J-PAL

We are a global poverty research center @MIT that conducts randomized evaluations and builds partnerships to bring innovative, effective programs to scale.

[J-PAL @JPAL]

Want to pursue a graduate degree at a leading university? 🎓

If you are taking the Data, Economics, and Design of Policy (DEDP) MicroMasters, your coursework can help you get there.

Through the Alliance for Data, Evaluation, and Policy Training (ADEPT), DEDP learners can apply their coursework toward admissions applications at our partner institutions.

📅 The DEDP team is joining our partners’ webinars to share more about the upcoming term. Find the webinars and register here: https://t.co/Nsmua0XNey

[J-PAL @JPAL]

In Egypt, 51% of employed workers have more education than their jobs require. 90% of unemployed respondents have a minimum acceptable wage above what they would likely earn in the informal private sector.

Read the Egypt Impact Lab's findings: https://t.co/2SeoHjVd7o

[J-PAL @JPAL]

In rural Ghana, a US$3 cash offer raised verified Covid-19 vaccination by 12.3 percentage points, a 43% increase.

A US$10 offer had no effect.

Researchers suggest matching incentives to vaccination's real costs: too much cash may breed suspicion instead of uptake. https://t.co/wyWZTvmV5B

[J-PAL @JPAL]

How does an evaluation's design impact a study's credibility?

When researchers design a study—including randomized evaluations—they rely on assumptions, like the assumption that people in a study are split into truly random groups. The credibility of any impact evaluation depends on whether those assumptions are plausible in a given context. J-PAL Research and Training Lead Michala Riis-Vestergaard explores what those assumptions are, why they matter, and how to assess them across different evaluation designs.

https://t.co/DHdRFMJTuZ

[J-PAL @JPAL]

Bihar set out to reach its most vulnerable households. Two years on, households in the program had 2x the monthly income and 8x the business revenue of comparable households.

Built and scaled by Government of Bihar and JEEViKA, and now scaling to 12+ states. Read more: https://t.co/42ej9pE04M

[J-PAL @JPAL]

From MicroMasters to master’s at MIT. 🎓If you’re completing (or have completed) the DEDP MicroMasters, join us on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 9:00 am ET to learn how you can apply to the DEDP master’s program at MIT.

DEDP program staff and a program alum will be answering questions live. Register: https://t.co/5hPkBuJ2pW

[J-PAL @JPAL]

About 800 million people live in extreme poverty. One approach with strong evidence: the Graduation approach, 1-2 years of support that includes a business asset, cash, training, and coaching.

In India, gains a decade later were nearly 4x the cost.

https://t.co/fn7Qwwaazq #EndPoverty

[J-PAL @JPAL]

Interested in impact evaluation but can’t enroll in a full-time class? You can complete J-PAL’s free, online course on #EvaluatingSocialPrograms on your own schedule.

Enroll today: https://t.co/RHxmZDZUIN

[J-PAL @JPAL]

One simple, low-cost way to save children’s lives: chlorine in drinking water.

It can cut the odds of death for under-fives by about a quarter. In Malawi, vouchers for free chlorine matched door-to-door use at lower cost.

https://t.co/dck7mmrhTH

[J-PAL @JPAL]

Does charging a small fee for a mosquito net help?

In Kenya, almost all pregnant women took a free bednet at clinics. When it cost US$0.60, most didn’t.

17 studies: even low prices can keep families in need from getting these products.

https://t.co/rMZfcklM10

[J-PAL @JPAL]

Will families waste cash if there are no strings attached?

Evidence from over 100 studies shows better food security, income, savings, and mental health. No drop in work, and no rise in alcohol or tobacco spending.

https://t.co/vC1s7dyWVy

[J-PAL @JPAL]

More than 800 million live in extreme poverty. But rigorous evidence shows which approaches work, and which work best in different contexts.

This week ahead of #InternationalDayfortheEradicationofPoverty, we're sharing six evidence-backed approaches being scaled globally. Follow along for one each day.

Explore The Evidence Effect: https://t.co/i7NZoLmgat
#EndPoverty

[J-PAL @JPAL]

Join us in J-PAL’s online #EvaluatingSocialPrograms course to explore our updated Evidence to Policy module, highlighting how rigorous evidence has helped inform and scale effective programs around the world. 🌍

https://t.co/RHxmZDZUIN

[J-PAL @JPAL]

And it was not just about targeting accuracy.

Recipients experienced improvements in food security, mental health, and overall well-being.

https://t.co/3pU3N9vUTa

[J-PAL @JPAL]

When Covid-19 hit, governments needed to get aid out fast. But many didn’t know who needed it most.

[J-PAL @JPAL]

The results:

✅ 138,500+ vulnerable people identified and enrolled for emergency cash transfers
✅ 4-21% fewer exclusion errors than geographic targeting alone

[J-PAL @JPAL]

Thinking about applying to MIT’s DEDP master’s program? Applications open in November. Prep starts now. 🗓️ Join us Oct 21, 9am ET for everything you need on requirements, funding, and what makes a strong DEDP candidate, straight from Prof. Sara Ellison, the team, and an alum.

https://t.co/5hPkBuJ2pW