Accessing Research Data

When investigators submit their data to repositories, they allow others to build on their original discoveries and share insight through secondary data use. NCI and NIH offer multiple data repositories to ensure broad sharing of cancer research data from federally funded research. Cancer researchers and the participating community of patients and advocates can access data.

View the list of repositories and available data sets 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 are identified as “open” in the NIH-supported Scientific Data Repositories listing.

Controlled-Access Data

In addition to open-access data sets, NCI facilitates requests to controlled-access data for NCI intramural staff scientists and extramural investigators. To use controlled data, you must obtain prior authorization through a Data Access Committee. NCI’s data access processes ensure that requests comply with NIH’s data sharing policies, and the data are used in ways that adhere to the consent given by research participants in their original studies.