About DACO
While committed to open data sharing, the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) adopted a controlled access model for potentially re-identifiable and personal data as a response to privacy risk concerns for research participants.
The Data Access Compliance Office (DACO) is the body created to manage access to ICGC’s controlled data. Researchers submit their access requests directly to the DACO, who in turn reviews these applications to verify the conformity of users' projects with the goals and policies of ICGC, including, but not limited to, policies concerning the purpose and relevance of the research, the protection of participants, and the security of participants' data.
Over 15 years, the DACO has supported close to 6,000 research projects in 38 countries. DACO provides a single compliance pathway, consolidating oversight across dozens of institutions and jurisdictions. It maintains rigorous ethical, legal, and procedural standards that enable responsible, cross-border data sharing while preserving the confidentiality of research participants, supporting efficient and trusted collaboration in global cancer genomics research.
ICGC DACO reviews applications for accessing ICGC Controlled Data in both the ICGC ARGO Data Platform and ICGC 25K Data.
Following approval researchers receive:
- Access to both ICGC25k data and ARGO data
- 2 years approval
- Secure portal for efficient management applications
Find out more about the application and approval process here.
Meet the Team
Judith is Administrative Officer for the DACO and is based at the University of Glasgow. The Data Access Officer passes the final decision on verdicts passed and maintains the general operations of the DACO together with the Secretariat team
Contact DACO Apply for Access
Judith Dixon-Hughes, DACO Officer
Further Reading
- DACO 2020 Annual Report
- DACO 2025 Annual Report
- Joly, Y., Dove, E. S., Knoppers, B. M., Bobrow, M., & Chalmers, D. (2012). Data sharing in the post-genomic world: the experience of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) Data Access Compliance Office (DACO). PLoS Comput Biol, 8(7), e1002549. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002549
- Joly, Y., de Vries-Seguin, E., Chalmers, D., Ouellette, B. F., Yamada, J., Bobrow, M., & Knoppers, B. M. (2016). Analysis of five years of controlled access and data sharing compliance at the International Cancer Genome Consortium. Nature genetics, 48(3), 224. DOI: 10.1038/ng.3499