The UCL Behaviour Change Society prepare for their Hackathon

Over four days, ten teams will compete to solve a societal challenge using behavioural science. At the kick-off on April 21, CogCo will announce the challenge, and selected participants will get the chance to meet and network. Teams then have 60 hours to research and design their behaviour change solution before presenting it to a panel of behavioural science experts at the event’s closing ceremony on April 24.

The winning team will get to present their solution at Nudgestock, Ogilvy’s can’t-miss behavioural science festival. In the past, this festival attracted speakers to the likes of Dan Ariely, Cas Sunstein, and BJ Fogg, and drew 25.000 attendees in 2021. The filming of the presentation will be arranged by Ogilvy.

Last year’s Nudgeathon challenge was to reduce business air travel within the UK. The brief came from ideas42, who drew from their own experience in environmental issues and behaviour. The diversity in backgrounds was enormous, which contributed to the success of the solutions. While this year’s judges are yet to be announced, last year included Dr Paul Chadwick (CBC), Rory Sutherland (Ogilvy), Madeline Quinlan (Salient), Pete Dyson (DfT), Joseph Gracia (Nickels), Erin Sherman and Lee-Sien Kao (ideas42).

The Nudgeathon has even greater ambitions for 2022. Some of the changes include:

• Opportunity to attend online or in-person at London’s Impact Hub
• More spots are available (60 in total)
• Open to all students and young professionals (up to 2 years of experience)
• Network opportunities, speaker sessions, & behavioural science workshops

A dedicated mentor will also accompany the teams in their trajectory. These influential young voices with demonstrated excellence in the field will challenge the methodology and ideas their teams put forward.

The event promises to be an amazing opportunity to gain experience in applying behavioural science to a real-world case. Participants can expect to learn, to be challenged, and to build a network within the field. All this, in an environment where diversity in thinking and collaborating is celebrated.

To stay up-to-date, follow UCL BIS on LinkedIn or Twitter @UCLBIT.

 Jacqui Kilby, UCL Nudgeathon Director

Hendrik Leenders, UCL Nudgeathon Assistant Director

Anna Vassova, President of the UCL Behavioural Innovations Society