Data Access Compliance Office (DACO)

Apply for Access DACO Policies and Procedures 

About DACO

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.

The ICGC DACO is governed and administered by the University of Glasgow as data controller.  

Data Access Through DACO 

Applications for controlled data are through the DACO Application site.

With the evolution of ICGC into its next phase, from May 2022 a revised Data Access Agreement (version 2.0) was initiated which governs access to all ICGC controlled 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 Dixon-Hughes, DACO Officer

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.

ICGC 25K Policies 

If you signed a Data Access Agreement with ICGC prior to May 2022 you will be bound by the ICGC Policies, Goals and Guidelines (2011). The link to these policies is here: 

Further Reading 

1. DACO 2020 Annual Report 
2. 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
3. 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 

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