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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.

The Market for Local Agricultural Information in Western Kenya

This study in Western Kenya will test for failures in the market for local agricultural information and measure the impact of disseminating local information on farmers’ decisions to invest in agricultural inputs.

Closing the Early Learning Gap for Roma Children in Bulgaria

Elise Huillery
Kindergarten education is vital for a child’s success in primary school and later in life. However, kindergarten enrollment rates of children from ethnic minorities remain low. Researchers measured the impact of providing incentives and information about the importance of early education on the...

The Welfare Effects of Behavioral Energy Conservation in the United States

In the United States, researchers evaluated the social welfare impacts of one very popular nudge to decrease energy consumption—Home Energy Reports (HERs). While they found that the HERs increased social welfare overall, these gains were far less than those reported by previous evaluations that did...

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...

Agricultural Microinsurance for Sugar Cane Farmers in Kenya

Researchers partnered with a large sugar cane company to see if delaying the premium payment until after the harvest would increase farmers’ demand for insurance. Researchers found that farmers were much more likely to purchase insurance when the payments were delayed until after the harvest.

Effects of Student Performance Information on Parental Decision-Making in Malawi

This study evaluated the impacts of information about children’s academic performance on parents’ subsequent investments in their children’s education. Findings indicate that parents’ perceptions of their children’s academic needs tend to be inaccurate, and that providing parents with information on...