Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)

“One of the most frequent questions that we get at J-PAL is a version of, ‘So a program worked in one place. Is it likely to work in my context?’” says Mary Ann Bates, the deputy executive director of J-PAL North America.

How J-PAL thinks globally and acts locally

Can an antipoverty program work in different settings? A new report presents a user’s guide to a tough issue.

June 28, 2017

Stopping the revolving prison door

J-PAL North America tests innovative strategies to reduce recidivism and help inmates transition back to society.

May 10, 2017

Top row, left to right: Stephen Bell, Sangeeta Bhatia, and Christopher Cummins. Bottom row, left to right: Esther Duflo, Klavs Jensen, and Nergis Mavalvala.

National Academy of Sciences elects six MIT professors for 2017

Bell, Bhatia, Cummins, Duflo, Jensen, and Mavalvala honored for research achievements.

May 3, 2017

"Technology is not a silver bullet, but education is," said Karen Cator, CEO of Digital Promise.

Experts gather at MIT to explore new research in education technology

Researchers, policymakers, and education company leaders discuss innovative technologies to improve education for disadvantaged learners.

April 28, 2017

MIT alumni and faculty have a long history of public policy service. Kathleen Hicks PhD ’10 (left) is director of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; Samuel Rodarte Jr. ’13 is a legislative aide for U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano.

Shaping public policy in the nation's capital

Alumni continue an enduring tradition of MIT service.

April 12, 2017

J-PAL North America aims to make rigorous evaluation of key questions in social policy easier for researchers with a new catalog.

Cheaper, faster randomized evaluations

J-PAL North America releases new catalog of administrative data sets to give researchers a leg up in conducting rigorous evaluations of social programs.

February 17, 2017

Christian Soura, director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, speaks at MIT.

Government leaders gather at MIT to advance evidence-based policymaking

State and local policymakers joined with leading researchers to share experiences overcoming challenges to evaluating government programs.

February 9, 2017

Researchers are testing behavioral science strategies to nudge high-risk individuals away from crime.

Testing strategies for preventing violence and crime

J-PAL North America funds randomized studies to evaluate crime-prevention programs.

January 31, 2017

MIT Alumni Elaine Chew (left), Noam Angrist (top right), and Huma Yusuf (bottom right)

MIT in London

The city offers an ideal home for MIT alumni whose work spans disciplines and continents.

January 12, 2017

J-PAL North America Executive Director Quentin Palfrey

Experts gather at MIT to urge more innovation in health care delivery

Two-day conference explores opportunities for research, innovation, and evidence-informed policymaking to address a range of national health care challenges.

December 7, 2016