Introduction
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center dedicated to reducing poverty by ensuring that public policy and development programs are informed by scientific evidence. Established at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2003, J-PAL works with researchers, governments, nonprofit organizations, and other partners to evaluate social and economic programs and identify approaches that can improve people’s lives.
J-PAL is anchored by a network of more than 1,100 researchers affiliated with universities around the world. Its researchers conduct randomized impact evaluations across a wide range of sectors and countries, generating evidence that can help policymakers determine which interventions work, which do not, and how successful approaches can be adapted and expanded.
History and Background
J-PAL was established in 2003 at the MIT Department of Economics. Its founding was associated with economists Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Sendhil Mullainathan, who developed an approach centered on using rigorous empirical research to address important questions related to poverty and public policy.
Over the years, J-PAL developed into an international research network bringing together academics and practitioners across multiple regions. Its affiliated professors are based at more than 130 universities and conduct randomized evaluations in different countries and policy environments.
J-PAL’s work has also received international recognition. J-PAL co-founders Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, together with longtime J-PAL affiliate Michael Kremer, were awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.
Mission and Purpose
J-PAL’s central mission is to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Rather than focusing only on theoretical research, the organization works to generate evidence that can be used by policymakers and practitioners when designing, improving, and scaling social programs.
Its work focuses on:
- Conducting rigorous randomized impact evaluations.
- Identifying effective approaches to poverty reduction.
- Building evidence on important social and economic policy questions.
- Supporting policymakers and governments in using research evidence.
- Helping organizations evaluate and improve their programs.
- Strengthening the capacity of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to use rigorous evidence.
- Supporting the scaling of programs and policies that demonstrate positive results.
Governance and Global Structure
J-PAL is based at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and operates through a global network of regional offices hosted by leading universities and institutions. Its regional network covers Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, North America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
The organization works through a combination of affiliated professors, research staff, policy professionals, training teams, and regional offices.
J-PAL-affiliated professors develop research agendas and conduct evaluations, while J-PAL staff provide support in areas such as research design, data collection, statistical analysis, policy engagement, training, and partnerships.
This structure enables research to be conducted in different social, economic, and geographic contexts while maintaining a common emphasis on rigorous evidence.
Research and Impact Evaluation
Randomized impact evaluation is one of J-PAL’s central research approaches. In these evaluations, researchers randomly assign individuals, households, communities, or other units to different groups in order to compare outcomes and estimate the effects of an intervention.
J-PAL researchers have conducted more than 2,500 evaluations across 124 countries, according to the organization’s latest published figures. These studies cover a broad range of poverty and development issues and contribute to a growing evidence base for social policy. (J-PAL)
J-PAL research has examined subjects including:
- Agriculture and technology adoption
- Education
- Environment, energy and climate
- Finance
- Gender and economic agency
- Health
- Labor markets
- Political economy and governance
- Social protection
- Crime, violence and conflict
- Urban services and other development challenges
The organization also produces evaluation summaries, policy insights, research resources, and other materials designed to make evidence more accessible to policymakers and practitioners.
Funding and Grants
J-PAL supports research through competitive funding initiatives that focus on priority policy questions. Its initiatives identify important gaps in existing evidence, fund research addressing those gaps, and support engagement with policymakers so that findings can inform policy and program decisions.
Funding opportunities can include support for:
- Full randomized evaluation projects
- Pilot studies
- Exploratory research
- Travel and proposal-development activities
- Research connected to specific thematic initiatives
- Policy-oriented research and scale-up activities
Eligibility and funding levels vary according to the particular initiative and call for proposals. For example, the Jobs and Opportunity Initiative has offered funding of up to $350,000 for eligible full research projects, up to $75,000 for pilot studies, and up to $10,000 for travel or proposal development grants in its 2026 funding cycle.
J-PAL’s current initiatives include areas such as governance, climate action, education, social protection, gender and economic agency, jobs and opportunity, crime and violence, digital agriculture, AI and health, and urban services. Funding cycles and deadlines vary by initiative.
Organizations and researchers interested in funding should therefore review the individual initiative’s official call for proposals for current eligibility requirements, geographic scope, research priorities, deadlines, and award amounts.
Major Programs and Initiatives
J-PAL uses thematic research initiatives to concentrate funding and technical resources on important policy questions. These initiatives are designed to encourage research where evidence gaps remain significant and where rigorous findings can potentially inform policy.
Current and recent initiatives include:
- Governance Initiative (GI): Supports research on governance, political participation, public-sector performance, accountability, and related policy questions.
- King Climate Action Initiative (K-CAI): Supports research related to climate change, environmental challenges, and policy responses.
- Jobs and Opportunity Initiative (JOI): Funds research addressing labor-market challenges and strategies for improving employment and economic opportunity.
- Learning for All Initiative (LAI): Supports evidence generation related to education and learning.
- Social Protection Initiative (SPI): Supports research on social protection policies and programs.
- Gender and Economic Agency Initiative (GEA): Focuses on evidence related to women’s economic agency and gender-related policy challenges.
- Crime and Violence Initiative (CVI): Supports research addressing crime, violence, and related social policy issues.
- Innovation in Government Initiative (IGI): Works with governments to test and scale evidence-informed innovations.
- Digital Agricultural Innovations and Services Initiative (DAISI): Supports research on digital innovations and agricultural services.
- Project AI Evidence (PAIE): Examines evidence and applications related to artificial intelligence and policy.
- Urban Services Initiative (USI): Supports research addressing challenges related to urban services and development.
J-PAL’s initiatives may have different funding cycles, eligibility rules, and application requirements. The organization’s official initiatives page provides the latest information on active programs and open calls.
Education, Training and Capacity Building
In addition to research and grantmaking, J-PAL invests in building the skills required to conduct and use rigorous impact evaluations.
Its training programs are designed for researchers, policymakers, government officials, nonprofit organizations, and other professionals interested in evidence-based decision-making. Courses cover subjects such as impact evaluation, measurement, survey design, and the practical use of evidence.
J-PAL also offers online learning opportunities and degree-related programs, including the Data, Economics, and Design of Policy (DEDP) MicroMasters program through MITx. Its training portfolio also includes customized courses designed around the needs of particular organizations and institutions.
Since establishing its training team in 2005, J-PAL reports that it has delivered more than 600 courses to over 30,000 participants worldwide.
Policy Engagement and Scaling Evidence
J-PAL’s work does not end when a research study is completed. The organization also works to communicate research findings and support their use in policy and practice.
J-PAL staff collaborate with governments, nonprofit organizations, funders, and other implementing partners to connect research evidence with real-world policy challenges. This includes helping policymakers understand research findings, supporting evidence-informed program design, and identifying opportunities to adapt and scale interventions.
Impact and Examples of Work Funded
J-PAL’s research covers a wide range of development and public policy challenges. Its current funded-project portfolio includes research on social protection, livelihoods, labor markets, agriculture, governance, and public service delivery.
J-PAL’s evidence base is intended to help decision-makers understand not only whether an intervention produces an effect, but also how and under what circumstances it works. This emphasis on context and mechanisms is important when policymakers consider adapting programs for different populations or locations.
In education, J-PAL works with policymakers to apply evidence from randomized evaluations and supports research through initiatives such as Learning for All. The organization also incorporated the Jameel World Education Lab into J-PAL in 2025, expanding its education research and policy work. (J-PAL)
J-PAL and Opportunities for Researchers
J-PAL’s funding opportunities are primarily designed around research and evidence-generation rather than conventional nonprofit project grants. Many opportunities are intended for J-PAL-affiliated professors, invited researchers, postdoctoral researchers, and other eligible academic or research partners.
Researchers interested in applying should carefully review each initiative’s eligibility criteria before preparing a proposal. Requirements can differ substantially between initiatives in terms of applicant status, geography, research topic, study design, and funding amount.
Conclusion
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) has developed a global research and policy network focused on using rigorous evidence to address poverty and improve public policy. Through randomized impact evaluations, research funding, policy engagement, training, and partnerships with governments and organizations, J-PAL connects academic research with practical development challenges.
With more than 1,100 researchers, a presence across multiple global regions, and thousands of evaluations conducted across more than 120 countries, J-PAL continues to build evidence on what works in poverty reduction and social policy.
For researchers, policymakers, development organizations, and institutions interested in evidence-based approaches, J-PAL provides research resources, training opportunities, funding initiatives, and policy partnerships. Current funding calls and program information should always be checked on the organization’s official website because eligibility, deadlines, and research priorities can change.
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