Despite expanding access to sanitary options such as community toilets, many individuals, especially in urban slums, continue to practice open defecation. One potential explanation is that open defecation has become an ingrained habit. Applying lessons from psychology and neuroscience, researchers are evaluating whether a combination of economic incentives and a marketing campaign can foster a new habit—using hygienic latrines instead defecating in the open—among slum dwellers in Kenya.

In France, researchers evaluated the impact of various school communication strategies designed to encourage parents to participate in their children’s schooling. They found that personalized invitations increased parental participation in school meetings, especially for parents of low-performing children and from poor socio-economic backgrounds.

Researchers, in partnership with BRAC, are conducting a randomized evaluation with both male and female adolescents in Tanzania to identify the differential impacts of demand side and supply side interventions and to better understand the role males play in affecting sexual and reproductive health outcomes.

Researchers evaluated whether coaching, guidance, and financial support could help young people create and sustain independent businesses. The entrepreneurship training program did not increase entrepreneurship, and participating youth were more likely to be unemployed and earn lower revenues from their business 28 months after the start of the program.

In Mexico, researchers evaluated the impact of PROGRESA, a national conditional cash transfer program, on marriages and divorces. Researchers found that, in the short-term, the program did not affect the number of marriages but increased the number of divorces and separations.

Researchers are evaluating the impact of Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration and formalized land rights on reforestation and crop yields.

Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of an edutainment intervention at schools and the provision of handwashing resources at home on handwashing at school and at home. These findings suggest that encouraging behavior change in one setting may crowd out like behavior in another setting.

This study examines how reminders to file taxes affect tax filing decisions among low-income individuals who did not appear on a filed tax return. The results of two randomized evaluations demonstrate that one-time reminders increase tax filing—both to claim tax refunds as well as to voluntarily pay balances owed to the IRS.

Firms in low- and middle-income countries tend to hire mainly from referral networks, which may limit hiring. Online job portals can expand recruitment networks, but firms may be hesitant to hire unfamiliar candidates outside of their network. Researchers partnered with an online job portal in India to evaluate the impact of promotional advertising for job postings, candidate identity verification, or both services on hiring by firms. Only the combination of advertising and verification led to firms hiring more, suggesting that it is important to not only give firms access to a larger candidate pool but also provide them with the opportunity and tools to screen candidates.

Researchers evaluated the impact of auto-scheduling appointments with targeted messages and nudge reminders on primary care engagement within four months after delivery for postpartum individuals with diabetes, hypertension, mental illness, or obesity in the United States. Individuals who received this intervention were substantially more likely to have a primary care visit than those who did not, highlighting the potential of low-cost interventions to improve the transition of ongoing care needs after pregnancy to primary care clinicians.

Researchers are designing and evaluating a soft skills training program that incorporates imagery for entrepreneurs who have experienced violence or other traumatic or challenging life circumstances in Bogotá, Colombia.

Researchers evaluated the impact of case management and immediate financial assistance compared to only financial assistance on housing and health outcomes for youth and families with children.

Researchers are conducting a randomized evaluation to test the relative impact of assignment to different MCOs on health care utilization and expenditure.

Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of increased access to transportation and assistance with interview scheduling on women’s employment.