Massachusetts Institute of Technology
For Impact Evaluations Of Programs To Improve Governance In Developing Countries
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Amount$2,000,000
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Program
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Date Awarded3/22/2011
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Term36.0 Months
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Type of SupportProject
Overview
A grant to the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology would support the rollout of J-PAL's Governance Initiative to sponsor randomized impact evaluations of governance programs, including those designed to reduce the leakage of public funds in service delivery. A core grantee for the Global Development Program, J-PAL teaches researchers and policymakers how to conduct rigorous evaluations of the effectiveness of specific development interventions and how to use the findings to set the direction of program design and funding. The Initiative will complement J-PAL's broader research agenda, which produces evidence to improve the delivery of public services such as education and health. By addressing the governance challenges that can undermine the achievement of any development goals, the Initiative will help ensure that resources are used more effectively and sustainably. J-PAL anticipates generating initial findings from approximately ten new studies during this three-year start-up phase. By reporting its findings to policymakers and providing support for the expansion and replication of successful governance programs, the Initiative will help translate this evidence into changes in policy.
About the Grantee
Grantee Website
www.mit.edu
Address
77 Massachusetts Avenue 26-237, Cambridge, MA, 02139-4307, United States
Grants to this Grantee
for support of the Election Data and Science Lab
The MIT Election Data and Science Lab advances and disseminates scientific knowledge about the conduct of elections, primarily in the United States but with attention to the rest of the world. By addressing the multiple audiences of academic researchers, the general public, and practitioners, it serves a unique role among individuals and institutions dedicated to improving the conduct of American elections, and it supports a growing network of election science research centers across the U.S.
for a clean energy investment tracker
This grant will support the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, which will work jointly with the Rhodium Group to develop and maintain a comprehensive, independent, and publicly available tracking system for new investments supported by federal climate-related legislation passed in 2021 and 2022 (including the Inflation Reduction Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act). The data will help the climate community better understand the investment, fiscal impacts, and greenhouse gas impacts of these measures. (Substrategy: U.S. National Policy)
for J-PAL’s core efforts to reduce poverty by informing policy and practice with evidence
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was founded on the belief that anti-poverty programs can be made more effective — thus creating positive change in the lives of the poor — if policymakers have access to rigorous scientific evidence on what works and the capacities to apply it. J-PAL pursues three goals: (a) developing the capacity of researchers (including those from low- and middle-income countries) to lead randomized impact evaluations; (b) generating evidence through randomized evaluations that respond to pressing policy problems; and (c) promoting the systematic use and adaptation of evidence in informing policy windows and decision-making processes through tailored synthesis, targeted outreach, and technical assistance. These broad goals lay the foundation for achieving J-PAL's ultimate objective, which aligns with our Evidence-Informed Policymaking strategy: to improve the lives of the poor globally by closing the gap between research, policy, and practice.
