Research and Innovation
Innovating in the sanitation sector
SOIL's extensive research program is pushing the sanitation sector forward through innovative discovery, research, and design initiatives to better understand essential service delivery in complex, low-resource, urban communities.
Our research is focused on expanding sector knowledge and contributing to the global conversation on how to effectively respond to the worldwide sanitation crisis. SOIL's team partners with academic institutions to publish research findings and shares lessons learned at global conferences.
SOIL's Research Highlights
Household Subsidies
SOIL is testing the EquityTool, a country-specific wealth survey, to determine the effectiveness of its use for reliably helping to identify at-risk households that may be eligible for reduced fee options for the EkoLakay service.
Carbon Financing
SOIL's waste treatment methodology is offsetting ~ 1MT of CO2eq per household per year. The SOIL team is exploring opportunities to turn these offsets into revenue to support the household service.
Baseline Sanitation Survey
The collection of baseline sanitation data in high risk priority zones in the Cap Haitian region to understand sanitation ownership, access and household needs and strategies for equitable sanitation service offerings.
Results-Based Financing
In late 2023 SOIL is piloting an outcomes-payment model in partnership with other stakeholders. Outcome payments will be tied to increase in households on the service and positive sanitation behavior change.
Meet SOIL's Research Team
Maya Lubeck-Schricker
Maya holds an MS in Epidemiology from the University of Washington and specializes in study design and quantitative data analysis to strengthen evidence-based decision-making and address operational challenges within SOIL’s sanitation service. Her career in global health began at Tufts University, working with Dr. Ramnath Subbaraman on projects examining tuberculosis treatment adherence as well as associations between legal and water access in Indian slums. She later consulted for the Gates Foundation on initiatives spanning the burden of Shigella in the Americas, vaccine investment strategy, climate-related health risks, gender equity in health R&D, and the role of AI in global health. Maya now brings this cross-cutting research background to advancing safe, sustainable sanitation in Haiti and beyond.
Bridj Ozeris
After completing his dissertation at the Université Chrétienne du Nord d’Haïti (UCNH), where he explored the intersection of agronomy and social issues, Bridj developed a strong interest in environmental and social justice. This commitment led him to join SOIL in 2021 through the Black Soldier Fly Project, where he has continued to expand his research expertise, particularly in the field of sanitation in Haiti.
Miselie Fanor Pierre
Miselie began working in the WASH sector in 2014, supporting underserved communities and strengthening health institutions through organizations such as the American Red Cross and Save the Children. In 2023, she joined SOIL to further her work with vulnerable communities by advancing safe sanitation research and services.
Latest Blogs on SOIL's Research
Sanitation as a Pathway to Improved Quality of Life
How do we measure the true value and impact of sanitation on people's lives? For decades, the global health community has focused primarily on sanitation’s role in reducing infectious diseases and child health outcomes. While this remains essential, recent sectoral research has shown that the....
Why We're Confident in Windrow Composting: UC Merced's Research Behind the Transition
A special thanks to our friends at the UC Merced Agroecology Lab led by Dr. Rebecca Ryals and Julie Celestin for conducting this research in partnership with SOIL Haiti and furthering the sectoral knowledge base for ecological sanitation. Context Aerobic composting of human feces has been shown to....
EkoLakay Service is a Bridge to Household Sanitation in Haiti
A couple of weeks ago, SOIL’s research team met with our partners at Aquaya to explore what sanitation service demand looks like among Cap-Haitien residents who are: Not EkoLakay clients. Are actively seeking a sanitation solution for their household. Currently have a household toilet (such as a pit....
SOIL's Compost Boosts Crop Growth in Haiti: Eggplant Experiment
When the SOIL team received a message a few weeks ago from agronomy student Djimy Jean-Louis, complete with photos of some of the most beautiful eggplants we’d ever seen, we knew we had to learn more about how he grew such impressive crops. SOIL Research Associate Miselie Fanor Pierre reached out to....
SOIL’s Research team takes on the Colorado WASH Symposium
What happens when sanitation experts, researchers, and practitioners from around the world gather in one place? A whole lot of passionate discussion, surprising insights, and of course, some lively debates! SOIL’s very own Maya Lubeck-Schricker (SOIL Research Consultant) and Winnie Felix-Jean (SOIL....
Research Update: Expanding EkoLakay with Targeted Subsidies
“Haiti is a developing country, and faces constant, significant challenges, but you cannot take away the Haitian people’s aspiration for a better future.” - Winnie Felix-Jean SOIL Research Director At SOIL, we view sanitation as part of a larger framework of systems and partnerships that enable more....
SOIL Research Team Earns Honorable Mention for Equity Measurement Work
SOIL’s Research Team ( Winnie Felix-Jean , Maya Lubeck-Shricker , Bridj Ozeris , and Miselie Fanor Pierre ) was recently awarded an Honorable Mention from the Davidson Gwatkin Equity Measurement Prize committee for its innovative use of the Equity Measurement Tool. This recognition highlights SOIL’s....
SOIL Takes the Stage at UNC's Water and Health Conference
Last week, members of SOIL’s research team ( Winnie Felix-Jean and Maya Lubeck-Schricker ) had the opportunity to attend the 2024 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's annual Water and Health Conference . The Water and Health Conference, hosted by UNC’s Water Institute , is a key event that....
Identifying Eligibility for Sanitation Subsidy: SOIL’s Test of the EquityTool
In urban areas of developing countries like Cap-Haitien in Haiti, high-quality sanitation services are often unaffordable for low-income residents, whose ability to pay typically falls well below the full cost of delivering services. For a sanitation service provider such as SOIL, setting prices for....
The Sanitation Situation in our Target Zones – What We’ve Learned So Far
In October 2023, SOIL launched a baseline survey study to collect and compile data points on sanitation access and behavior in the zones targeted for expansion in our pilot with IDB Lab’s Outcomes for Change Fund in Haiti. Comparing collected data around toilet ownership and open defecation....