FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Tom Kecskemethy, Executive Director
The American Academy of Political and Social Science
thomask@upenn.edu
Philadelphia, PA (July 15, 2026) — The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) will award the 2026 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize to Esther Duflo, an acclaimed economist best known for her work on the microeconomics of economic development and the use of randomized controlled trials to evaluate the causal effects of social interventions.
The Moynihan Prize is awarded annually to a leading policymaker, social scientist, or public intellectual whose career demonstrates the value of using research and evidence to inform public policy and improve the human condition. Named in honor of the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the Prize carries forward his legacy of public service informed by intellectual engagement and scholarship.
“Esther Duflo’s research has deepened our understanding of how poverty and inequality can be reduced and helped shape policies to improve economic outcomes around the world,” said AAPSS President Sheldon Danziger. “Her studies of the effects of policy interventions on economic, educational, and health outcomes have guided the development of policies and programs that improve the well-being of those in greatest need. The Academy is honored to recognize Professor Duflo with the Moynihan Prize.”
Duflo is currently Lemann Foundation Professor of Economics at the University of Zurich, codirector of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Chair of Poverty and Public Policy at the Collège de France. With Abhijit Banerjee and Michael Kremer, she was awarded the 2019 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for introducing a new approach to fighting global poverty. Duflo was previously honored as the AAPSS’s 2016 Sir Arthur Lewis Fellow.
“I am deeply honored to receive the Moynihan Prize and to join such distinguished colleagues and advocates,” said Duflo. “I’m grateful for this recognition of the work we do together with governments and communities.” Duflo will accept the Moynihan Prize and deliver the thirteenth annual Moynihan Lecture on Social Science and Public Policy in Washington, DC, in early 2027.
About the American Academy of Political and Social Science
The American Academy of Political and Social Science promotes the use of social science in the public domain and in policymaking. Its flagship journal, The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, brings together scholars and policymakers from across social science disciplines to address domestic issues, such as online platform governance and evidence-based crime prevention, and international phenomena, such as democratic backsliding and the criminalization of migration. Learn more at www.aapss.org.
