Research Grants

Evidence for Policy Design, Harvard Kennedy School & Saudi Arabia’s Human Resource Development Fund 2019-2020: $486,000

Using incentives to improve uptake: evaluating the Tamheer on-the-job training program – Full Research Grant

(Investigator with Roman Klimke and Samia Sekkarie, Harvard University)

Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Open Data Research Initiative 2019-2020: $20,556

Environmental degradation and women’s economic empowerment in South Asia: open data for policy impact

(Co-Principal Investigator with Amit Patel and Marcia Mundt at UMass Boston and Hina Lotia at LEAD Pakistan)

International Growth Centre at the London School of Economics 2017-2018: $19,800

Peshawar inner-city economic census pilot

(Principal Investigator with James Witte, George Mason University and Zahoor ul Haq, Abdul Wali Khan University)

World Bank Group and Sexual Violence Research Initiative, Development Marketplace Innovation Award for Solutions to Prevent Gender-Based Violence 2017-2018: $100,000

Mapping for Policy: Evaluating the impact of fear of victimization and harassment on women’s economic mobility in Lahore, Pakistan

(co-Principal Investigator with Yasemin Irvin-Erickson, Urban Institute and Faisal Kamiran, ITU Punjab)

World Bank Group and Sexual Violence Research Initiative, ieConnect for Impact Program 2017-2018: $25,000

Understanding the Impacts of CAREC Corridor Investments in Pakistan – Preparation Grant

(co-Principal Investigator with Bilal Siddiqi and Alice Duhaut, World Bank and Garcia Santana, Universitat Pompeu Fabra)

U.K.’s Department for International Development (DFID) through University College London’s EPPI Center 2017-2018: $100,000

A systematic review of barriers to, and facilitators of, women’s participation in high productivity labor market sectors

(co-Principal Investigator with H. Elizabeth Peters, American University, Yasemin Irvin-Erickson, George Mason University and Dorothy Espelage, University of Florida)

German Corporation for International Cooperation GmbH (GIZ) 2017-2018: $100,000

Towards a paradigm shift in financing safely managed urban water services in line with SDG ambitions

(Principal Investigator with Tanvi Nagpal, Johns Hopkins University)

Evidence for Policy Design, Harvard Kennedy School & Saudi Arabia’s Human Resource Development Fund 2017-2018: $10,000

Evaluating the social and economic impact of the Riyadh metro rail system – Travel Grant

(Principal Investigator with Jawaher Al-Sudairy, London School of Economics and Faisal Al-Mubarak, King Saud University)

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration 2016-18: $200,000

Harnessing the power of businesses in responding to refugee crises: a blueprint for improved humanitarian-private sector collaboration for improving the condition of refugees

(Principal Investigator with Yasemin Irvin-Erickson, Urban Institute)

Canada’s International Development Research Center’s Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women program 2015-17: $1,781,000

Making Growth work for women in low-income countries

(co-Principal Investigator with H. Elizabeth Peters, Nan Marie Astone, Breno Braga and Yasemin Irvin-Erickson, Urban Institute)

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration 2015-17: $200,000

Economic Impact of Refugees on Host Communities: Social Networks, Economic Vulnerability, and Resilience Among Urban Refugees in Kenya, Turkey, and Pakistan

(Principal Investigator with Loren Landau, University of Witwatersand and Yasemin Irvin-Erickson, Urban Institute)

U.K.’s Department for International Development (DFID), International Growth Centre at the London School of Economics 2016-17: $60,000

Dynamic Cities: What role do urban local governments play in improving urban service delivery performance in Africa and Asia?

(co-Principal Investigator with Jamie Boex, Duke University)

U.S. Agency for International Development, Pakistan Competitive Grants Program 2013-14: $30,000 and

International Growth Centre at the London School of Economics 2014-17: $100,000

Urban Transport, Labor Markets and Economics of Agglomeration: Evidence from Lahore’s Bus Rapid Transit System

(co-Principal Investigator with Kate Vyborny, Duke Univeristy and Hadia Majid, Lahore University of Management Sciences)

U.S. Agency for International Development, Pakistan Competitive Grants Program 2012-13: $40,000

Agent-Based Modeling for Solving Pakistan’s Urban Challenges

(co-Principal Investigator with Hilton Root, George Mason University)

International Growth Centre at the London School of Economics 2012-13: $20,000

The Imperfect Substitutes Model in South Asia: Pakistan-India Trade Liberalisation in the Negative List

(co-Principal Investigator with Kenneth Reinert, George Mason University and Sasidaran Gopalan, Nanyang Technological University)