The $150 million global Program to End Modern Slavery (PEMS) is pioneering approaches to combat human trafficking through cutting-edge research and targeted programming to test prevalence research methods and interventions. J/TIP has granted implementer Innovation for Poverty Action (IPA) $5.61 million over five years (October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2025) to establish the Human Trafficking Research Initiative (HTRI). This Initiative will build evidence on effective interventions aimed at preventing, decreasing, and addressing human trafficking, including protecting victims. HTRI intends to foster multi-sectoral partnerships, innovate and improve human trafficking research methods, initiate program pilot testing, and conduct large-scale quantitative studies on human trafficking programs.
IPA is funding new research to advance the understanding of effective prevalence reduction programs and improve anti-trafficking policies and practices. Priority themes for this competitive fund are drawn from a Learning and Research Agenda (https://www.poverty-action.org/human-trafficking-research-initiative/competitive-fund) that was developed from November 2020 to September 2021 in consultation with leading global policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. The Learning and Research Agenda identifies research gaps and priorities HTRI intends to answer. While the number of strong studies examining human trafficking has increased significantly over the last 10-15 years, existing studies are overwhelmingly qualitative and descriptive in nature. More research is needed to estimate the impact of counter-trafficking programs using a method that builds a credible counterfactual. Toward this end, HTRI is focusing on randomized control trials (RCTs), though quasi-experimental methods will be considered for funding. While many RCTs include qualitative research, studies that exclusively rely on qualitative or descriptive research methods will not be considered.
Please see IPA’s website for additional information on how to apply for this opportunity: https://www.poverty-action.org/human-trafficking-research-initiative/competitive-fund