Young Research Program (2024)

The support program for young researchers in public policy evaluation is part of the redeployment of the LIEPP in partnership with the University of Paris. In 2024, it is open to doctoral students (who must be enrolled in their thesis at a doctoral school of Sciences Po or Université Paris Cité) and young doctors (who have defended their thesis less than two years ago, and whose thesis must have been defended after August 31, 2022) whose main affiliation is with a Sciences Po or University of Paris laboratory, regardless of discipline. from the first year of their thesis at the beginning of the 2023-2024 academic year) and young doctors (who have defended their thesis less than two years ago, and whose thesis must have been defended after August 31, 2021) whose main affiliation is with a Sciences Po or University of Paris laboratory, regardless of discipline. 

PROGRAM LAUREATES WINNERS FOR 2024/2025 : 

BOUGMA Mariam, démographie, CEPED (Université Paris Cité) : Sex preferences and children's health in West and Central Africa

Studies into sex preferences and their implications for the health of young girls focus on countries in Asia and the Middle East where excess female mortality has been observed, particularly between the ages of 1 and 5. In West and Central Africa, where child mortality is still high, gender preference or discrimination against women in terms of health may seem negligible. Yet gender inequalities do exist. In most of the countries in the region, national estimates result in girls' mortality being 85% higher than boys', a sign that there is a preference insofar as the expected mortality of girls should instead be around 10 to 20% lower than that of boys. A regional analysis reveals that many regions are characterised by excess mortality among girls. However, the samples do not show any significant differences. The aim of this research is to: (1) confirm this excess female mortality by exploiting all available sources, (2) describe the mechanisms leading to this excess mortality in dietary and health behaviours, and (3) identify the population groups most at risk of excess female mortality.

CHAMBOREDON Audrey, sociologie, CRIS (Sciences Po) : The local application of school assignment policies. A comparative study of Lille and Toulouse

This project aims to study how school catchment area systems are implemented locally in two regional French metropolitan areas, Lille and Toulouse, which differ significantly in terms of educational geography. Based on the analysis of interviews conducted with parents living in both metropolitan areas, this question arises from the following observation: while many families in the Lille metropolitan area view the prospect of choosing their children's school as a matter of course, this choice appears much more constrained for families in Toulouse. Drawing on parents' narratives and interviews conducted with local education stakeholders, the project's goal is to understand the factors that contribute to shaping two such different "school markets." It will also examine how these different "school markets" influence families' relationships with the educational institution.

CHATEAU Ingrid, sociologie, LCSP (Université Paris Cité) : The role of the Union of Women of Martinique (UFM) in the evolution of public policies favoring women

This doctoral research project examines the role of the Union of Women of Martinique (UFM) in the evolution of public policies favoring women. The analysis of its activities provides sociological insight into its role in the political sphere and the transformation of women's status in Martiniquan society. The analysis is based on the social, political, and economic barriers identified by the activists as obstacles to women's emancipation. This investigation informs us about both the priority issues identified by women living in Martinique and the solutions they propose, and it allows us to analyze the contribution of public policy actors on the matter. Through a comprehensive and analytical approach, this research aims to produce a thorough and contextual analysis of gender equality public policies in Martinique. This approach will also help formulate recommendations for their future improvement, thus contributing to the promotion of a more egalitarian and secure society for all.

DONG Sijie, informatique, LIPADE (Université Paris Cité) : Gender Equality in Machine Learning Decision-making Systems

This project covers the LIEPP axis on public policy evaluation across gender-based antidiscriminatory and categorical policies. We aim to complement the ML decision-making systems with insights from social science to understand gender inequality decisions and how public policy alleviates or, on the contrary, accentuates gender inequality. Specifically, we introduce a framework for identifying and mitigating gender inequalities within machine learning (ML) decision-making systems, leveraging the expertise of social scientists. Through rigorous technical evaluations, we assess model fairness and observe potential inequality issues, such as disparate treatment across gender features. We then reconcile these technical approaches with social considerations regarding the risks related to gender discrimination and inequality, by integrating insights from social science. This allows us to refine the concept of fairness, and then identify the appropriate fairness measures tailored to gender inequality and specific contexts. Our proposed framework would benefit the public policy evaluation. In particular, it will lead to considering how public policymakers think about overseeing ML- based operations, and how our work could inform their ideas. This will not only allow policymakers to better understand the gendered impacts of their decisions but also help the evaluation of public policies, e.g., identifying areas for improvement in addressing gender inequalities.

FOOLLEE Jeteesha, économie, éducation, Ecole de la recherche - Département de l'économie (Université Paris Cité) : Educations’s Role in Inter-Generational Ethnic Equity in Post Colonial Mauritius

This paper presents the first estimates of intergenerational mobility (IM) in Mauritius, revealing crucial trends in educational attainment. Among children whose parents did not complete primary school, 86.9% achieved this level, establishing Mauritius as one of Africa's most literate countries. While absolute mobility has increased, relative mobility has declined since the 1970s cohort. Parental income remains a significant determinant of educational outcomes, with children from high-income families—predominantly Euro-Mauritian and Sino- Mauritian—experiencing greater mobility compared to their low-income Afro-Mauritian peers. This has created a substantial educational gap between Afro-Mauritians and the other two ethnic groups. The free secondary education policy in 1977 surprisingly widened this gap, as Afro-Mauritians, often engaged in blue-collar jobs not requiring higher education, had lower educational uptake. Conversely, Sino and Euro-Mauritians capitalized on this policy. However, the compulsory education policy introduced in 2005, mandating schooling until age 16, has been more effective in reducing ethnic disparities. Its success is attributed to its legally binding nature and Mauritius's economic transition from a sugarcane-based economy to a diversified manufacturing and financial sector, diminishing traditional job opportunities for Afro-Mauritians and increasing the need for higher education.

FROHLY Constance, économie, Département d’économie (Sciences Po) : Determinants of the choice between public and private secondary schools in France

The general consensus in the literature is that school choice – the possibility to choose between private and public education – is responsible for a significant share of the total social segregation observed in French middle schools. This project investigates how and why parents choose private or public schools. I focus on the information available to parents regarding schools’ characteristics, such as academic performance, school value-added, average socio-economic status of children or well-being indicators. Indeed, different households may care about different information or have access to more or less accurate information about public and private schools. Would providing information about schools’ characteristics change households’ preferences for public and private schools? To answer this question, I combine evidence from surveys with a randomised control trial where I plan to distribute information to randomly selected parents. I can thereby investigate how parents’ school choice reacts to information about nearby schools. In addition, I document the accuracy of information available in the population about different characteristics of schools.

GHIO Nicolas, économie, Département d’économie (Sciences Po) : Heterogeneous effects of active labour market policies

This project, in collaboration with DARES, aims to improve our understanding of active labor market policies. The scientific literature has repeatedly demonstrated the rather modest
average effects of policies aimed at improving the employability of job seekers. Nevertheless, behind modest average effects, more targeted approaches may prove relevant, especially for those who are far away from the labor market. To this end, we examine the case of Insertion par l'Activité Economique (IAE), a form of subsidized job that has become central to reintegration policy in France. By targeting individuals "very far from the labor market," IAE structures (firms) provide paid employment for twelve to eighteen months as well as training and job advising. Using instrumental variable strategies, such as the distance to the SIAE structure and the Pôle Emploi caseworker, this project aims to estimate an unbiased causal impact on the probability of returning to employment post-IAE as well as on the modalities of return to employment (type of contract, duration, salary, etc.). Ultimately, it aims to better understand the heterogeneity behind these results, by breaking them down according to the training and job advising that the unemployed worker received, and by the type of structures involved in a program as comprehensive as IAE.

NGANDO Marie-Claude, sociologie, CEPED (Université Paris Cité) : The place of social representations and knowledge in the governance of risks associated with flooding in the city of Douala in Cameroon: the case of the Bonamikano and Mambanda neighbourhoods

Douala City is naturally vulnerable to flooding, a problem exacerbated by long rainy days per year and the lack of a good sewerage system. This situation exposes its inhabitants to socio- sanitary risks (water-borne diseases, stress, anxiety disorders) and social risks (disruption of daily life, housing destruction, decline in economic activities). Despite the local authorities efforts to reduce flooding while protecting the environment, the results remain ephemeral and unsustainable. Current governance, focused on the power of administrative authorities, neglects that of traditional authorities and populations with endogenous knowledge and experience in dealing with risks. A participatory approach involving residents in finding solutions is essential for more effective and better accepted public policies. The aim of this research is to identify the roles of the various players, to know local knowledge and experience, and to promote a coherent and sustainable public policy, using an interdisciplinary approach combining social sciences, health sciences and natural sciences.

REMEAU Margot, psychologie, LaPsyDE (Université Paris Cité) : Educational inequalities in secondary education: the role of executive functions, metacognition, socio-emotional skills and well-being

In France, the Social Portrait published by INSEE (2021) highlights, year after year, the persistence of significant educational inequalities. Far from reducing them, our education system seems to be accentuating them, as DEPP data and international studies such as PISA, PIRLS and TIMSS suggest. Moreover, today's education systems must be able to enable all students, whatever their social background, to acquire key competences to become citizens capable of facing tomorrow's challenges (OECD, 2018). These skills include cognitive, metacognitive and socio-emotional skills. Numerous studies have already shown that socio- economic status has a significant influence on these skills. Other studies have also shown that all these skills have a significant impact on school results. In this context, this project aims to investigate the role of all these key skills in educational inequalities. The aims are to analyse the mediating role of these skills in the link between socio-economic status and educational achievement, using a developmental and long-term perspective. This approach will help to understand the influence of these skills on educational inequalities and to identify whether one of them seems to play a more predominant role than the others.

SALGADO HANSEN Marius, sociologie, CERMES3 (Université Paris Cité) : Observing the complexity of the laws governing restraint in the work of judges, lawyers and in-patient psychiatric carers

The law of July 5, 2011 sets out the new legal framework for psychiatric care under restraint. It differentiates five approaches, each following distinct procedures, involving different doctors within the same team, and calling for the production of singular follow-up documents. This complexity is emphasized by all those involved in its implementation. Firstly, the psychiatrists and nurses report heavy administrative procedures and factual inapplicability, leading to numerous errors. These difficulties are similarly highlighted by patients' lawyers, who regret their lack of training. Lastly, judges are aware of these complexities and modify their practices and expectations in return, turning their attention to the modalities of care rather than to the question of the restrain. In the end, these overly complex texts are replaced by tacit agreement between these groups, encouraging a simplification and take into account the realities of a day-to-day life marked by a lack of resources and staff.

SCHLEGEL, Juliette, économie, LADYSS (Université Paris Cité) : The relational evaluation of public policies: three actions in the political economy of development

This project contributes to the debate on public policy evaluation methods. It examines the political properties of successful public action in the South, focusing on its relational and ideational fabric. In the South, relational evaluation involves shedding light on a process that involves a variety of actors among whom resources of different kinds (financial, material, engineering) circulate, and who come together in more or less stable strategic groups, communities of visions and/or interests that condition the effectiveness and efficiency of public policies and action. Complementing or competing with standard approaches in terms of impact, relational evaluation focuses on issues of coordination and cooperation between different players. In the field of development, this nascent branch of evaluation places the structure of relations between actors at the heart of the evaluative approach, mobilizing Social Network Analysis (SNA) and its specific tools in the belief that the "political fabric of public policies" counts. At the very least, it is an essential determinant of their success. Relational evaluation considers the social construction of public action as essential to its performance. On the one hand, this involves objectifying relations within the public action network, and integrating the cognitive dimension by taking into account power relationships and political and socio-economic issues.

TALLENT, Théodore, science politique, CEE (Sciences Po) : Climate policies and the challenge of citizens’ support in rural Europe

My research, which combines qualitative and quantitative methods, focuses on the territorial dimension of European citizens' attitudes to climate policies. I study whether and how these attitudes vary between different areas, particularly urban and rural, and seek to understand the obstacles to the so-called ‘acceptability’ of climate policies outside major urban centres. While ‘rural’ citizens are often portrayed as being more reluctant to support the green transition, I am studying the way in which these citizens, in France and more widely in Europe, form, structure and convey their opinions on the ecological transition. While statistical analyses of opinion polls enable me to identify the spatial dimensions at work, particularly around the urban-rural axis, my field study in rural areas of France refines our understanding of the reasons for resistance and the role of the territorial context in shaping attitudes. This enables me to contribute to a finer understanding of attitudes that are as multidimensional (economic, cultural, identity-related, etc.) as they are contextualised.