The First Tranche

All Blog Posts

Where is AidData heading next? A quick look at our organizational strategy for 2023-2026. Brad Parks
2023-09-14

Where is AidData heading next?

A quick look at our organizational strategy for 2023-2026.

Spring leaves grow on a tree. Photo by Grigory Bruev via Adobe Stock, used under the Standard license.
AidData and partners hold conference on climate-sensitive agriculture at the UN’s FAO in Rome The GeoField Convening will bring together experts to collaborate on making agricultural impact evaluations more effective. Sarina Patterson, Sariah Harmer
2023-09-11

AidData and partners hold conference on climate-sensitive agriculture at the UN’s FAO in Rome

The GeoField Convening will bring together experts to collaborate on making agricultural impact evaluations more effective.

Small vegetable farms viewed from above in Tra Que Village, Vietnam. The use of Earth Observation strategies to remotely monitor the surface of the Earth opens up new avenues for evaluating the impacts of agriculture programs. Photo by Rod Long via Unsplash, free to use under the Unsplash License.
Don’t let China and Russia export digital censorship Democratic governments should consider monitoring and export restrictions to limit the opportunities for malign use of digital tools. Caitlin Dearing Scott, Jonathan A. Solis
2023-09-08

Don’t let China and Russia export digital censorship

Democratic governments should consider monitoring and export restrictions to limit the opportunities for malign use of digital tools.

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin. FILE – Sha Zhu, of Washington, shows the app WeChat on her phone, which she uses to keep in touch with family and friends in the U.S. and China, Tuesday Aug. 18, 2020, in Washington.
AidData’s China data wins 2023 Best Dataset Award from IPES A team including AidData and William & Mary researchers will receive the award from the International Political Economy Society at this year's conference in October. Alex Wooley
2023-08-29

AidData’s China data wins 2023 Best Dataset Award from IPES

A team including AidData and William & Mary researchers will receive the award from the International Political Economy Society at this year's conference in October.

An abstract representation of data by issaranow via Adobe Stock, used under the Adobe Standard license.
Understanding travel demand for women and men in urban Ethiopia Rapidly growing cities need context-aware and gender-equitable transportation policies and services. Anastasiia Arbuzova, Tigabu Getahun, Ammar A. Malik, Mahesh Karra
2023-08-21

Understanding travel demand for women and men in urban Ethiopia

Rapidly growing cities need context-aware and gender-equitable transportation policies and services.

How far can the BRI take China? AidData authors examine one possible geopolitical gain: naval ports AidData researchers use massive cache of data to shed light on potential for the country to establish multiple permanent overseas military bases for its maritime forces. Nathan Warters (W&M News)
2023-08-16

How far can the BRI take China? AidData authors examine one possible geopolitical gain: naval ports

AidData researchers use massive cache of data to shed light on potential for the country to establish multiple permanent overseas military bases for its maritime forces.

AidData's recently-published report “Harboring Global Ambitions,” focuses on ports and infrastructure construction financed by Chinese state-owned entities in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2021. (Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock)
In backsliding democracies, governments emulate Russian and Chinese digital censorship tactics AidData research finds countries with less developed internet infrastructure may be more vulnerable to Beijing-style digital censorship regimes. Jonathan A. Solis, Sarina Patterson
2023-08-01

In backsliding democracies, governments emulate Russian and Chinese digital censorship tactics

AidData research finds countries with less developed internet infrastructure may be more vulnerable to Beijing-style digital censorship regimes.

A person uses Telegram, a popular encrypted messaging app banned by several countries, including Russia. Photo by Christian Wiediger via Unsplash, licensed under the Unsplash License.
Media ownership profiles shed new light on the politics of Russian monuments in Ukraine AidData research is being used by a Smithsonian/VMNH project to study how pro-Russian monuments across Ukraine are portrayed in media narratives. Jonathan A. Solis, Abigail Maher
2023-07-28

Media ownership profiles shed new light on the politics of Russian monuments in Ukraine

AidData research is being used by a Smithsonian/VMNH project to study how pro-Russian monuments across Ukraine are portrayed in media narratives.

A statue in Crimea of Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin, erected by local officials after Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula. Photo by TASS/Alexei Pavlishak, used under fair use.
Development programs must capture local insights New AidData research published by UNU-WIDER pinpoints how development partners can help countries more effectively plan, fund, and implement their development programs. Ana Horigoshi, Samantha Custer
2023-06-21

Development programs must capture local insights

New AidData research published by UNU-WIDER pinpoints how development partners can help countries more effectively plan, fund, and implement their development programs.

AidData lab receives $1.7M to advance agriculture and mining research Two grants from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation will strengthen partnerships with African organizations and expand data on Chinese financing. Tina Eshleman (W&M News)
2023-06-16

AidData lab receives $1.7M to advance agriculture and mining research

Two grants from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation will strengthen partnerships with African organizations and expand data on Chinese financing.

Enumerators measure the size of an agricultural plot in Ghana using GPS. AidData’s experience there has demonstrated the importance of collecting data about farming from both men and women to get accurate results. Photo by Katherine Nolan.
Small irrigation projects helped farmers in Mali adapt on a large scale to extreme weather As climate change threatens agriculture across the parched Sahel, a new AidData study reveals that gains from small irrigation projects persisted for more than a decade. Alex Wooley
2023-06-15

Small irrigation projects helped farmers in Mali adapt on a large scale to extreme weather

As climate change threatens agriculture across the parched Sahel, a new AidData study reveals that gains from small irrigation projects persisted for more than a decade.

Malian agricultural businesses, like Sidibé Agro-techniques, are working under increasingly water-stressed conditions as climate change affects rainfall patterns across the Sahel. Photo by USAID via Flickr, licensed under fair use.
New research on media resilience in Europe & Eurasia offers context for recent protests in Georgia Protests erupted in Tbilisi after a bill was proposed that mirrors a Russian law used to shutter media and civil society. Sarina Patterson
2023-06-07

New research on media resilience in Europe & Eurasia offers context for recent protests in Georgia

Protests erupted in Tbilisi after a bill was proposed that mirrors a Russian law used to shutter media and civil society.

A protest in Georgia on September 1, 2008, in the wake of the Russo-Georgian War in August 2008. Photo by Vladimer Shioshvili via Flickr, licensed under (CC BY-SA 2.0).