The Agile Nudge University Program

Many agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), have identified (Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD) as a top research priority. This is driven by the high burden of ADRD on patients and society. In 2020, the estimated societal cost of ADRD was more than $300 billion and the projected annual economic cost of ADRD will exceed $1,500 billion by 2050. To address this, the National Institute on Aging calls for the development of short courses on interdisciplinary behavioral and social sciences research on Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias to improve the skills of the ADRD workforce in treating this disease (RFA-AG-22-010). In response to this call, scientists at Indiana University (IU) propose to launch the Agile Nudge University program. The aims of the program are to establish a network of highly engaged scientists who specialize in treatment and research for Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias and to develop virtual curriculum to train an ADRD research workforce. The expert team of ADRD scientists at IU have been developing curriculum in the emerging field of Agile Science for the past ten years, equipping researchers and healthcare leaders with tools, adaptive processes, and agile strategies for designing, implementing, and spreading sustainable ADRD solutions that leverage behavior change principles. This has prepared Indiana University to be the Agile Nudge University program’s hub to deliver training for skills development in Agile Innovation, Agile Implementation, and Agile Diffusion of behavioral nudges with the main goal of the program of improving ADRD care. The program will offer comprehensive interdisciplinary mentoring and collaboration opportunities for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career, midcareer, and senior faculty interested in ADRD research. It will also provide an online platform, supporting an open-source online library of individual tested nudges and general theory-based nudge strategies, group-based problem-solving sessions. The high costs of treating Alzheimer’s disease and the costs incurred by patients and caregivers, both tangible and intangible, are a major threat to public health and the US economy. Training the ADRD workforce in the effective design and implementation of interventions will bridge the gap between the bookshelf and real-world application within the healthcare system.