As part of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation’s initiative to enhance research and policy communication in population, reproductive health, and economic development, the foundation has partnered with institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, the Netherlands, France, and Africa to strengthen evidence on how population and reproductive health affect economic outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. Under this population and poverty (PopPov) initiative, Hewlett partners have awarded research funding to more than 50 principal investigators and 50 Ph.D. candidates.

The Hewlett Foundation and its partners have supported research to improve the evidence base on how population growth affects economic development and to inform medium-term policy issues, based on a research agenda outlined by the Center for Global Development expert working group in 2005. The research agenda prioritizes policy-relevant research questions that address the effect of reproductive health on the economic growth of countries and on the well-being of individuals and households.