The CRDC has launched a new Data Submission Portal open to NCI and NIH-funded researchers looking to share their data through the NCI’s primary data sharing platform, CRDC. The new Data Submission Portal supports researchers by streamlining two processes: completing a data Submission Request (i.e. inquiring if their study data can be shared through the CRDC), and once approved, completing their Data Submission (i.e. uploading their data files) through a more transparent process.

Step-by-step guides for these two processes are now available through the newly updated Submit Data page on the CRDC website. This page connects the researchers to the Data Submission Portal, and provides a number of resources, such as commonly asked questions and answers. The two processes are briefly described below:

• Submission Request: For researchers interested in learning if they can share their data  through the CRDC, they can now fill out the Submission Request form available on the Data Submission Portal. The CRDC Submission Review Committee (SRC), comprising representatives from all CRDC Data Commons, will evaluate all received Submission Request forms and share their decision within four to six weeks. Researchers can track the status of their Submission Request through the portal.
   
• Data Submission: Upon receiving approval from the SRC, research teams can prepare to upload their dataset - raw data and associated metadata - to the CRDC. Researchers   will first need to align their data and metadata with CRDC standards. A data model viewer is available through the Data Submission Portal - see the Model Navigator - and outlines the types of data and metadata required for submission. Researchers can also download the data dictionary and sample metadata templates from the portal.

Once the data submission is completed by the research team, the submission will be subjected to data validation, QA/QC, among several other data quality assurance processes, before it is made available by the respective CRDC Data Commons through their portal(s).  

This new, streamlined approach is the first in many developments coming to the CRDC, all to make NCI and NIH-funded research data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR). Coming soon, researchers will be able to access their data through the CRDC Data Access Portal for further exploration.