# Roybal Center for Behavioral Interventions in Aging

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · 2023 · $623,060

## Abstract

Abstract
The overall purpose of the Roybal Center for Behavioral Interventions in Aging is to strengthen
the ability of clinicians everywhere to recommend the safest and most effective treatments for
their patients through behavioral economic interventions. The specific aims of the Center are to:
(1) Conduct behavioral intervention development and implementation to encourage appropriate
medical treatment decisions through the use of behavioral insights from psychology and
economics; (2) Inform the selection of these interventions with the greatest potential to impact
population health through the use of simulation models, and (3) Translate these findings for
policy makers who influence aging policy. Our Center will operate under the NIH Stage Model
for behavioral interventions creating a pipeline of studies that span from basic research (Stage
0) through full-scale dissemination of interventions (Stage V). Work will be managed through a
Management and Administrative Core and research is conducted through a Pilot Core. Two pilot
studies are proposed in Year 1 both relating to the opioids crisis in the US. The first builds on
our previous work in informing physicians of their patient’s fatal overdose comparing two
differently framed letters in a randomized trial consistent with Stage IV research. The second is
a feasibility study (Stage I) to evaluate what nudges are likely to improve physician uptake of
buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. Pathways toward advancing the stages of these two
projects are discussed as are solicitations for new pilots in out-years. Continuity with the prior
Roybal award is reflected in the Center’s use of simulation to inform selection of pilots that will
have the greatest potential for population health impact. The Center will support a growing
community of researchers conducting behavioral interventions to encourage appropriate use of
medical treatments: Opioid prescribing, polypharmacy, antibiotic prescribing, clinical inertia in
medication assisted therapy for addiction, and other areas of care where medical decisions are
discordant with guidelines and are having a negative impact on population health.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10678987
- **Project number:** 5P30AG024968-21
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- **Principal Investigator:** JASON N. DOCTOR
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $623,060
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2004-09-30 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10678987

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10678987, Roybal Center for Behavioral Interventions in Aging (5P30AG024968-21). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10678987. Licensed CC0.

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