North America Social Policy Research Initiative (SPRI)
J-PAL North America's SPRI funds randomized evaluations of U.S. social policies and programs to generate evidence for effective poverty reduction and racial equity.
Funder: Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab
Due Dates: January 7, 2025 | June 2, 2026 | January 12, 2027
Funding Amounts: Full projects: $150,000–$250,000 (up to $400,000 max, 3 years); Pilot: up to $50,000 (3 years); Travel/development: up to $5,000 (1 year); Add-on: up to $400,000 minus prior J-PAL NA awards
Summary: Supports randomized evaluations of social programs and policies in North America to inform effective, evidence-based poverty reduction.
Key Information: Proposals must focus on randomized evaluations in the US; eligibility restricted to J-PAL affiliates, postdocs, invited researchers, and eligible graduate students.
Description
The North America Social Policy Research Initiative (SPRI) by J-PAL North America funds randomized impact evaluations of innovative social programs and policies across a wide range of sectors, including education, climate, housing, labor, and more. The initiative aims to generate rigorous evidence to inform policy decisions, with a focus on reducing poverty and promoting racial equity. SPRI issues semi-annual Requests for Proposals (RFPs), offering several funding mechanisms—full research projects, pilot studies, travel/proposal development grants, and add-on funding for previously funded projects. The initiative encourages research that addresses pressing public policy issues affecting economically marginalized populations in the United States.
