How to Access NHLBI Data

Participants are strongly encouraged to use NHLBI-funded datasets in the development of their Solutions and may also bring other relevant data to their analyses.

The August 28, 2020 submission deadline has passed. Winner(s) will be announced in November 2020.

NHLBI Human Research Data

NHLBI has a history of making considerable investments in the creation of deep data resources, including long-standing, deeply-phenotyped epidemiological cohorts; innovative clinical trials; and large-scale precision medicine efforts that have generated whole genome sequencing and “other omics” data for more than 100,000 individuals. NHLBI-supported data can be accessed via these sources:

  • Biologic Specimen and Data Repository Information Coordinating Center (BioLINCC), NHLBI’s repository for health data from its clinical and epidemiological studies.
  • Database for Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP), a database maintained by NIH’s National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and the primary resource for NHLBI-funded genomic and “other omics” datasets and related phenotypic measures.

BioLINCC Data Access

NHLBI BioLINCC is a data and biospecimens repository that contains health information collected by NHLBI’s epidemiological cohorts and clinical trials. Users can browse available data using the BioLINCC studies page. This resource also contains a limited selection of open access health datasets.

The BioLINCC coordinating center grants access to data found in the repository. To request access, Participants should submit a data request form, which can be initiated from any open BioLINCC study listed on the studies page. The data request process is further detailed in section 3.0 of the BioLINCC handbook.

For more information about this data resource, see the BioLINCC FAQ or contact BioLINCC.

dbGaP Data Access

dbGaP is a phenotype and genotype data repository hosted by NCBI which contains datasets funded by NHLBI and other NIH institutes. The database contains genomic and other “omics” data and related phenotypic data for many NHLBI cohorts and studies, including data generated by the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program. Users can browse available data using the dbGaP search tool.

Access to dbGaP data is overseen by a data access committee (DAC) located at the funding institute for each specific study. Participants should access data downloads by initiating a Data Access Request (DAR), using their eRA commons account. The dbGaP data request process is outlined in this video.

NHLBI encourages exploration of the NHLBI Big Data Analysis Heart Failure Challenge Data Collection. The collection is a helpful list of NHLBI-funded dbGaP datasets with data use limitations fitting the scope of the Challenge. Participants may determine that other NHLBI-funded datasets not listed in the collection are useful in developing their Solutions. The datasets in the collection do not require institutional review board approval for their use, which may ease access for some Participants.

Streamlined dbGaP Data Access Request (DAR) Approval for Challenge Participants

Participants in this Challenge can take advantage of streamlined dbGaP DAR approval processing for NHLBI-funded dbGaP datasets by closely following these streamlined data access request instructions. Participants may request other non-NHLBI-funded dbGaP datasets as part of the same streamlined DAR.

For questions related to dbGaP data access, contact nhlbi_challenge@nhlbi.nih.gov.