The First Tranche

All Blog Posts

Powerful lessons for global development How much foreign direct investment are China and Russia putting into low- and middle-income countries? How much of China’s foreign aid supports their own strategic economic development? These are just some of the questions students are helping to answer at AidData. Leslie McCullough
2020-03-19

Powerful lessons for global development

How much foreign direct investment are China and Russia putting into low- and middle-income countries? How much of China’s foreign aid supports their own strategic economic development? These are just some of the questions students are helping to answer at AidData.

Evaluating the impacts of a food security program in the face of climate shocks A recent evaluation highlights how severe climate shocks hindered the long-term impacts of a USAID food security program in Malawi. Soren Patterson
2020-02-18

Evaluating the impacts of a food security program in the face of climate shocks

A recent evaluation highlights how severe climate shocks hindered the long-term impacts of a USAID food security program in Malawi.

An enumerator surveys a village resident in Malawi. Photo by Katherine Nolan.
Five lessons on counting the costs of sustainable cities We share lessons learned from our work with UN-Habitat to understand the financing needed to achieve SDG 11 at the city level. Mihir Prakash, John Custer
2020-02-07

Five lessons on counting the costs of sustainable cities

We share lessons learned from our work with UN-Habitat to understand the financing needed to achieve SDG 11 at the city level.

The densely crowded, colorful apartment blocks of Hong Kong’s so-called “Monster Building,” built in the 1960s, contrast with a more modern high-rise apartment building on the left. Photo by Denis Ng on Unsplash.
Unlocking geospatial data for global development AidData looks back, looks ahead. Seth Goodman, Dan Runfola, Elizabeth Teare
2020-02-04

Unlocking geospatial data for global development

AidData looks back, looks ahead.

How does China’s development model affect state stability in African countries? Both World Bank and Chinese aid projects are associated with a reduction in violence against civilians, but regions with Chinese aid see an increase in government repression. Melvin H.L. Wong, Lennart Kaplan, Kai Gehring
2020-01-22

How does China’s development model affect state stability in African countries?

Both World Bank and Chinese aid projects are associated with a reduction in violence against civilians, but regions with Chinese aid see an increase in government repression.

Photo by the UN/Isaac Billy via Flickr, licensed under (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
Beijing's public diplomacy spending in South and Central Asia quantified and evaluated AidData, a research lab at William & Mary, today released new data and analysis capturing the results of the Chinese government's strategic public diplomacy efforts in 13 countries. Alexander Wooley
2019-12-10

Beijing's public diplomacy spending in South and Central Asia quantified and evaluated

AidData, a research lab at William & Mary, today released new data and analysis capturing the results of the Chinese government's strategic public diplomacy efforts in 13 countries.

The leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states (China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) take part in a photo session before the 2019 SCO summit. Photo from the Office of the President of Russia, in the public domain.
New report, dashboard captures Beijing’s influence in East Asia & the Pacific New AidData report details how Beijing mobilizes media and students to bolster China’s image abroad. Soren Patterson
2019-12-09

New report, dashboard captures Beijing’s influence in East Asia & the Pacific

New AidData report details how Beijing mobilizes media and students to bolster China’s image abroad.

The news center of the 2018 Shanghai International Import Expo buzzes with Chinese and foreign media workers. Photo courtesy Xinhua News via Presidencia El Salvador, in the public domain.
Where are we going, where have we been? What we’ve learned about promoting data and evidence uptake An update on AidData’s three-year strategic vision to promote data and evidence uptake by policymakers and practitioners, and where we are going next. Bradley C. Parks
2019-12-03

Where are we going, where have we been? What we’ve learned about promoting data and evidence uptake

An update on AidData’s three-year strategic vision to promote data and evidence uptake by policymakers and practitioners, and where we are going next.

Dr. Bradley C. Parks, AidData's Executive Director (fourth from left, second row), with participants in the Hewlett Foundation's Evidence-Informed Policymaking Charette at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center in Bellagio, Italy on September 1, 2018.
Are democracies more likely to give development aid? The answer is surprising. All things being equal, poor democracies are less likely to give aid than poor autocracies, new research finds. Andreas Fuchs, Angelika Müller
2019-10-03

Are democracies more likely to give development aid? The answer is surprising.

All things being equal, poor democracies are less likely to give aid than poor autocracies, new research finds.

Children carry a bottle of detergent supplied by UKaid from the British government, as part of the UK's response to floods in Pakistan. Photo by DFID via Flickr, licensed under (CC BY 2.0).
Getting on target: A new approach for tracking financing to the SDGs We tracked over $44 billion in donor financing to the SDGs in four countries, using an updated methodology for estimating SDG-related financing. Jennifer Turner, Soren Patterson, Jacob Sims
2019-07-11

Getting on target: A new approach for tracking financing to the SDGs

We tracked over $44 billion in donor financing to the SDGs in four countries, using an updated methodology for estimating SDG-related financing.

Art by Parker Kim/AidData.
How Cambodia’s program to strengthen local governance built roads and saved lives A new report on the long-term impacts of locally-led development projects provides insights for those who work in post-conflict settings. Christian Baehr, Soren Patterson, John Custer
2019-06-24

How Cambodia’s program to strengthen local governance built roads and saved lives

A new report on the long-term impacts of locally-led development projects provides insights for those who work in post-conflict settings.

Commune council members meet to review the final draft list of poor households for each village.
Urban boundaries for 200 cities added to AidData’s GeoQuery tool Users can now access more than 60 geospatial datasets for 200 metropolitan areas across the globe through GeoQuery. Soren Patterson, Elizabeth Teare
2019-05-29

Urban boundaries for 200 cities added to AidData’s GeoQuery tool

Users can now access more than 60 geospatial datasets for 200 metropolitan areas across the globe through GeoQuery.

Screenshot of boundary options for Atlas of Urban Expansion in GeoQuery.