Restricted-Use Contracts

All applications for new contracts or renewals will now be accomplished online in the Add Health Contracts Management System (CMS). Access to the CMS is via the CPC Data Portal. There are links for initiating new contracts and renewing existing contracts.

PIs of Legacy contracts (i.e., older contracts where the data are not accessed via the SRW or via a newer Home Institution contract) may not request any new data sets. Those contracts must be renewed to either an SRW or Home Institution contract in order to get access to any additional data files.

There are two types of restricted-use contract options: SRW and Home Institution. SRW Contract users access the Add Health restricted-use data on the Secure Research Workspace at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Home Institution Contract users access the restricted-use data on an approved server at their institution. More details about both of these contract types are available via the links in the sidebar.

If you are unsure which type of contract is best for you, refer to the Choosing the Best Contract Option page. In addition to access preferences, researchers should consider the following factors:

  • Special Request Data Sets
    • Most of highly sensitive data sets are only available under SRW Contracts.
    • For more information, please refer to the Special Request Data page.
  • Add Health Omics Data from dbGaP
    • Researchers who wish to integrate Add Health restricted-use data with OMICS data obtained from dbGaP must use a Home Institution Contract.
    • Due to the nature of OMICS data, they must be hosted on a Linux server at the Principal Investigator’s institution, in compliance with Home Institution Contract requirements.
    • Linkage between the Add Health restricted-use data and the Omics data is performed using a dedicated linkage file. Researchers must have a detailed Data Analysis Plan approved by an advisory committee prior to receiving the dbGaP Linkage File. More information can be found on the Special Request Data page and the Using Add Health OMICS and Restricted-Use Data page.

Contract PIs now only need to add Data Users and Collaborators to their SRW or Home Institution contracts. Data Users are members of the research team who require data access. Collaborators are members of the research team who do not require data access, but who will be working with analytical results.

Both Data Users and Collaborators must sign an online Security Pledge and complete Orientation & Security Training before they are authorized to work with the data or analytical output. Both tasks are completed online within the Contract Management System.

To apply for a new contract or renew an existing contract, see Applying for a Restricted-Use Contract.

Holding Both Types of Contracts

In certain cases, researchers may hold both a Home Institution and an SRW Contract, though this is generally discouraged. Examples include: 

  • Special Request Data Access with a Home Institution Contract: A PI with a Home Institution Contract may desire access to a Special Request data set. Rather than migrating all project files and team workflows to the SRW, the PI may apply for an SRW Contract solely for work involving the Special Request data. All related analyses would be conducted on the SRW, while other research would continue on the institutional server. 
  • Working with Omics Data with an SRW Contract: A PI with an SRW Contract may need to access Omics data from dbGaP, which must be processed on a Linux server. Since UNC does not permit non-UNC researchers to use its Linux servers, the PI may apply for a Home Institution Contract to host the data on a compliant Linux server at their institution. After the IT unit signs a Restricted-Use Data Hosting Agreement and receives the Standard restricted-use data set, the PI can download the Omics data to the institutional server and proceed with the research. This approach allows the PI to maintain SRW-based work for team members less familiar with Linux. 
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