The Neuroimaging Informatics and Analysis Center (NIAC), established in 2004, has been led since its inception by an active team of Principle Investigators and colleagues organized under the Administrative Core. The Core has established and adapted the Center's mission and strategy, and continues to respond to our supported investigators as the practice of neuroimaging evolves. As a result of these efforts, the NIAC serves as a vibrant focal point for WashU's neuroimaging community. The Administrative Core will focus on outreach, education, and supportive functions.
Aim 1 is to provide organizational, logistical, and oversight functions for the NIAC. The Administrative Core will set the overall strategy for the Center and oversee its implementation by the Imaging and Informatics Core. The strategy will be established through active engagement with the Steering Committee and our user base. Outreach to current and potential users will use a multi-prong approach that includes presentations at departmental seminars, tracking of grant proposals and protocol registrations, and one-on-one meetings with faculty. New projects will be ?on boarded? by the Center PIs and the Center project management through a standardized process that includes documentation of project goals, timelines, and committed personnel. The development of new capabilities and effort on specific projects will be based on likely impact and potential for future growth. The ongoing success of the NIAC and its constituent parts will be actively monitored by the Steering Committee and NIH program management through key performance metrics that track use of specific core services. Finally, the Core will manage Center-wide budgeting and expenditures, including program income obtained through the Center's revenue-generating services.
Aim 2 is to operate the NIAC clinical translation program, which facilitates the advancement of research imaging methods from the lab to clinical use. The program features a step-wise framework that defines procedures (project optimization, acquisition optimization, post-processing optimization, clinical pilot, clinical evaluation), key personnel, and metrics at each step in the process.
Aim 3 is to operate the NIAC educational program. The Administrative Core will provide educational and training opportunities to the NIAC community. The education program will include a regular seminar series that runs throughout the academic year and features both local speakers and invited external faculty, multiday workshops focused on specific neuroimaging methods and software, and regularly scheduled training on NIAC tools. In addition, the Core will provide web-based documentation on the use of NIAC resources. Finally, we will provide ad hoc small group and one-on-one guidance tailored specifically to the needs of individual investigators and their staff.
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