J-PAL North America, a regional office of MIT’s Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), is set to significantly expand its efforts in conducting rigorous research and promoting evidence-based policy-making, thanks to a substantial new grant from long-time supporter and collaborator, Arnold Ventures.
With this new seven-year, eight-figure grant from Arnold Ventures, J-PAL North America aims to:
- greatly expand the evidence base on effective poverty solutions;
- enhance capacity and increase diversity within its network of over 265 expert researchers;
- institutionalize the use of evidence among nonprofits and policymakers; and
- accelerate the pace and scale at which evidence influences policy.
Additionally, J-PAL North America will leverage these funds to deepen its focus on racial and economic equity within its research network, the field of economics, and social policy.
“J-PAL’s mission is to reduce poverty by ensuring that policies are based on scientific evidence. We recognize that poverty is an urgent and complex issue, which is why we strive to identify and deploy solutions across various sectors, including education, health, and labor. This support from Arnold Ventures will elevate our work to the next level, creating new pathways to generate evidence, inform policies, and impact lives,” says Vincent Quan, co-executive director of J-PAL North America. “We are thrilled about this groundbreaking and expanded collaboration with Arnold Ventures as we enter the second decade of J-PAL North America.”
A Long-standing Collaboration for Evidence-based Solutions
This new initiative builds on a successful long-term collaboration between J-PAL North America and Arnold Ventures, which together have set a high standard for rigorous social science research and evidence-based policy-making.
The research center recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, having impacted over 35 million lives by scaling evidence-based programs rigorously evaluated by J-PAL-affiliated researchers. J-PAL North America has worked with Arnold Ventures and other collaborators to catalyze 165 rigorous evaluations on topics ranging from summer youth employment programs to cash transfers. Arnold Ventures’ support for J-PAL North America’s research has enabled over $518 million to be dedicated to effective poverty reduction solutions. For instance, based on J-PAL’s evidence, U.S. federal and state educational agencies allocated Covid relief funds for tutoring to help accelerate learning following the pandemic.
Justin Milner, executive vice president of evidence and evaluation at Arnold Ventures, states, “Arnold Ventures is proud to have worked alongside J-PAL North America over the past decade, setting a higher standard for rigorous research and evidence-based policy-making. We are excited to deepen our partnership to further institutionalize a culture of evidence among policymakers and increase our collective impact in the years to come.”
“The economic innovations and policy achievements of J-PAL North America directly advance SHASS’s mission to tackle grand global challenges. We look forward to J-PAL North America continuing its essential work with Arnold Ventures and are eager to see the impact of their collaboration on the broader MIT community and, more specifically, on the residents of this region in the coming years,” says Agustín Rayo, dean of MIT’s School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS).
The Urgency of Evidence-based Solutions to Combat Poverty
Poverty remains a pervasive challenge in North America. In 2022, the official poverty rate in the United States was 11.5%, equating to nearly 38 million people living below the poverty line. The need to identify and deploy effective solutions is paramount. J-PAL North America is excited to continue working with Arnold Ventures to build on the growing movement of evidence-based policy-making, generate new critical research, and foster sustainable policy partnerships to address some of society’s greatest challenges.
Amy Finkelstein, co-scientific director of J-PAL North America, says, “When J-PAL North America was founded, Arnold Ventures saw our potential to transform the meaning of impact evaluation in the region. Today, ten years later, we are proud to further solidify our collaboration and build on the foundations we have created together. I am extremely pleased that this grant will allow us to further expand the knowledge base on effective poverty solutions and better support the scaling of these solutions.”
