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 who are 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 organizes the CCNE Annual Meeting. For a list of upcoming events please see the Calendar page.

A number of programs are in place that provide important venues to build the community and encourage synergism. The annual NCI Nanotechnology Alliance Investigator's Meeting is an important event that brings the Alliance community together and the NU-CCNE is heavily represented and involved in this effort. The Center hosted the 2008 Meeting in Chicago, IL.

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. Begining in 2007, the Center has provided a summer research program for undergraduates. The Center is also involved in and organizes outreach efforts including the annual All Scout Nano Day that introduces Scout Troops and Venture Crews to the fundamentals of nanotechnology; Nanotechnology Town Hall Meetings for the general public; participation in the NSF-funded Nanoscale Informal Science Education network (NISE NET) by organizing events in area middle and high school classrooms; among others. The NU-CCNE also leads the development of the Alliance Calendar - a unique project that includes artistic images showcasing research from across the Alliance.

Dissemination at the Center also includes technology transfer. Over 35 invention disclosures and 19 provisional patent applications have resulted from Center research. 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.

Some notable examples of new companies that have been launched based upon NU-CCNE technologies include: Nanotape (launched 2005, Stupp) utilizes self-assembling amphiphilic molecules for drug discovery and novel therapeutic tissue regeneration; PreDx (Launched 2006, Meade) creates bioactivatable contrast agents for imaging diagnostics; SAMDITech (launched 2007, Mrksich) uses high-throughput biomarker screening for in vitro nanodiagnostics; and Pharocore (Mirkin, currently under development) applies nanoprisms for diagnostics, therapeutics, catalysis, and more. Additionally, Nanosphere, founded by Mirkin, has received approvals from the Food and Drug Administration for nanotechnology-based diagnostics platform and two assays in 2008.

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.