Technology Training and Dissemination

PROJECT SUMMARY – Technology Training and Dissemination The overall goal of the NCIBT Technology Training and Dissemination (TTD) Program is to promote awareness, understanding, and skillful and productive use of NCBIT technologies by: NCIBT investigators (in synergistically linked NCIBT TRDs and CPs) in developing more advanced biophotonic devices and techniques, other

investigators (SPs) in enhancing their own studies, and sets of diverse academic investigators, interventionalist physicians, and technicians in employing them clinically. These groups will be specifically targeted to (1) educate (dissemination of knowledge) via scientific publications and presentations, courses, seminars, workshops,

summer schools, website, and social media, (2) train (dissemination of skill) via direct interaction of NCIBT personnel and potential users in hands-on exercises in usage; (3) equip (dissemination of technology and analytical tools) via scalable design, open-source description of its technology, loans of equipment, and

promoting commercialization; and (4) diversify (dissemination of access) via affirmative efforts to include a diverse array of learners and users in all TTD activities. TTD will thus educate a progressively enlarging, highly diverse cohort of biophotonics investigators and interventionalist physicians regarding the NCIBT technology's

capability and availability, train investigators, physicians, and technicians in its use, and help make the technology and tools available to them. TTD efforts can thus be categorized as seeking four Specific Aims: Aim 1: To Educate: The NCIBT will disseminate its accumulated technical knowledge by educating a broad array of

learners. Aim 2: To Train: The NCIBT will disseminate skill in using its technology and tools by training scientists and clinicians in hands-on exercises involving direct interaction of NCIBT personnel and future users. Aim 3: To Equip: The NCIBT will disseminate its devices and tools to scientists and clinicians through scalable design,

open-source descriptions of its technology, providing equipment, and promoting commercialization. Aim 4: To Diversify: The NCIBT will disseminate access to its education, training, and collaborative use programs by affirmative efforts to include a diverse array of learners and users in all TTD activities. TTD Program activity will

be continuously catalogued and its efficacy assessed relative to specific metrics such as articles published, presentations made, users trained, website visitors, social media followers, diversity of participants, and, most importantly, clinical users, devices deployed, and cases in which the tools were used. Creation of a large cohort

of knowledgeable and capable investigators and end users of NCIBT technology through this TTD should prompt others to join the Center's efforts as CPs, SPs or end users, thus generating input and data regarding the technology's utility and guiding its further improvement and deployment.