J-PAL

Last week at #ClimateWeekNYC, we hosted an interactive session at the @MIT Innovation Showcase- presenting new research that is accelerating effective and equitable solutions at the nexus of climate and poverty alongside our MIT colleagues. Thanks to everyone who stopped by!

⭐ Calling all civil servants! ⭐ Enroll in J-PAL’s free, online #EvaluatingSocialPrograms course to learn how to use randomized evaluations to strengthen the culture of evidence use in your organization.
https://bit.ly/3VHBfLa

🌍 J-PAL at #UNGA80: Next week, our teams are bringing rigorous evidence to the UN General Assembly high-level meetings in NYC. We'll be in conversation on ✨ Youth employment 🌱 Climate-smart agriculture 🤖 AI innovations 💰 Cash transfers for refugees 🏭 Emissions reduction at scale. See you there!

Essay | A Guaranteed Income Won’t Stop People From Wanting to Work Economists worry that a ‘universal basic income’ would make recipients lazier. Data from programs around the world suggests the opposite is true.

“Not only don’t people work less when they are guaranteed an income, they might actually put in more effort.” –Abhijit Banerjee & Esther Duflo in a new WSJ essay exploring evidence on cash transfers 🔗 https://www.wsj.com/economy/a-guaranteed-income-wont-stop-people-from-wanting-to-work-03c4ab31

YouTube video by J-PAL DEDP MicroMasters | Why Choose the Data, Economics, and Design of Policy MicroMasters Program?

Looking to advance your career in development economics or public policy? The DEDP MicroMasters offers flexible online courses taught by MIT faculty, including our co-founders Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo. Enroll now to join this semester: https://bit.ly/4gkbCd7

https://bit.ly/3VLkUFn

Evaluating Social Programs

Join us in J-PAL's free, online #EvaluatingSocialPrograms course and check out our new Evidence to Policy module, highlighting some of the key pathways to scaling effective programs around the world. 🌍 Enroll today: https://bit.ly/3VHBfLa

⏰ Launching today! Interested in building your evaluation toolkit? Enroll in J-PAL’s free, self-paced Evaluating Social Programs online course on @MITxCourses to learn how to measure social impact. 🔗 Link: https://bit.ly/3VHBfLa

Essay | A Guaranteed Income Won’t Stop People From Wanting to Work Economists worry that a ‘universal basic income’ would make recipients lazier. Data from programs around the world suggests the opposite is true.

If people receive a basic income via unconditional cash, will they stop working? In a new essay, Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo unpack how a basic income helps people work more, not less. @wsj.com 🔗 https://www.wsj.com/economy/a-guaranteed-income-wont-stop-people-from-wanting-to-work-03c4ab31

BREAD-IGC virtual PhD course on social protection 2025 Join the BREAD-IGC virtual PhD course 2025 to deepen your understanding of social protection challenges and policies.

🚨 New opportunity for PhD students in dev econ! Join Rema Hanna, Ben Olken & others in the J-PAL network for a deep dive into social protection research and policy in an upcoming BREAD–IGC Virtual PhD Course.

🌍 Register: https://www.theigc.org/events/bread-igc-virtual-phd-course/social-protection

Evaluating Social Programs

🚀 Calling all policymakers, program implementers, and M&E pros! J-PAL’s free, self-paced #EvaluatingSocialPrograms course launches September 16. Learn how to design randomized evaluations and use evidence to measure what works.

https://bit.ly/3VHBfLa

Maternal Cash Transfers for Gender Equity and Child Development: Experimental Evidence from India Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...

An updated working paper finds that small cash transfers to mothers in India led to healthier diets for their children, more food for the whole family, better childhood development, and improved gender equity in the household. 🔗 Check it out: https://www.nber.org/papers/w32093

🎓 Interested in earning a certificate in our #ESP online course on rigorous impact evaluation? Enroll today for free or upgrade using code SKILLSMITX25 by September 10 for 30% off of your certificate.

https://bit.ly/3VHBfLa

When childcare subsidies and employment services are not enough: How social norms shape women's choices in Egypt How do we ensure we are addressing the correct barriers to women's empowerment in Egypt? This blog unpacks why childcare might not be the right solution to supporting women's employment and increasing...

"The biggest barriers to employment were not financial or logistical. They were invisible but powerful: deeply held social norms and family expectations that quietly shaped every decision." New blog from @j-pal.bsky.social MENA #EconSky

www.povertyactionlab.org/blog/8-27-25...

Does care quality change when doctors meet patients by phone vs. in person?

A new @nber.org study by J-PAL affiliate @pgertler.bsky.social & coauthors finds:

📌 Telemedicine = higher quality for respiratory cases
📌 Comparable quality for malaria

📄 https://bit.ly/4m3kG7f

Air and Water Labs | Partnering with governments for evidence-informed clean air and water solutions YouTube video by J-PAL

How can better policies help ⬇️ pollution and ⬆️ clean air? Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4ngypStlFg #CleanAirDay

Better public service with data Davi Augusto Oliveira Pinto, a student in MIT's master's in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy program, wants to help policymakers make informed choices to improve people’s lives.

How can data-driven insights transform public service? Hear from Davi Augusto Oliveira Pinto, a diplomat with decades of experience and a current MIT #DEDP master’s student:

💡Curious about how the DEDP MicroMasters Program can help you design evidence-based policies to reduce poverty? Join our webinar on August 26 at 9:00 am ET to hear from the program team, ask questions, and learn how to earn an online credential: buff.ly/EXcxGcm

🎓 Take the next step in your career in development economics and public policy. The DEDP MicroMasters Program provides hands-on training in designing randomized evaluations and data analysis. Join our webinar on August 26 at 9:00 am ET to learn more: buff.ly/EXcxGcm

We’re on Instagram! 🎉

Follow J-PAL to explore how we and our partners are working to reduce poverty through evidence-informed policy, now through a more visual lens.
📍 buff.ly/wJen3iT

(Senior) Policy Associate - UJALA Rabat, Morocco - J-PAL Global | The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab 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…

Our team is growing 📈 Join the UM6P J-PAL Agricultural Lab for Africa (UJALA) in Morocco as a (Senior) Policy Associate! UJALA works to improve small-scale farmers’ food security, productivity, and profitability, and the associate plays a key role in this mission. See more and apply:

Rigorous research is possible in complex, conflict-affected settings—and it's already helping shape more effective humanitarian & development responses.

A new blog for #TheEvidenceEffect shares findings to guide action & protect the most vulnerable: buff.ly/jPpkoU2

Iqbal Dhaliwal on Building Better Aid Systems | Podcast Episode on RSS.com Iqbal Singh Dhaliwal, the Global Executive Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), dives into the shifting landscape of global development as foreign aid faces cuts. He…

As foreign aid faces cuts, where does global development go next?

J-PAL’s Global Executive Director Iqbal Dhaliwal shares how strategic philanthropy, coalitions, and evidence can help us navigate the shifting landscape.

🎧 Listen via RSS.com:

Abhijit Banerjee, prix Nobel : «Nous, économistes du développement, n’avons pas fait un assez bon travail pour dire haut et fort l’importance de l’aide» Alors que se termine la Conférence sur le financement du développement à Séville, rencontre avec le Prix Nobel d’économie, spécialiste du développement, qui alerte sur les tragédies humanitaires à…

In a new interview with Libération, Nobel laureate and J-PAL Co-Founder Abhijit Banerjee discusses the importance of global aid. Read 👇

Esther Duflo, Nobel laureate: 'Development aid is not a waste of public money' OP-ED. As international solidarity wanes, the 2018 winner of the Nobel in Economics points out that development aid is not a mere crutch, but an investment: Increasingly strong research networks,…

In a new op-ed, Esther Duflo reminds us: “Development aid is not a waste of public money.”

📖 Read via @lemonde.fr :

The seventh Evidence Effect installment is here: Humanitarian assistance.

Explore how evidence can strengthen crisis response 👇
💰 Give cash in crises
⚠️ Early action before crises saves lives and livelihoods
🧠 Shift bias through perspective-taking

🔗https://buff.ly/gr0gxAG

How can humanitarian orgs ⬆️ impact when funding is ⬇️? With 300m+ ppl in urgent need of aid, emerging evidence can pinpoint promising solutions & guide investments to help save lives. 📊 New Evidence Effect blog shows what works & where we have more to learn. buff.ly/DZQKREQ

From ride-hailing platforms to clean tech innovation, what role does evidence play in private sector impact? Learn more in our latest Evidence Effect blog post by Julie Cobill, Ahmed Elsayed, and Ying Gao. buff.ly/xuNN2Gb

Setting an early foundation for children’s learning: using insights from cost-effectiveness analysis to inform decisions Ensuring children have strong basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics – together known as foundational literacy and numeracy – is considered critical for their future academic success and…

Policymakers need to understand the cost-effectiveness of different approaches in order to make sound decisions—but what's the best way to collect cost data in the first place? Our cost-effectiveness and education teams reflect on three key considerations:

From training to impact: Strengthening foundational learning in Ghana This is the second blog post in a series highlighting how UNICEF and J-PAL are working together to strengthen evidence use in education. The first blog post reflected on insights from global experts…

📖 How are educators in Ghana using data to improve learning? Our new blog spotlights two practitioners working to strengthen foundational learning—drawing on local evidence, experience, and lessons from J-PAL and UNICEF’s Learning Academy cohort. Read more:

#SchoolingWithoutLearning is a challenge in many places around the 🌍—kids are in school, but lack basic reading and math skills. Can a more customized curriculum + teacher training help? 👫 J-PAL affiliate Alex Eble and co-authors evaluated this in Guinea Bissau: buff.ly/ApYNGuu