Wrapping a few things up

Before I switch this blog over to all London all the time, I should take care of a few loose ends from back in the States.

First, AidGrade has updated their website. I encourage you to play around with their meta-analysis app, it's got some fun information on it. There are still more updates on the way. They are still working on putting up quite a few meta-analyses, including some that I was working on such as HIV education. I'm most excited for when they add the feature for downloading their full data. There are lots of details from these meta-analyses that you can't see in the app. That data is what will be most useful to researchers and non-profits looking to direct substantial donations. AidGrade is also making an appeal through Indiegogo, a Kickstarteresque website. If you are looking to support an organization that supports making aid more effective, I encourage you to contribute. You can also support AidGrade by donating at least $12.99 ($16.99 if you're outside the US) for which you will receive a copy of the book "What Works in Development", covering AidGrade's first ten meta-analyses.

Second, my research project with my fellow K students ended in September. We decided to investigate the viability of installing solar panels on K's campus. Our conclusion was that solar panels would not be a cost effective investment for the campus. Furthermore, the environmental benefits do not seem to justify the economic costs, and there are likely more effective environmental investments K could engage in. The project was loads of fun, and I count myself fortunate to have been able to work with such intelligent and inquisitive peers. Interdisciplinary research was a very unique experience, and I recommend it to anyone interested in research. But it can be exhausting and difficult! Still, it opens your eyes to other perspectives outside your field. I'm very proud that our team stuck by our conclusion. We all wanted to be able to recommend solar panels for K and see the array built, but that's just not what our analysis suggested. If you want to read our report, check out our tumblr. There, you can read our business plan, the article on our findings we published in the student newspaper The Index, and our cash flow analysis. If you have any comments or questions about our findings, I encourage you to leave them on the tumblr.