What Works Research Grant

Overview

The Pulte Institute for Global Development, part of the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs, works with hundreds of partners worldwide to pursue research that supports effective policies to address poverty-related issues. We generate critical evidence to identify and address the systemic causes of poverty, ensuring limited development dollars are afforded the greatest opportunity to advance the mutual flourishing of people and planet. Investing in an Era of Dwindling Resources Global development is in a rapid restructure. As traditional investment dwindles, it is critical to invest in promising interventions that show early evidence of success so we can learn which solutions truly deliver results for different populations—and how to most effectively scale these efforts to impact more lives. The Solution: The What Works Fund In an era of dramatically reduced federal investment, the Pulte Institute has deepened its resolve to leverage its comparative advantage for the greater good: generating the evidence that shows exactly where limited dollars achieve maximum impact. The What Works Fund ensures promising interventions continue to deliver critical assistance while building the evidence base required for policy change. This fund aims to support Pulte Institute’s Core Affiliated Faculty to continue to pioneer high-impact innovations across the globe. To move these solutions from theory to reality, this fund can support both the implementation of these innovations, tangibly impacting communities in greatest need, and the rigorous research required to prove their effectiveness. This fund can support early-stage pilot interventions designed to identify promising programs, to initiatives primed to scale up for national implementation with broad impact. The What Works Fund provides essential capital to deliver these interventions and complete the rigorous impact assessments that prove their value.