Expand Access to Lending in Uganda

Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test whether supplementing SGs with additional funds impacts SG members' financial access and behavior. Capital infusions to Sgs increased members' access to loans and members received more money at the end of year payout, without increasing defaults...

Scaling Evidence-Based Innovations in Education with Government Partners

Laura Poswell, Executive Director of J-PAL Africa, participated on a panel at USAID’s Global Innovation Week, a multi-day event to showcase ways USAID is partnering with others to achieve the greatest impact. The panel shared their experiences generating evidence and pathways through which their...

Government Mobile Salary Payments for Teachers in Afghanistan

Joshua Blumenstock
In partnership with the Ministry of Education of Afghanistan, researchers are conducting a randomized evaluation to study whether mobile salary payments (MSPs) improve learning by increasing teacher attendance and morale.

Commitment Contracts for Smoking Cessation in the United States

This study will examine whether a combination of positive and negative commitment devices can induce long-term smoking cessation in smokers from a low-to-moderate income background in Connecticut.

Participatory Development and Social Preferences: Experimental Evidence from Bangladesh

Researchers are conducting a lab-in-the-field study to measure the impact of a community-driven development program in Bangladesh on participants’ preferences and values about fairness, equity, civic engagement, and participatory decision-making.

Default Effects and Follow-On Behavior: Evidence From An Electricity Pricing Program

Researchers partnered with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District in California to evaluate the effects of a variety of enrollment schemes in time-varying pricing plans on electricity consumption. Results show that households which were enrolled in time-varying pricing plans by default tended to...