Administrative Core

Administrative Core Functions

• Progress reports – Assemble progress reports from TR&D1-3, CP/SPs, TTD Core, and Admin Core, including major activities, specific objectives, significant results, key outcomes, and other achievements.

• Grants management – Prepare annual budgets, budget justifications, and sub-contracts.  Provide oversight for expenditure of funds, including financial accounting, expense monitoring, and cost reconciliation.

• Meetings – Schedule regular meetings for Center investigators.  Meetings will be held either on-line or in person for ~1 hour in length.  Two speakers will be scheduled to present research results for ~30 min each.

• Video conferences – Use state-of-the art telecommunications platforms for video conferencing, e.g. Zoom, Webex, and Skype, to support communications among Center investigators and PIs of the CP/SPs.

• Center publicity – Expand public awareness of scientific research through various social media platforms, e.g. Twitter, Doximity, LinkedIn, ResearchGate, Facebook, Labs Explorer, Academia, and Mendeley.

• Travel – Arrange travel for PI and senior investigator(s) to attend Biannual Grantees Meeting to engage in discussions on cross-cutting NCBIB science and technologies for broader community engagement.

Technical Support Functions

• Scanner/actuators – microsystems device calibration will be performed to verify proper drive frequency, operating voltage, angular deflections, and axial displacements.

• Microendoscope – proper instrument function, including horizontal and vertical cross-sectional imaging, random access scans, and arbitrary position control, will be verified.

• Multiplexed detection – the appropriate optics, dichroic mirrors, bandpass filters, and long pass filters will be installed for specific imaging requirements.

• Operating software – system operations will be tested for proper function to control the scanner/actuators, perform image collection, and store video data.

• Computational tools – image processing algorithms will be implemented to mitigate motion artifact, perform spectral deconvolution, segment individual cells, and stitch adjacent images to increase FOV.

Microendoscopy Imaging Center

Procedure for Center use

Prospective users will be asked to complete an online application for review by the Admin Core staff.  The aims and methods of the proposed research study, protocols for in vivo imaging of small animals, and source of funding will be disclosed.  Those who are approved will receive mandatory training on how to use the microendoscopes and operating software.  After completion of training, users will receive access to the Center.  The small animal protocol for in vivo imaging will be reviewed by UCUCA.