This proposal supports the NSF Smart and Connected Health (SCH) Principal Investigators Meeting and Aspiring Investigator Workshop in Arlington, VA in July 2015. The meeting brings together principal investigators of projects awarded by the Smart and Connected Health program from 2011 to 2014. The SCH program was set up in order to bridge gaps in fundamental science and engineering necessary to transform health and healthcare in accordance with the with recent PCAST reports (2010), as well as to be focused on prevention and person-centered care. In particular, the workshop addresses a wider range of challenges in advancing health with foundational research from the computer science, engineering and the social, behavioral and economic disciplines. An objective of the workshop is to provide an opportunity for the principal investigators to explore research progress in a diverse set of funded projects and discuss important current issues, as well as future challenges associated with research in transdisciplinary scientific areas. The discussions will be supported by projects-related posters and further stimulated by a number of invited speakers in relevant fields that will explore the scientific frameworks in moving findings from discovery to dissemination and implementation research. It is anticipated that the meeting will stimulate discussions, connections, and collaborations that will facilitate progress in the area of Smart and Connected Health. Additionally, there is a one-day Aspiring Investigator workshop attached to the Principal Investigator meeting, that should grow the field by providing mentorship and support for a new cadre of investigators looking to do work in the Smart and Connected Health area.
The workshop should have a significant impact on the participants and the future of the Smart and Connected Health program (SCH). The focus of the workshop is on shared resources and assessing health impact in foundational research. The workshop results are likely to include new research directions that will be publicized to the research community through publications and a workshop website. The results dissemination should inform and the developing Smart and Connected Health research community in their transdisciplinary collaboration, educational activities, and spur other innovative research directions. The broader impacts of the workshop are to facilitate progress in the field and stimulate conversations, connections, and collaborations that will lead toward better informed and effective smart and connected health research and resulting technologies for the broadest possible user populations.
