In this episode we talk with Mushfiq Mobarak on how to work with governments and large organizations to implement research. Mushfiq is a Professor of Economics at Yale University with concurrent appointments in the School of Management and in the Department of Economics. He is also the founder and faculty director of the Yale Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale (Y-RISE). He holds other appointments at Innovations for Poverty Action, the International Growth Centre (IGC) at LSE, and the Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT.

Sebastian Tello-Trillo is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.

Alex Hollingsworth is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Ohio State University.

Henry Morris is our main editor. He is a student at the University of Virginia studying computer science and mathematics. or of Economics at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Indiana University.

In this episode we discussed:

• The importance of teamwork, empathy, and comparative advantage in research
• Practical advice for managing research projects, teams, and work-life balance
• How to build partnerships with NGOs and governments for fieldwork
• Navigating organizational dynamics, credibility, and incentives
• Dealing with media attention and social media as a researcher
• Advice for early-career researchers

Recommendations of the Week:

• Mushfiq: Try Jamaican oxtail from a good Jamaican restaurant (for non-vegetarians)
• Alex: Merquén, a Chilean smoked chili spice blend, great on eggs and more
• Sebastian: Pisco Sour, a traditional Peruvian cocktail (with or without egg white)

Links & Resources:

• Mushfiq Mubarak’s website: som.yale.edu/mubarak
• Y-Rise: https://yrise.yale.edu
• Science Magazine policy forum on COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries (March 11, 2022 issue) https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abo4089
• The NORMalizing mask-wearing program is a four-part, evidence-based model that tripled correct mask-wearing in rural Bangladesh and measurably reduced community-based COVID-19. https://poverty-action.org/masks