Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · 1d

I love it when papers have accompanying websites!

also, neat when i found out @stanfordimpactlabs.bsky.social had a small role in supporting this work!

📄 & 💻by @marshallburke.bsky.social & a impressive team!

adaptationatlas.org/...
www.nber.org/papers/...

2 9

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · 9d

@ukri.org has announced a £11.5m investment in AI-driven evidence synthesis (METIUS).

Backed by a $126m global alliance including @wellcometrust.bsky.social, the project aims to make research more accessible for policymakers on climate, education, justice and development.

1

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · 12d

Fascinating paper on a timely question... kudos!!

Reposted by Michael Eddy

Matt Clancy @mattsclancy.bsky.social · 12d

New research by Pierre Azoulay, Danielle Li, Bhaven Sampat and me.

Earlier this year, the President’s budget proposed a 40% cut to the budget of the NIH. This motivated us to ask: what if the NIH had been 40% smaller?

2 17 24

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · 14d

With a few notable exceptions, I’m struck by how few funders are openly sharing what they’re learning from AI in decision-making.

What am I missing?

1

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · 14d

We’ve embedded this directly in our latest RFP. (screenshot 👇)

This is about experimentation, transparency, and learning—together with the research & funding community.

1

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · 14d

Here’s what “responsible” means to us:
➡️ AI augments—not replaces—human decision-making
➡️ New workflows that weren’t previously possible
➡️ Robust safeguards
➡️ A learning agenda to test key claims

1

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · 14d

That’s why @StanfordImpact is piloting responsible AI use in our funding processes.

Our goal: accelerate impact-focused science R&D.
✅ Faster decisions
✅ Lower costs
✅ Reduced burden on applicants

1

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · 14d

Right now:
⚠️ Many funders ban AI outright.
🙈 Others ignore it.
🤖 And slick AI vendors make bold, untested claims.

None of this felt right to me

1

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · 14d

Ever applied for funding… and then had to wait months for a response? ⏳

What if funders could move faster and make better decisions—so applicants can secure funding & get straight to work?

AI could help. But the current landscape is messy. 🧵

1 1

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · 22d

After a disastrous launch, the Dept. of Education's new team fixed the FAFSA system, helping 14M+ students. But the GAO criticized their modern methods with an outdated playbook.

It's high time we focus on outcomes not broken processes, argues @pahlkadot

GAO gets schooled by the Department of Education

The FAFSA team snaps back, then punches back

www.eatingpolicy.com

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · 27d

I wonder why more academics don't publish their papers with companion websites? I find it so much more enjoyable reading an interactive site!

"AI Agents for Economic Research" by @antonkorinek www.genaiforecon.org

Generative AI for Economic Research

www.genaiforecon.org

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · Sep 5

I remember meeting Karthik & @singhabhi.bsky.social w/ the Mindspark/EI team when I was working at Global Innovation Fund back in 2017—and being blown away by how they were designing for impact @ scale from day 1.

A stellar example of academics + do-ers partnering for scale 🚀📈👇

Abhijeet Singh @singhabhi.bsky.social · Sep 5

Many interventions “work” in small trials but fail at scale

Also, EdTech often promises much, but delivers little

In a new paper (bit.ly/3JKLgVn)
@karthik-econ.bsky.social
& I show how personalized adaptive learning (PAL) software can sharply improve learning outcomes at scale🧵1/16

1 4

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · Sep 4

Kudos @benjaminsmanning.bsky.social & @johnjhorton.bsky.social for this important contribution!

Not to mention, aiming to put your paper to use at scale with @expectedparrot.bsky.social 🦜 www.expectedparrot.com

Expected Parrot

www.expectedparrot.com

1

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · Sep 4

my main concern is that these lab-style games don't mirror interventions at scale....

But they do provide a controlled testbed to explore whether underlying mechanisms generalize, and if mechanisms don't generalize, unlikely you're intervention will generalize either.

1

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · Sep 4

Impact-focused funders often ask: if it worked here, will it work there?

This paper is a small, but impt step toward a generalized approach (grounded in theory + human data) to generalize research across settings—core to putting social science to use at scale.💪

Ethan Mollick @emollick.bsky.social · Sep 4

This is a cool paper that suggests that AI agents can indeed be used for social science experiments, but that just using a chatbot isn't good enough, instead prompts developed based on social & game theory makes AI agent actions predictive of real human outcomes. benjaminmanning.io/files/optimi...

1

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · Aug 28

Science faces a replication crisis: billions wasted, progress slowed, policy misled

A new idea from @i4replication.bsky.social Brodeur & Barbarioli in @ifp.bsky.social's #LaunchEngine imagines how to build automated replication infrastructure for *better* & *faster* science ifp.org/the-replicat...

The Replication Engine | IFP

How to build automated replication infrastructure for better, faster science

ifp.org

2 6

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · Aug 27

Now, go read the @nber.org paper! www.nber.org/papers/w34164
christopherneilson.github.io/work/Applica...

College Application Mistakes and the Design of Information Policies at Scale

Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...

www.nber.org

2

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · Aug 27

Authors: @anaisfabre.bsky.social at IFS; Chris Nielson @yaleeconomics.bsky.social; Ignacio Rios @utdallas.bsky.social; & Tomas Larroucau @arizonastateuni.bsky.social with collaborators at Chile’s Min of Education @mineducchile.bsky.social

Kudos to everyone involved!! 🎉

1

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · Aug 27

This wasn’t a one-off: the policy scaled nationwide with persistent enrollment gains—evidence that “designed-for-scale” information can work in real systems.

1

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · Aug 27

Results: previously unmatched students were 44% more likely to get an offer; placements into higher-ranked programs rose 20%

1

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · Aug 27

The intervention: show applicants tailored admission probabilities + program info + smart nudges (e.g., "don’t forget a safety school"). Delivered inside the application portal.

1

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · Aug 27

Few things I love more than when I see a paper report on how research was put to use at scale!!👇

New study on fixing college admissions. In Chile’s centralized system, personalized, in-platform info helped students avoid common app mistakes & improved outcomes🧵⬇️

1

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · Aug 18

Link to @apoorvanyt.bsky.social NYT coverage: archive.ph/ct2o0

Link to study: nber.org/papers/w34152

Link to @give-directly.bsky.social summary: givedirectly.org/mortality2025/

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/h...

A New Way to Reduce Children’s Deaths: Cash

www.nytimes.com

2 7

Michael Eddy @michaeleddy.bsky.social · Aug 18

Policy takeaway: Pair income support with access to obstetric care.

Cost-effective, scalable complement to maternal/child health programs—and a great example of research that fuels real-world impact

1