Accessing Research Data

When investigators submit their data to repositories, they allow others to build upon their original discoveries and to share insight through secondary use of the data. NCI and NIH offer multiple repositories of data to ensure the broadest sharing of cancer research data from federally funded research. The data can be accessed by cancer researchers, as well as the participant community of patients and advocates.

View the list of repositories and available datasets in the NCI Data Catalog.

Open-Access Data

Investigators can use open-access data for secondary research without prior permission or authorization. These data sets will be listed as such in the NIH Data Sharing Repositories.

Controlled-Access Data

In addition to open-access datasets, NCI facilitates requests to controlled-access data for intramural and extramural investigators. Controlled data can only be used with prior authorization through a Data Access Committee. NCI’s data access processes ensure that requests are consistent with NIH data sharing policies and the data uses that the research participants agreed to when participating in research studies.