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 led to increased farmer-level adoption compared to conventional extension approaches, particularly among high-risk farmers most likely to benefit from the technology.

Researchers compared the effects of face-to-face and virtual peer interaction on the submission and quality of business proposals by individuals from 49 African countries enrolled in an online entrepreneurship course. They found that face-to-face networks and the virtual interaction of groups of entrepreneurs of the same nationality increased the submission of business proposals to a funding competition, but that virtual interaction had no effect when groups were formed with entrepreneurs of different nationalities. Virtual interaction among entrepreneurs of the same nationality was also found to increase the quality of submitted business proposals.

In many societies facing violent conflict, policymakers have attempted a number of strategies to reduce conflict and generate support for peace initiatives, but rarely consider the role that exposure to financial markets can play in mitigating social conflict. Researchers evaluated the impacts of increased exposure to financial markets on the political attitudes and voting preferences of voters in Israel. Results suggest that exposure to financial markets changed voters’ perception of the costs of conflict and their attitudes toward peace processes.

In China, students in districts with average incomes that are below the national average achieve lower levels of learning compared students in wealthier districts. Researchers introduced a computer-assisted learning program (CAL) to classrooms in Shaanxi Province to evaluate its impact on math test scores. The CAL program increased test scores on average and the cost of the program was halved by having two students share a computer. Furthermore, pairing students performing below the class average with students performing above the class average improved the effectiveness of CAL for both types of students.

Researchers evaluated the impact of immediately following up an early childhood development intervention for one-to-three-year-old children with a second intervention for three-to-six-year-olds. The early and late interventions each increased IQ and school readiness for children, although there was not enough evidence to determine whether offering both programs was more effective than offering one.

Early childhood is a critical time for cognitive, social, and physical development. Inequalities in children’s language abilities can persist, serving as important indicators for later life outcomes. Researchers in France are evaluating the effect of an early childhood program aiming to improve teacher instruction on young children’s language learning. Results are forthcoming.

Researchers varied the proportion of travel grants offered to landless households in rural villages in Bangladesh to assess the impact of the grants on temporary migration and income during the agricultural lean season—one of the hardest economic times of the year due to drops in food affordability. Providing cash subsidies for seasonal migration not only benefited the migrants and their families, but also indirectly improved welfare for households who were not offered a cash subsidy and increased agricultural wages in origin labor markets.

In Bangladesh, researchers evaluated the impact of different selling schemes on demand for water testing, and the impact of test results on switching to a safer well. Although group test sales and well safety placards increased substantially the likelihood that households switched to a possibly safer well, demand for testing was very low.

In Kenya, researchers assessed the impact of training farmers to verify seed quality on their seed purchasing decisions and productivity, and the responses of seed markets to these changes. Trained farmers became better able to detect seed quality, more selective about where they bought seeds, and experienced higher yields. Sellers, however, did not improve seed quality or adjust their prices in response to the shifts in farmer demand, possibly due to the high cost of doing so. Instead, many opted to exit the market.

Researchers examined the impact of peer pressure on handwashing behavior by varying whether men using a restroom in Buenos Aires, Argentina were observed by another restroom user. They found that being observed increased urinal flushing by 26.7 percent and handwashing by 19 percent, suggesting that peer pressure might be an effective way to increase socially desirable behaviors.

Researchers are evaluating the impact of providing information about the risks and outcomes of irregular migration through door-to-door campaigns and social networks on actual migration decisions in Nigeria.

Researchers in the United States assessed the impact on college students of having a roommate from a different race. White students assigned to a black roommate were more likely to endorse affirmative action policies than those assigned to a white roommate. Other factors, such as having roommates from high-income or low-income backgrounds, also influenced students' behavior and attitudes towards social issues.

In partnership with International Child Support, researchers designed and evaluated an incentives program that provided salary bonuses to teachers in Kenya based on the performance of their school as a whole on annual district exams. While results show that the incentives program led to an increase in student test scores, researchers believe that this increase was due to improved test-taking strategies and "cramming," rather than an increase in overall knowledge. The program did not have an impact on test scores in the long-run.