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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan

@rossaokod.bsky.social
646 followers 324 following 42 posts

Research @ Open Philanthropy. Formerly economist at GPI / Nuffield College, Oxford. Interests: development econ, animal welfare, global catastrophic risks

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Reposted by Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan
Epoch AI @epochai.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
What are the largest software engineering tasks AI can perform? In our new benchmark, MirrorCode, Claude Opus 4.6 reimplemented a 16,000-line bioinformatics toolkit — a task we believe would take a human engineer weeks. Co-developed with @METR_Evals. Details in thread.
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Johannes Haushofer @johanneshaushofer.com · 27/11/2025
Exciting news on @malengo.org, the NGO that helps East African students move to Europe for education: Our research team has given us a glimpse of their early findings! Here is the full writeup, joint with @richardnerland.bsky.social: forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/CpZYHk... Thread follows!
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Our World in Data @ourworldindata.org · 23/06/2025
Japan has more than doubled its foreign aid budget in just five years
A line graph illustrating Japan's foreign aid contributions over time, labeled "Japan's contribution to foreign aid has more than doubled in just five years."
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Jennifer Doleac @jenniferdoleac.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
I'd love to fund studies of interventions that reduce real-time pollution exposure, in the US, on outcomes related to violence and criminal behavior. (There is strong evidence that such exposure increases violence in real time; the next question is how much interventions can mitigate this effect.)
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jacobtref.bsky.social @jacobtref.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
So excited to share what Saloni and I have been up to. Medical innovation is not inevitable. Sometimes breakthroughs take 40 years, thousands of people building on each others’ work & participating in clinical trials. Check out ep 1, and subscribe for more Hard Drugs! harddrugs.worksinprogress.co
harddrugs.worksinprogress.co
Hard Drugs
Hard Drugs is a show by Saloni Dattani and Jacob Trefethen about medical innovation: how to speed it up, how to scale it up, and how to make sure lifesaving tools reach the people who need them the mo...
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Justin Wolfers @justinwolfers.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
As you ponder the likely consequences of the new steel tariffs, it's worth asking: A. How long does it take to build a steel mill? B. How long do you expect Trump's new 50% steel tariff to last? If A>B, then how can you expect any lasting gains from these tariffs?
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
Grants are joint with @openphil.bsky.social though Dan Brown at GW led the investigation More on GiveWell's response to aid cuts: www.givewell.org/research/fun... If you want to support countries struggling in the aftermath of cuts, consider donating to GW's all grants fund!
givewell.org
USAID Funding Cuts: Our Response and Ways to Help
Last updated: May 15, 2025
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
There's a strong a priori case for these grants - aid cuts have been large + fast, procurement has been severely disrupted. Key part of the investigation was speaking to MOHs who showed strong demand for the support. CHAI and PATH v well placed, with existing in-country teams
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
Great podcast by GiveWell on $6.2M of grants to CHAI and PATH to support ministries of health in 6 African countries to respond to aid cuts Technical support units will work in-country to prioritise spending, improve procurement, manage funding transitions givewell.transistor.fm/episodes/sup...
givewell.transistor.fm
GiveWell Conversations | Supporting Governments Navigating US Funding Cuts: May 15, 2025
This episode was recorded on May 2, 2025 and represents our best understanding at that time.Cuts to US government foreign assistance have created unprecedented challenges for global health programs...
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Saloni @scientificdiscovery.dev · 11/04/2025
I signed the 10% Giving Pledge this year, and this week, I decided to donate 19% of my annual income to global health charities. It's not going to be anywhere near "enough", but I'm happy to do it --
scientificdiscovery.dev
We don't have to sit back and just watch the horror unfold
This month, I signed a pledge to donate at least 10% of my lifetime income to effective charities.
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Hannah Ritchie @hannahritchie.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
Why are solar panels and batteries from China so cheap? High levels of automation, cheap energy, and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes. It's less about low salaries than many people think. My latest Substack: www.sustainabilitybynumbers.com/p/china-chea...
sustainabilitybynumbers.com
Why are solar panels and batteries from China so cheap?
It's more to do with automation and state-of-the art manufacturing processes than cheap labour.
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Institute for Replication @i4replication.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
A re-analysis of Ciacci's (2024) "Banning the purchase of sex increases cases of rape: Evidence from Sweden" Journal of Population Economics reveals major issues. A year ago, reproducers Adema, Folke, and Rickne found coding errors driving the paper's key results. Let's unpack this in a 🧵
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Tom Calver @tomcalver.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
🧵 NEW: Why is Britain so skint? We pay huge amounts of tax, yet the chancellor is expected to make widespread cuts. Where is all our money going? My column, and a primer ahead of Wednesday @thetimes.com 1/10 www.thetimes.com/article/e1a6...
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
338 is cool, but looks like a way overconfident model!
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Sounds like a cool job at Resolution Foundation, on a key focus area for Labour govt
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Mike Brewer @mikebrewerecon.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
We have a vacancy at Resolution Foundation for someone to lead our housing policy work. £55 - £68k, office based in Westminster. Closing date: 08:59am on 17 April 2025 (1/2)
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Deena Mousa @deenamousa.com · 11/03/2025
Excited that Open Philanthropy is expanding our work on economic growth and scientific progress. The case for the Abundance & Growth Fund is simple: Economic growth isn’t just about GDP—it’s one of the most powerful forces for improving human lives. 🧵
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Alexander Berger @albrgr.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Exciting update: @open_phil is doubling down on our YIMBY, innovation, and metascience success by launching a >$120m Abundance & Growth Fund to accelerate economic growth and boost scientific & technological progress. Funding from @goodventures.bsky.social, Patrick Collison, and others. Why now? 🧵
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Stefan Dercon @gamblingondev.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
Aspiring economists from Africa: Extended deadline 4 March Oxford's CSAE offers full scholarships >3 year for African students How? Apply for grad studies in Econ = 2 yr Master's course w/ progress to PhD We automatically consider all applicants www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/g...
ox.ac.uk
MPhil in Economics | University of Oxford
About the courseThe MPhil in Economics is designed to provide rigorous training in economic theory, applied economics, and econometric methods. It is comparable to the first two years of a PhD
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Ian Mitchell @ianmitchell1.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer just cut the UK aid budget from 0.5% of GNI to 0.3% in 2027 to fund increases in defence spending. He says he’s making tough choices, but cutting funding for the world’s poorest people is the easiest—and cruellest—choice he could make (1/4)
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Ben Zaranko @benzaranko.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
Cutting Official Development Assistance to 0.3% of GDP means that a massive fraction of our aid budget will be spent in the UK on accommodation for asylum seekers. I don't have an up to date estimate, but could easily be half. Leaves much, much less for "traditional" aid.
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Hannah Ritchie @hannahritchie.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
In the last election, Reform — led by Nigel Farage — pledged to half the UK's foreign aid budget. Unfortunately, Labour has basically implemented this, now cutting it by 40%. www.reformparty.uk/slash-govern...
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
P.S I would happily pay more tax to fund (a) support for Ukraine, (b) keeping aid at 0.5% / increasing back to 0.7% Labour backed itself into a corner in election by pledging not to increase main revenue-raising taxes - Ukraine situation a good reason to break that pledge IMO
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
And this all underlines how much we need growth. It's 'one in one out' on spending without it, a zero sum budgetary world. Growth was meant to be Labour's top priority, seemed to get lost in first 6 months, they need to focus on it now - change planning laws, get building
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
The politics of this are hard - neither of those would be popular among a high turnout group. I get why cutting aid plays better with Telegraph/Mail. But Labour has the biggest majority for a generation - surely use it for hard decisions that are good for the world?
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
So how to fund increased defence spending? Maybe a case to rewrite fiscal rules in light of Ukraine situation (though not great to borrow more). Could ditch the triple lock (with protections for poorest) and/or increase retirement age inline with life expectancy
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
Cutting aid for 2nd time in a few years will mean increased deaths and poverty for thousands of the world's poorest people, many of them children. Eg of impact in aid cuts in the US: ~40,000 people estimated to die in first 90 days of PEPFAR freeze pepfar.impactcounter.com
pepfar.impactcounter.com
PEPFAR Impact Tracker
Track the impact of PEPFAR funding halt
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
- Trump won in early Nov, we've known he is more pro-Russia for a decade, but last week Europe was scrambling (I know Labour inherited an absolute mess of public finances - Tories take lots of blame here too, were in power for 95% of time since Crimea)
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
Easy to say with hindsight but there was plenty of time to prep: - probably should have started in 2014 with Crimea - definitely should have started 3 years ago - Labour in power since July - knew 50% chance of Trump in Nov. But left 0 fiscal headroom in Sep budget
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
Starmer just confirmed UK aid cut from 0.5% to 0.3% GNI to fund increased defence spending This is so bleak - thousands in low income countries will die. I get (and support) that we need to increase defence spending/capabilities in europe, but surely better ways to fund it 🧵
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
+1, this was beautifully written
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Alexander Berger @albrgr.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
This is an insanely big-hearted oped from the dad of a kid with a rare pediatric cancer who must be going through an unimaginably difficult experience www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/22/...
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
4) weak state capacity and insecurity still a massive problem - see implications for displaced people and food security below
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
3) mixed results in elections across Africa, but disillusionment with democracy is growing (figure below is alarming!)
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
Excellent post (as always!) by @kopalo.bsky.social, looks at 4 key trends in Africa in 2024: 1) African countries past the worst of fiscal squeeze from debt service obligations 2) mixed results in structural reforms (focus on S Africa and Nigeria) ... www.africanistperspective.com/p/2024-year-...
africanistperspective.com
2024: Year in Review
African countries weathered ongoing fiscal squeeze better than expected, with emerging shoots of economic recovery. Electoral jamboree delivered mixed results, while weak state capacity endures.
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Adam Corlett @adamcorlett.bsky.social · 27/12/2024
One of my wishes for 2025: Labour needs to take forward mandatory animal welfare labelling, which Defra consulted on before the election. Here’s one mock-up:
A mock-up of an animal welfare label, with 5 categories. A, B and C would exceed baseline UK standards; D would merely follow UK law; and X would be for imports with unproven standards. Picture based on a Defra example but with adjustments.
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
More details in the pics below and link to apply here: jobs.ashbyhq.com/openphilanth...
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
🐔Farm animal welfare 🐮🐟🦐🐷 Research on topics related to improving welfare of farm animals: agriculture, social change, govt policy, alt proteins, food markets Looking for quant social science + interest and familiarity with above FAW topics.
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
🖥️ Global Catastrophic Risks🤖🦠 Research on biosecurity / pandemics and AI (in particular governance and safety), plus evaluating internal OP models/frameworks/analysis Looking for quantitative social science, computer science, or another field relevant to GCRs
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
🌍 Global health and wellbeing 💉🪙 Research mostly focused on LMICs (development econ and global health), some on science / innovation in HICs. Looking for background in quant social science, global/public health, medical sciences, or related field
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
Fully remote from *anywhere* We’re keen to get applications from LMICs Get in touch if your academic calendar doesn’t allow 9-10 weeks in Jun-Aug - we'll try to be flexible
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
Most research to assess potential new cause areas, evaluate existing programs + inform @openphil.bsky.social strategy You will be assigned experienced team member as a manager + will present research to your team. Internships are ~9-10 weeks (Jun-Aug) + well paid ($2100/week)
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
🚨 Apply for internships at Open Philanthropy by 12 Jan 🚨 7-9 interns in 3 research teams: - global health + wellbeing - global catastrophic risks - farm animal welfare Research track (masters/phd) Strategy track (policy/consulting/similar) Thread and link: jobs.ashbyhq.com/openphilanth...
jobs.ashbyhq.com
Summer Internship, 2025
Open Philanthropy is looking for interns to help us conduct further research within our Global Health and Wellbeing (GHW) Cause Prioritization, Global Catastrophic Risks (GCR) Cause Prioritization, an...
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
Huge congrats, Ranil!
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Ranil Dissanayake @scepticalranil.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
Well, I believe the thing to say is “some personal news”. In January I will be leaving @cgdev.org after four and a half very happy years to take up the role of Deputy Chief Economist (Development) for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
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Ian Mitchell @ianmitchell1.bsky.social · 13/12/2024
"Foreign-aid fiddle" Great to see the @economist.com highlight the UK's misuse use of aid (inc some of our @cgdev.org work w/ @samhugh3s.bsky.social ) economist.com/britain/2024...
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 13/12/2024
To my veg*n UK people: you can make a genuinely good “salmon + cream cheese” bagel these days Caveat: I’m too far gone [ethical humble brag] to remember the real thing and have notoriously low standards for food (I happily let my children feed me like a bird) but I think these are tasty!
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Rossa O'Keeffe-O'Donovan @rossaokod.bsky.social · 13/12/2024
Agree, this narrative is very dumb! People (inc managers, apparently) should look at opta sims: 15 or 16 points to make top 8, but every point counts because of seeding! Hopefully people understand better next year, it’s a good format IMO (apart from 2 extra games which is mad)
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Dustin Moskovitz @moskov.goodventures.org · 11/12/2024
"There are hard questions in the ethics of philanthropy, but this is simply not one of them. Maybe when the bed nets crew amounts to more than 0.18 percent of giving, it’ll be worth asking if we’ve gone too far." www.vox.com/future-perfe...
vox.com
The problem with US charity is that it’s not effective enough
The New York Times painted a misleading picture. Less than 0.2 percent of US charity is ruthlessly optimized.
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