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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.

A Mass Media Intervention to Reduce Violence Against Women in Rural Uganda

Jasper Cooper
In rural Uganda, researchers evaluated whether videos encouraging communities to speak out against violence against women (VAW) could change behavior, attitudes, and norms. Women exposed to the videos were more willing to report VAW to authorities. More broadly, women in villages where the videos...

The Impact of Contract Farming on High Yielding Seed Adoption in Ghana

Researchers are partnering with the Savanna Farmers Marketing Company (SFMC) to evaluate the impact of a contract farming program that encourages the uptake of new technologies on the adoption of high yielding seeds in northern Ghana.

The Impact of Improved Communication on Cal-Grant Take-Up Rates in the United States

Researchers evaluated the impact of simplified award letters and different framing and messaging on students’ decision-making in their college selection process and uptake of financial aid. Researchers found that notification letters containing simplified and behaviorally informed language increased...

The Impact of a School-Based Management Program on Student Performance in Mexico

Vicente Garcia-Moreno
Harry Anthony Patrinos
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to determine the effect of a school-based management program, Programa Escuelas de Calidad, on student performance in Mexico. The program combined a cash grant with state support to design and carry out school improvement plans. The intervention did not...

Improving Guidelines for an Early Childhood Development Program in Rural Colombia

Researchers partnered with the Colombian Family Welfare Agency to evaluate how providing enhanced curriculum guidelines and larger nutritional supplements for the Family, Women, and Infancy Program impacted child development. Compared to children receiving the traditional FAMI program, the enhanced...

The Impact of Reducing Tax Rates and Strengthening Enforcement on Revenue Collection in the DRC

In partnership with the Provincial Government of Kasaï-Central in the Democratic Republic of Congo, researchers conducted a randomized evaluation during the 2018 property tax collection campaign to test the impact of lower property tax rates and stronger tax enforcement on revenue collection...

The Impact of Daily Quizzing on Student Achievement in Kenya

Researchers are partnering with Bridge International Academies to evaluate the impact of daily quizzing on students’ learning outcomes in Kenya.

Using Text Messages to Prevent the Spread of Covid-19 in India

Girija Bahety
Dev Patel
James Potter
Researchers tested whether reminders delivered via text message improved knowledge and adoption of social distancing and handwashing. They found no evidence that individuals changed their self-reported behaviors; this finding may highlight limited effectiveness of SMS-based information campaigns...