J-PAL Project AI Evidence (PAIE) Winter RFP

J-PAL Project AI Evidence (PAIE) Winter RFP is sponsored by Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). Funds research on how technology (specifically AI) can improve the well-being of people in poverty. Includes a focus on financial inclusion and access to services in rural regions of South Asia.

Project AI Evidence RFP | The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab Latin America and the Caribbean Middle East and North Africa Crime, Violence, and Conflict Environment, Energy, and Climate Change Political Economy and Governance Pathways and Case Studies All Types Blog Case study Evaluation Event Initiative Initiative projects and documents Job J-PAL Updates Landing page Basic page Person Policy insight Policy insight sector page Research resource Pathways and Case Studies The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence.

Anchored by a network of more than 1,100 researchers at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty. The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence.

Anchored by a network of more than 1,100 researchers at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty. Our affiliated professors are based at over 130 universities and conduct randomized evaluations around the world to design, evaluate, and improve programs and policies aimed at reducing poverty.

They set their own research agendas, raise funds to support their evaluations, and work with J-PAL staff on research, policy outreach, and training. Our Board of Directors, which is composed of J-PAL affiliated professors and senior management, provides overall strategic guidance to J-PAL, our sector programs, and regional offices.

Our research, policy, and training work is fundamentally better when it is informed by a broad range of perspectives. J-PAL initiatives concentrate funding and other resources around priority topics for which rigorous policy-relevant research is urgently needed.

We host events around the world and online to share results and policy lessons from randomized evaluations, to build new partnerships between researchers and practitioners, and to train organizations on how to design and conduct randomized evaluations, and use evidence from impact evaluations. News, ideas, and analysis from J-PAL staff and affiliated professors.

Browse news articles about J-PAL and our affiliated professors, read our press releases and monthly global and research newsletters, and connect with us for media inquiries. Based at leading universities around the world, our experts are economists who use randomized evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty.

Connect with us for all media inquiries and we'll help you find the right person to shed insight on your story. J-PAL is based at MIT in Cambridge, MA and has seven regional offices at leading universities in Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, North America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

J-PAL is based at MIT in Cambridge, MA and has seven regional offices at leading universities in Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, North America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Our global office is based at the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It serves as the head office for our network of seven independent regional offices.

Latin America and the Caribbean Middle East and North Africa Led by affiliated professors, J-PAL sectors guide our research and policy work by conducting literature reviews; by managing research initiatives that promote the rigorous evaluation of innovative interventions by affiliates; and by summarizing findings and lessons from randomized evaluations and producing cost-effectiveness analyses to help inform relevant policy debates.

Led by affiliated professors, J-PAL sectors guide our research and policy work by conducting literature reviews; by managing research initiatives that promote the rigorous evaluation of innovative interventions by affiliates; and by summarizing findings and lessons from randomized evaluations and producing cost-effectiveness analyses to help inform relevant policy debates.

How can we encourage small farmers to adopt proven agricultural practices and improve their yields and profitability? Crime, Violence, and Conflict What are the causes and consequences of crime, violence, and conflict and how can policy responses improve outcomes for those affected? How can students receive high-quality schooling that will help them, their families, and their communities truly realize the promise of education?

Environment, Energy, and Climate Change How can we increase access to energy, reduce pollution, and mitigate and build resilience to climate change? How can financial products and services be more affordable, appropriate, and accessible to underserved households and businesses? How do policies affecting private sector firms impact productivity gaps between higher-income and lower-income countries?

How do firms’ own policies impact economic growth and worker welfare? How can we reduce gender inequality and ensure that social programs are sensitive to existing gender dynamics? How can we increase access to and delivery of quality health care services and effectively promote healthy behaviors?

How can we help people find and keep work, particularly young people entering the workforce? Political Economy and Governance What are the causes and consequences of poor governance and how can policy improve public service delivery? How can we identify effective policies and programs in low- and middle-income countries that provide financial assistance to low-income families, insuring against shocks and breaking poverty traps?

Project AI Evidence (PAIE) J-PAL's Project AI Evidence provides an opportunity to rigorously study how AI can help—or harm—the well-being of people, particularly people who experience poverty. Project AI Evidence funds full research projects and pilot studies. Project AI Evidence is currently accepting proposals for its Winter RFP .

Below are the key dates: Requests for Proposals (RFP) opens: December 8, 2025 Letters of Interest (LOI) due: January 12, 2026 Invitation to submit proposals: Late January 2026 Proposals due: March 9, 2026 Funding decisions announced: May 2026 J-PAL affiliates, postdocs, invited researchers, regional scholars who have successfully completed a pilot funded by any J-PAL initiative, and PhD students of J-PAL affiliates and invited researchers are eligible to apply for this Initiative’s funding.

Invited researchers from all initiatives or regional offices are eligible. All proposals may include collaborators outside of this network. PhD students may be eligible to apply for up to US$50,000 in pilot or full-scale funding.

To be eligible, PhD students must have a J-PAL affiliate or invited researcher on their thesis committee at their host university. This adviser must provide a letter of support and indicate willingness to remain involved in a supervisory role throughout the lifetime of the project.

If the student is pre-thesis, the letter should state, “I am actively responsible for supervising this project/research and anticipate being on the student’s thesis committee. ” In addition, to apply for up to US$50,000 in pilot or full-scale funding, graduate students must provide documented evidence of successful preparatory activities.

Any Regional Scholars who have successfully completed a pilot funded by any J-PAL initiative are also eligible to apply for Pilot or Full RCT funding under PAIE. Please note that PAIE intends to launch a dedicated Regional Scholars program in 2026, which will expand opportunities available to scholars based in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia.

For PAIE RFPs, please follow the directions listed below: 1) J-PAL has transitioned to a new application portal and grant management system, WizeHive. When you are ready to apply, please refer to these instructions to create your team’s profile . Please note that we are adapting WizeHive’s “Organization Profile” feature to serve as a “Proposal Team Profile.

” As such, each team profile corresponds to a single proposal. Teams will now be able to collaborate on their proposal in WizeHive. PAIE Full RCT Application Link PAIE Pilot Application Link 2) Submit a required Letter of Intent (LOI) by Monday, January 12, 2026 at 5:00PM EST.

Please see the proposal guidelines at the bottom of this page for a preview of application questions and required materials. 3) If you receive an invitation to apply to the main application, please follow the next steps outlined in the relevant proposal guidelines and application previews for each proposal type (Full RCTs and Pilots) linked below.

Each of the documents includes a checklist and guidance on what to address within each narrative prompt, guiding your completion of all required submission materials based on the appropriate proposal type. We recommend reading the relevant Proposal Guidelines document in detail before answering the proposal questions in WizeHive .

4) Upon completing your proposal and uploading proposal attachments (budget, budget narrative, letters, etc.), submit the proposal by Monday, March 9, 2026 at 5:00PM EST . For further information and troubleshooting, please get in touch with [email protected] . Below, please find (1) an RFP Overview; (2) PDF previews of each application type; and (3) budget templates.

Please do not complete or submit the PDF previews to Project AI Evidence for consideration. Please use the budget templates to structure your proposal budget. All application materials should be completed in or uploaded to our online portal, WizeHive —we can only consider applications submitted there.

Request for Proposals Overview [RFP 2] PAIE RFP Overview Application and Proposal Previews [RFP 2] PAIE Full RCT Proposal Guidelines [RFP 2] PAIE Pilot Proposal Guidelines PAIE Full RCT Budget Template PAIE Pilot Budget Template