New Trinity Research Group to Focus on the Impact of Development Aid

Posted on: 02 April 2015

A new research group established by the Department of Economics will bring together economics researchers, development practitioners and policy makers in a collective effort to estimate and understand the impact of development aid and investments.

Building on Trinity's strong research record in development, the new Trinity IMpact Evaluation (TIME) unit aims to provide strong evidence of what development aid and investments works, so that better investments that have real impact on the development process can be made.

The five founding members, assistant professors in Economics Dr Fadi Hassan, Dr Michael King, Dr Tara Mitchell, Dr Gaia Narciso and Dr Carol Newman, are undertaking research projects in Uganda, Senegal and Kenya. Current research work includes evaluating the impact of nutritional information campaigns, utilising e-recording technology in savings groups and distributing solar lamps to primary school children.

“By producing research of the highest academic standard TIME will contribute to the global debate on the economic development process and the underlying mechanisms at work,” explained Dr Carol Newman

While the central objective of TIME will be to produce research of the highest academic standard that will be published in top journals, TIME will also facilitate the dissemination of research more widely and provide training to development practitioners on rigorous methods of impact evaluation.

The establishment of the research group was announced at the Trinity International Development Initiative (TIDI) Trin Talks seminar entitled ‘Measuring Impact in Development Projects: The New Industry Standard’. Speakers at the event included Professor Billy Jack of Georgetown University, Connell Foley of Concern Worldwide and Dr Gaia Narciso and Dr Carol Newman of the Department of Economics and the new TIME unit.

For more information on TIME email impactevaluation@tcd.ie