The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of more than 1,000 researchers at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty.
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of more than 1,000 researchers at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty.
Our affiliated professors are based at over 120 universities and conduct randomized evaluations around the world to design, evaluate, and improve programs and policies aimed at reducing poverty. They set their own research agendas, raise funds to support their evaluations, and work with J-PAL staff on research, policy outreach, and training.
Our Board of Directors, which is composed of J-PAL affiliated professors and senior management, provides overall strategic guidance to J-PAL, our sector programs, and regional offices.
J-PAL recognizes that there is a lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of economics and in our field of work. Read about what actions we are taking to address this.
We host events around the world and online to share results and policy lessons from randomized evaluations, to build new partnerships between researchers and practitioners, and to train organizations on how to design and conduct randomized evaluations, and use evidence from impact evaluations.
Browse news articles about J-PAL and our affiliated professors, read our press releases and monthly global and research newsletters, and connect with us for media inquiries.
Based at leading universities around the world, our experts are economists who use randomized evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty. Connect with us for all media inquiries and we'll help you find the right person to shed insight on your story.
J-PAL is based at MIT in Cambridge, MA and has seven regional offices at leading universities in Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, North America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
J-PAL is based at MIT in Cambridge, MA and has seven regional offices at leading universities in Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, North America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
Our global office is based at the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It serves as the head office for our network of seven independent regional offices.
Led by affiliated professors, J-PAL sectors guide our research and policy work by conducting literature reviews; by managing research initiatives that promote the rigorous evaluation of innovative interventions by affiliates; and by summarizing findings and lessons from randomized evaluations and producing cost-effectiveness analyses to help inform relevant policy debates.
Led by affiliated professors, J-PAL sectors guide our research and policy work by conducting literature reviews; by managing research initiatives that promote the rigorous evaluation of innovative interventions by affiliates; and by summarizing findings and lessons from randomized evaluations and producing cost-effectiveness analyses to help inform relevant policy debates.
How do policies affecting private sector firms impact productivity gaps between higher-income and lower-income countries? How do firms’ own policies impact economic growth and worker welfare?
How can we identify effective policies and programs in low- and middle-income countries that provide financial assistance to low-income families, insuring against shocks and breaking poverty traps?
Heather McCurdy joined J-PAL in 2011 to provide human subjects administration and support for Esther Duflo and the Global office. Heather spent five years in economic consulting support in Boston but previously spent two years in Mali with the Peace Corps.
As policymakers across Africa are increasingly investing in digital identification systems, the Digital Identification and Finance Initiative in Africa (DigiFI) explores what the benefits, challenges, and unknowns are.
Gabriel Cruz is a Senior Research Associate at J-PAL LAC, where he works on several projects related to understanding the effects of public policies on education, pensions, among other topics lead by Prof. Claudia Allende (Stanford University).
Lauren is a Policy Associate at J-PAL Africa where she works with affiliates, policymakers and practitioners to further the J-PAL agenda of using evidence to inform policy.
Please join us for the upcoming Global Evidence for Egypt spotlight webinar, “What does global evidence tell us about social assistance response to large external shocks in Egypt?" The webinar will focus on what global evidence tells us about social assistance that responds to covariate shocks.
Join J-PAL Southeast Asia for a webinar to launch the Inclusive Financial Innovation Initiative (IFII). To kick off this learning collaborative, key findings from the initiative's whitepaper will be shared to inform digital financial services (DFS) stakeholders and policy decisions.
To help us make safe, intelligent decisions for how to conduct our everyday lives during the pandemic, we need new data-driven tools to assess risk based on our unique personal profiles and local conditions.
Seema Jayachandran is a Professor in the Department of Economics and Finance at Princeton University. Her work focuses primarily on health in developing countries, and she also has research interests in education, labor markets, the environment, and political economy.
Researchers are evaluating the impact of providing additional information and resources to those who have completed skills training programs on employment outcomes.
Lori Beaman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Northwestern University. Lori's research interests lie in development and labor economics with a focus on the role of social networks in the labor market and in agriculture, and women's economic and social mobility.