WP3 will include the conduct of highly specialized e-course in Nephrology, Renal Pathology and Molecular Medicine Applied to Nephrology. All the partners will contribute to the activities of each module. Tweleve trainees (2 for each scientific partner) will be selected to take part in the training course. The partners (6 highly specialized nephrology clinical centers, renal pathology centers and research units) will develop the following modules:

• MODULE 1: Nephropathology
• MODULE 2: Histopathology and tele-histopathology
• MODULE 3: OMICS

Each group of trainees will follow the lectures provided by its reference project partner, while the other trainees will access the lessons’ content through the virtual room of the e-learning platform.

The contents of the lectures will be accessible to other trainees from a dedicated e-learning platform developed by an ICT partner (GRIFO multimedia s.r.l.) that will provide its experience for the digitalization of the training course’s contents.

Each group of trainees will rotate through the laboratories and clinical units of the project’s partners to practice. The duration of the visit in each partner’s unit will depend on the kind of pratice session, which will be defined in detail in the preparation phase. The practice session will cover the following activities:

1. Digital microscopy practice with independent review of cases
2. Biopsy procedures
3. Light microscopy, Immunofluorescence and electron microscopy preparation
4. Genome sequencing (Next generation Sequencing)
5. Transcriptomic screening (microRNAs analysis)
6. Proteome sequencing (MALDI and/or LC/MS profiling)
7. Metabolome sequencing (LC/MS analysis)

Specific new OMICS-based protocols will be developed and evaluated to verify their usefulness for the introduction into clinical practice.

Evaluation (Lead: UKA, M6-M36)

WP4 will be responsible for the coordination of the evaluation activities of the project and will include an assessment of relevant input, process and outcome variables. At regular intervals, project activities will be documented, analyzed and compared to the project objectives and deliverables.

Achievement of the learning aims and objectives of the project capacity-building activities (training course, distance learning tool, conference, etc.) will be assessed by appropriate means for each target group (e.g. questionnaires, interviews, group methods) to assess increased knowledge and skills. Outcomes of these process evaluations will be continually feed back to partners to ensure optimal project actions.

At the end of the project a final evaluation will be carried out based on qualitative/quantitative indicators. Evaluation phase will include also the testing of the e-learning platform by 12 independent users selected by the consortium partners.