About the Initiative

The Georgetown University Initiative on Innovation, Development and Evaluation conducts empirical field-based research to assess the impact and effectiveness of interventions and policies aimed at empowering individuals in developing countries to improve their lives. Major research themes include governance and accountability, the promotion of agency in the delivery of health, education, and other public services, the role of mobile technology in development, and financial development and integration.

The Initiative, jointly convened by the Economics Department and the McCourt School of Public Policy and co-directed by Billy Jack and James Habyarimana, brings together academics, innovators, policymakers, and development practitioners to incubate and evaluate ideas. We harness the energy and enthusiasm of the University’s undergraduate and graduate student body to contribute to these efforts at both the innovation and evaluation stages, through event participation, academic supervision, and summer and semester-long field assignments.