Tom Vargas
Tom Vargas is a Senior Researcher on the Global Health and Development team at Rethink Priorities. He has worked with think tanks, research organizations, and government agencies across the Americas to provide decision-makers with rigorous evidence and insights to generate the most impact. A political scientist by training, his work appears in Comparative Politics, World Development, and other journals. He holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Minnesota.
Research Articles
Promising Interventions in Maternal and Neonatal Health
Executive summaryThis report, commissioned by Open Philanthropy (OP), provides an initial exploration of maternal and neonatal health (MNH) interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to identify promising areas for…
US Foreign Aid Funding Pause: A Framework for Giving in Uncertain Times
Executive SummaryThe IssueIn January 2025, the US government initiated a 90-day pause on new foreign aid. This pause was followed by a State Department memo halting all new obligations and…
Landscape of water programs in low- and middle-income countries. Key actors, funding, and challenges
This report identifies the key actors and funding sources of, and the challenges facing, water programs in LMICs.
The impacts of maternal mortality. Under-five mortality and household finances
Our report aims to explore the impacts of maternal mortality on under-five mortality and household finances, with a focus on low-income countries.
Research In Brief: Can Climate Change Be More Cost-Effective than the Best GHD Interventions?
There has been significant debate regarding the effectiveness of donating to climate versus global health and development (GHD) interventions, with some arguing that high-cost-effectiveness GHD interventions (e.g., seasonal malaria chemoprevention)…
Gavi Marginal Funding and Fundraising Support 2023
Editorial Note This report was commissioned by Coefficient Giving (then Open Philanthropy) and originally produced by the Global Health and Development Department of Rethink Priorities in October 2023. We revised…
Enabling AI for good: Challenges and Opportunities
Editorial Note This report was commissioned by Coefficient Giving (CG) and produced by Rethink Priorities from November 2025 to January 2026. We lightly edited the report for publication. Coefficient Giving…
Earth Systems Risks and the Case for Funding Stabilization Research
This report assesses whether there is a case for the effective altruism (EA) community to increase funding for Earth systems stabilization research.