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Getting Access to Shared Data

Understanding NDA Permission Groups | Data Access Eligibility Criteria | Getting Started with Data Access Requets

Summary information on the data shared in NDA is available in the NDA Query Tool without requiring an NDA account. To request access to record-level human subject data, you must submit a Data Access Request (DAR).

Understanding NDA Permission Groups

NDA data is organized into three types of Permission Groups, each designed to align with specific consent levels and research needs:

  • Broad Use Permission: Data available for broad research purposes.
  • Controlled Access Permission: Data with consent-based restrictions, requiring specific approval.
  • Open Access Permission: Data open for general research access without institutional affiliation requirements.

Each Permission Group includes one or more NDA Collections, which are project-based data containers. Once logged into NDA, the Data Permissions dashboard provides links to all Collections within a Permission Group that you're approved to access.

Data Access Eligibility Criteria

To request access to a Broad Use or Controlled Access Permission Group, you must first meet these criteria:

  1. Research Need
    Have a research-related need to access the data.
  2. eRA Commons Account
    Hold an eRA Commons account with the designated role of Principal Investigator (PI).
  3. Institutional Association
    Be affiliated with an NIH-approved research institution registered in the eRA Commons system, with approval from your institution’s Signing Official (SO).
  4. Active Federalwide Assurance (FWA)
    Your institution must maintain an active Federalwide Assurance (FWA).
  5. NDA Account
    An NDA account, linked with your eRA Commons account, with an institutional email.

If you’re uncertain about institution’s eRA Commons account or the list of Signing Officials, contact the eRA Service Desk. For questions regarding your institution's FWA, reach out to the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP).

To request access to an Open Access Permission Group, you only need an NDA account.

Getting Started with Data Access Requests

Once you meet the requirements to request data access:

  1. Create or Log In to Your NDA Account
    An NDA account with an institutional email is required to request data access.

  2. Submit a Data Access Request (DAR)

    • Visit the NDA Permissions Dashboard to start your request.
    • Each DAR requests access to one Permission Group only. 
    • Each request requires an electronic signature from both the lead recipient and an authorized Signing Official at your institution.
    • Additional research staff from your institution can be added to your DAR as Other Recipients. All recipients must have an institutional email listed in their NDA account.

  3. Review Process

    • Requests for Broad Use and Controlled Access Permission Groups are reviewed by an NIH-staffed Data Access Committee.
    • Requests for Controlled Access data must comply with consent-based use limitations.
    • Open Access requests are approved upon submission.

  4. Approval and Data Download
    Once approved, you will have access for one year and can begin querying and downloading data via the NDA Query Tool and NDA download tools.

For detailed guidelines, refer to SOP-04 Data Access Permission Request.

Renewal Process

Access is provided for one year following approval. A renewal request should be submitted to maintain access. To prevent lapses in data access, submit a renewal request 60 days before your access expires via the NDA Data Permissions Dashboard.

  • Renewal requests must include a progress report detailing any publications or presentations resulting from your prior access.
  • Create an NDA Study to link any publications to the corresponding data in NDA.

 

Related Resources

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