Outreach and dissemination at the NU-CCNE encompasses programs that translate research advances and knowledge across disciplines, integrate research with education and technology, and develop cadres of researchers skilled in applying the tools of nanotechnology to critical problems in cancer research and clinical oncology.

To ensure comprehensive dissemination of applications and results of the NU-CCNE research to the community at-large, the Center organizes and co-sponsors symposia and seminars. Each year Center researchers present at the International Institute for Nanotechnology Annual Symposium. Additionally, each year the Center brings 6-10 scientists and clinicians working in the field of cancer nanotechnology to campus as part of the Frontiers in Nanotechnology Seminar Series, and sponsors two RHLCCC Grand Rounds and Tumor Cell Biology seminars. For a list of upcoming events please see the Calendar page.

The Center also provides education and training programs that impact a diverse constituency. Twenty-three postdoctoral associates and 32 graduate students are actively involved in NU-CCNE research. The center provides a summer research program for undergraduates. Applications are available HERE . The Center is also involved in community outreach efforts including co-sponsoring the annual All Scout Nano Day that introduces Scout Troops and Venture Crews to the fundamentals of nanotechnology and to the potential applications, particularly in the medical arena; and participation in the Cancer Survivors Celebration Walk.

Dissemination at the Center also includes technology transfer. One of the mechanisms to enhance pathways to commercialization is the Small Business Evaluation and Entrepreneurs (SBEE) program. This program was launched in 2002 through a partnership between the IIN and the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management. It provides opportunities for researchers to present their ideas to groups of Kellogg students for evaluation and for development of viable business plans, which are then presented to potential investors. Nine companies have been launched through this program to date.

In 2006, a new start-up company (PreDx Inc.) was successfully launched by NU-CCNE researcher Dr. Thomas Meade. PreDx is focusing on the commercialization of the new contrast agents that are being realized in the NU-CCNE. The IP portfolio includes 13 patents from related and previous research efforts and focuses on bio-activatable agents that are being coupled with the nanoparticles being developed in the NU-CCNE.

The Nanotechnology Corporate Partners (NCP) Program at Northwestern University's International Institute for Nanotechnology supports the mutual needs of business, industry, and academia by providing mechanisms for technical exchange and collaboration. Members learn about and are involved in the latest developments and technological breakthroughs as they gain a window into new discoveries. There are currently fourteen companies who are members of the NCP and contribute financially. Five of these have joined in the past six months and six of these companies (i.e., Abbott Laboratories, Agilent Technologies, Applied Biosystems, Arryx, NanoInk, and Nanosphere) have already identified interests that overlap with NU-CCNE research.