Adaptive & Iterative Experimentation

Rapid testing of new features and algorithms allows organizations to innovate more quickly as well as customize its services to the needs of individuals.

Our lab researchers help social impact organizations test hypotheses about their products or services. We design experiments and analyze the data to determine the impact of interventions on different individuals. Methods for adaptive experimentation, such as multi-armed bandit algorithms, contextual bandit algorithms (that incorporate individual characteristics), and reinforcement learning are important tools to improve an organization’s ability to experiment effectively. These methods need to be carefully tailored to the setting and respect organizational constraints.

Project Abstracts

Read about a few of the research projects the lab is currently working on.

Academic Publications

Publication Search
Journal Article

The Surrogate Index: Combining Short-Term Proxies to Estimate Long-Term Treatment Effects More Rapidly and Precisely

Susan Athey, Raj Chetty, Guido W. Imbens, Hyunseung Kang
Review of Economic Studies September302025
Journal Article

Machine Learning Who to Nudge: Causal vs Predictive Targeting in a Field Experiment on Student Financial Aid Renewal

Susan Athey, Niall Keleher, Jann Spiess
Journal of Econometrics January2025
Other Publication

Choosing the “Right” Default Donation Amounts for Each Donor to Balance Multiple Fundraising Objectives

Susan Athey, Kristine Koutout, Shanjukta Nath
Golub Capital Social Impact Lab November2024
Journal Article

Evaluating Treatment Prioritization Rules via Rank-Weighted Average Treatment Effects

Steve Yadlowsky, Scott Fleming, Nigam Shah, Emma Brunskill, Stefan Wager
Journal of the American Statistical Association October2024

Tools & Tutorials

Explore and apply the tools and tutorials created by the lab.

Interviews & Thought Leadership

Learn firsthand from researchers and practitioners associated with the lab.

The answer may vary based on which platform you currently have in mind. The edtech industry is bursting with platforms that attempt to tailor lessons and materials to individual students.