The Duke Development Economics Lab (DevLab@Duke) is an applied research center that connects social scientists focused on international development with the development practitioner community. With a mission is to advance evaluable programming for policy impact, the lab represents expertise in a broad range of research activities in areas such as education, gender, governance, health, labor markets, and economic growth.

The lab arose out of the desire to enhance the knowledge gained from the international development work being carried out across the globe by identifying broader scientific questions that can be answered through prospective evaluation design with the input of a team of academic researchers. As such, collaborations benefit both practitioners, who gain capacity to evaluate and implement development projects, and academics by generating new opportunities for scientific research. This enhances faculty and student research output by organizing the research production process and stimulating collaboration across departments and schools.

DevLab@Duke works with donors such as USAID and the World Bank on research opportunities, the promotion of evaluable programming, on impact evaluations themselves, and the translation of academic research for policy audiences.

Members of the lab also work with implementers and evaluators, such as Innovations for Poverty Action, Social Impact, and others at: a) the project proposal stage; and b) the implementation and monitoring/evaluation stage. At the project proposal stage, the lab provides rapid feedback on research ideas, rigorous project designs, and the “Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning” portion of proposals. The lab prefers to be involved in project proposals as early as possible, even at the capture stage.

At the post-award stage, DevLab@Duke works with implementers to ensure rigorous IE designs, data collection and project monitoring, as well as the publication and dissemination of results to the policy and research communities.