Research Methods Initiative
Forecasted
Research Methods Initiative supports researchers adding methods work to existing poverty studies to improve research design, survey measurement, and data quality for the wider research field.
Funder: Innovations for Poverty Action
Due Dates (Anticipated): January 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Small grants for methods research added to existing studies
Summary: Supports research that improves research design, survey measurement, and data quality in global poverty alleviation studies.
Key Information: Funding supports methods work added to existing studies rather than standalone studies.
Description
The Research Methods Initiative is a joint effort of Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) and the Methods Cluster of Northwestern University’s Global Poverty Research Lab. It produces and funds research to improve methods and measurement in global poverty alleviation research. Its competitive funding supports researchers adding methods work to existing studies, with the aim of generating substantial benefits for the wider field through small grants.
The initiative focuses on three themes: research design, questionnaire design and measurement, and data quality. Supported areas include improvements to randomized controlled trial implementation, sampling and replication designs, reducing bias in survey variables, and improving data collection through interviewer recruitment, enumerator training, monitoring, and validation.
