Amy Finkelstein, scientific director, Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) North America and professor of economics, MIT co-launched J-PAL North America in 2013 with the aim of increasing the number of randomised evaluations in academic research in the region. Ten years later, the regional office has made impressive strides, not only in the number of studies conducted, but in its ability to influence their impact on policy priorities.
J-PAL North America has capitalised on the 2018 United States federal bipartisan legislation, the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act, and the country's growing appetite for evidence-informed public policy across multi-level government entities. J-PAL North America has funded 165 randomised evaluations, developed a network of more than 260 researchers and 30 government partners and routed more than USD 518 million in available government funding towards evidence-based programmes. This work has impacted more than 35 million lives.