Search Results - EGA European Genome-Phenome Archive

European Genome-phenome Archive 15th Anniversary Celebration

2023 marks the 15th Anniversary of the EGA, jointly managed by the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG). To mark the occasion, a simultaneous celebration was held in both institutions on the 13th of December 2023. The teams gathered online to play a quiz game and celebrate all the achievements and milestones with two wonderful anniversary cakes. In 2008, the European Genome-phenome Archive was created at the EBI-EMBL in Cambridge to guarantee that human genome and phenome data were available to the international scientific community while data privacy was preserved. The six-person staff at the beginning of the project is now far behind us, with a team that reaches the number of 35 members. Since 2013, the European Bioinformatics Institute and the Centre for Genomic Regulation share responsibility for The European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA). At that time, the EGA had data for about 0,5 petabytes. Currently, the Archive contains more than 12 petabytes. 2023 comes to an end with several good news. The EGA has been renewed as an ELIXIR Core Data Resource. This was announced during the GA4GH 11th Plenary held in San Francisco last September when ELIXIR-Beacon was also confirmed to be a GA4GH Driver Project. Thus, the Beacon API has maintained this title since 2018. What’s more, the first Federated EGA dataset is now live on our website. This year we also launched new services for EGA users in September. By the numbers, in 2023 the EGA counts 2.5 PB archived, 371 studies published, 208 new submitters and 19 active projects in which the team is participating, among others. We look forward to continuing to support your research in 2024!

Blog 15-anniversary

Whole genome sequencing data of relapsed paediatric KMT2A-rearranged acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Bam-file of the one replased KMT2A-r case. Diagnostic (ALLT-375D) and remission (ALLT-375R) samples can be found from EGA submission EGAD50000001568.

Dataset EGAD50000001593

IL2 data set including 59 samples

The dataset is referenced by EGA Study ID EGAS00001003605, which includes the short-reads data for 59 samples. All short-reads data files are in fastq format.

Dataset EGAD00001004967

How to request data

Request Data Access If you're looking to access data from the EGA for your research, you are in the right documentation page! In this page you will find a step by step guide on how to request data archived at the EGA, as well as some frequently asked questions you might find useful. When requesting data, you'll need to provide information about your research project and intended use of the data. Keep in mind that your data access request may require additional approvals or agreements depending on the datasets and data providers involved. Step by step guide Register yourself as an EGA user. Validate your account. A validation link will be sent to your email to activate your EGA user account. Log into the EGA page. Search the dataset of interest from the dataset catalogue or search bar. Click on “Request access” Add a comment requesting these files and send your request Your request is successfully registered, and the DAC will receive a notification about your request In addition to submitting your request, you should also contact the DAC directly via e-mail. You can access the DAC's contact information from the relevant dataset page. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Which is the role of the EGA in the data access process? The European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA) facilitates the secure distribution under controlled access of personally identifiable genetic and phenotypic data. Data Access Committee (DAC) is a body of one or more individuals who are responsible for data release to external requestors, based on participant consent and/or National Research Ethics terms. How do I request access to multiple datasets? To request access for multiple datasets managed by the same Data Access Committee (DAC), please start by visiting the DAC catalogue to locate the DAC of your choice. Once you've found the relevant DAC, proceed to its dedicated page where you'll find a "Request access" button. After logging in to the EGA website, you'll be presented with a comprehensive list of datasets under the chosen DAC. Select the datasets you're interested in, and then compose a message indicating your access request. Click the "Send" button to submit your request, which will include the chosen datasets. Please be sure to review the data usage policies for the requested datasets, as policies can vary among datasets managed by the same DAC. I am a co-applicant. Will I be given a joint access account? Each applicant needs to create an EGA account themselves, with unique login details. User log-in details are for individual use only and should never be shared, under any circumstances. EGA services are only provided to EGA account holders. Therefore, the co-applicant will send a formal request to the DAC. What happens if a co-applicant leaves or a new member needs to be added to an existing DAC application? The appropriate Data Access Committee (DAC) should be contacted and informed about the required changes so that the application can be updated. I have changed my place of work since my EGA account was created. Can I still have access to data? You must contact the relevant Data Access Committee (DAC). The DAC did not reply to my data access request. How should I proceed? There is no estimated time for DAC response. Please allow up to four weeks for a response. In the meantime, please send them a weekly reminder of the status of your request by emailing them directly.If the DAC becomes unresponsive, meaning that they fail to communicate with a requestor within the specified time frame, please contact the EGA Helpdesk team. I have an account with the EGA and would like access to further datasets. How should I proceed? You need to reapply to the relevant Data Access Committee (DAC). Once the DAC has approved your application your account will be updated and an email will be sent to notify you of a change made to your account. How do I download files of the datasets I have been granted access to? The preferred method for data download and decryption is the EGA Secure Download Client. Please carefully review the provided documentation. How do I download metadata? Metadata is retrieved from the EGA webpage; you will not need to use any download client. Be informed that you will only be able to download metadata of your approved datasets. For such download, you should first log in the EGA webpage with your credentials. Then browse the metadata's dataset you have gained access and you will find a metadata download button. You may also want to have a look our metadata schema. I have forgotten or misplaced my user account password; how do I get a new one? Click on “Log in”, located in the top right corner of the EGA homepage. Then click “Forgot password”, type in your registered institutional email address, and instructions for resetting your password will be sent to you. Please check both regular and junk/spam folders. I was sent a link to set a password for my download account, but it seems like the link has expired. What should I do? The procedure is the same as the one for a forgotten password, explained in the previous question.

Documentation access/request-data/how-to-request-data

DAC-2023-07-05-Ritz (DAC-007)

Full description of the dataset and all necessary information on metadata may be found under (https://zenodo.org/records/11237107): DAC-2023-07-05-Ritz (DAC-007), raw data in EGA, metadata in Zenodo (https://zenodo.org/records/11237107)

Dataset EGAD50000001147

Submission FAQ

Submission FAQ Before Submission Is the EGA the right archive for my data? TThe most suitable archive for your data is dependent on the type of data you are wishing to submit and whether the data require public or controlled access. Public access is defined as complete and open access to all submitted data. On the contrary, controlled access, exerted by the EGA, requires formal applications to be made to access the submitted data files and metadata. EGA only accepts human-derived data subject to controlled access. If your submission contains other types of data, please choose the appropriate repository for it (see image below): ENA, EVA, ArrayExpress, BioSD and GWAS catalog. Should your submission be subjected to controlled access? Data access conditions are normally defined in the original informed consent agreements signed by the participants involved in your study. All data submitted to the EGA is subject to controlled access. These consents prevent the derived data files, potentially identifiable, from being dispersed by open and public access. Controlled access data often refers to human data derived from medical research and consortium projects. If in doubt, consult the informed consent agreements that apply to your study The EGA enables you to hold a submission before publication. What data types can be submitted to the EGA? Data types accepted by the EGA can be split into three categories: Sequences: both in generic and platform-specific formats. Array-based: from raw signal files to processed matrices. Phenotypes: all possible phenotype formats are accepted. All manufacturer-specific raw data formats derived from major next generation sequencing platforms are accepted. Also generic sequence formats: flat reads in a FASTQ file, aligned sequences (BAM or CRAM files) as well as sequence variation files in VCF format. All array-based technologies are accepted, including raw data, intensity and analysis files, without any restriction on data formats accepted. We also accept and distribute phenotype data (associated to the samples) in almost any format: from an image to a README file. How long does a submission take? Submissions to EGA come in a variety of formats and sizes, thus it is difficult for us to exactly predict how long a submission will take. We, therefore, advise all of our submitters to allow as much time as possible to make a submission. Based on previous records, we anticipate that the submission process may take at least one month. The submitter’s familiarity with the procedures, possible technical issues that may arise during submission and the amount of data that is being submitted are the main factors that will affect the length of the submission process. However, each step of a regular submission should be considered when estimating the time it would take: Encryption of the files Upload of the files Metadata submission Archival of the files Release of the study and datasets to EGA webpage For example, the upload of the files depends on the submission size, while metadata submission mainly relies on each submitter’s expertise. Further, some steps (e.g. answering to inquiries) depend on the EGA Helpdesk team, which may take some days to be processed during busy times Is data deposited in the EGA secure? The EGA set-up consists of a secure computing facility for data processing, a shared EBI set-up for data submissions and distribution of data via data requests made through the EGA website. Data is also copied in the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) infrastructure, where all stored and distributed data is encrypted Data is encrypted along the submission process and stored securely, granting its access to authorised users exclusively. During the download process, through our Python Client or Aspera, all requested data is downloaded over secure https connections. All data at the EGA is encrypted, and only accessible (for log-in and download) through secure protocols. For further information please, visit our security overview. What documentation do I need to provide? All submissions require policy’s documentation: 'Data Access Agreement (DAA)', 'Data Processing Agreement (DPA)' and 'Authorized Submitters Formulary'. The data processors (EGA) and the data owners will also sign the DPA. Will all metadata be public? Among the submitted metadata we need to make the distinction between identifiable and unidentifiable metadata: (1) the former may allow the identification of the human the sample derived from (e.g. detailed geographical providence, personal name, family ancestry…); (2) while the latter can be used to interpret the data without compromising the anonymity of the patients. The majority of the metadata submitted to the EGA corresponds to the unidentifiable category (e.g. sequencer's model). This type of metadata is publicly available on the EGA website and other EBI resources/partners’ websites. On the other hand, some parts samples’ metadata are subject to being identifiable, and thus only accessible by authorized data requesters, with the exception of: 5 submitter-defined attributes of the sample: alias, title, subject_id, gender and phenotype. It is the submitter’s responsibility not to submit sensitive metadata in these public fields. 3 anonymised fields that pinpoint the sample record in archivals: sample’s EGA stable ID (EGAN…), BioSample ID (SAMEA…) and submitter’s center name. During Submission Are there any sample specific requirements for EGA? All samples submitted to the EGA must include the attributes of biological sex, subject ID (anonymised individual identifier) and phenotype information. These are critical for data findability and its analysis, and we highly recommend using controlled ontology terms where applicable. For example: defining tumour and non-tumour samples and/or defining disease state. The EGA recommends using the Experimental Factor Ontology Database to find ontologized terms that describe your sample phenotypes. How do I get an accession number to use in my publication? You will receive your study accession number (EGAS…) upon complete your submission, either: Programmatically. As soon as the metadata is submitted and validated your study will be assigned an accession number that will be given in the submission’s response. Manually registering your study and relevant metadata using the online metadata submission tool: the EGA submitter Portal. How are files uploaded to the EGA? Data files are uploaded into private submission drop boxes (i.e. environments to which you are granted access and where you can transfer your files) using INBOX or FTP. These spaces are provided as part of the submission procedure. Before uploading any file, you must encrypt your files, . Only encrypted files shall be uploaded to the drop boxes. Why does data need to to encrypted for my submitted files? It is one of the security steps the EGA has implemented. In case of a security breach, people without the proper encryption key will not be able to read or use the information that could have been leaked. This measure is essential when working with sensitive data, such as controlled access human data. All submitters must use crypt4gh to create EGA compliant files prior to uploading them. This encryption is GPG-based, using EGA’s public key. Why are my files not available if I see them in the INBOX? There exists a time window between the data upload and the availability of such files via the Submitter Portal. For this reason, some metadata (run and analysis objects) cannot be registered until at least 24 hours after the files have been uploaded to your box. Why are MD5 sum values generated for my submitted files? We require pre- and post- encryption MD5 (message-digest) checksum values to be provided for all submitted files. These 128-bit values are computed using the content of each file, creating unique sequences that allow us to ensure that file integrity has been maintained during the transfer process. In other words, if the MD5 checksums we generate and those you generated match, we infer that the content of the transferred files is correct (i.e. files are not corrupted or truncated). MD5 checksums are computed automatically using the crypt4gh tool provided. Your submission will not be accepted and may be significantly delayed if you do not provide MD5 checksum values for all data files in the required format. How can I check if my files are correctly uploaded to the inbox? It is important to check the status pf your file so you know whether your files are in the inbox, being processed, or if there is any issue with one of them. In order to check this, you should: Look for the file locally. Drag and drop it to the file table. Then bars will appear on the table, which means that we are processing it. Green: The files checksum are correct and your file will move to “ingested files”. No further actions are needed from your end.. Red: The files checksum does not match and your file needs to be re-uploaded. Please re-upload relevant files to your inbox using the same path. After Submission How do I use my accession number in my publication? We suggest the use of the below template, using your study accession ID (EGAS…) : Data has been deposited at the European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA), which is hosted by the EBI and the CRG, under accession number EGASXXXXXXXXXXX. Further information about EGA can be found at https://ega-archive.org and "The European Genome-phenome Archive of human data consented for biomedical research" Your study ID will be the one that groups your whole submission, and thus its usage is recommended as such. Nevertheless, all metadata submitted to EGA hold a unique and persistent identifier (starting with EGA…) that can be used to identify specific records. For example, you could reference a specific dataset (EGAD…) or sample (EGAN…) in your publications (see full list of identifiers). How do I make my data searchable? Once you have finalized your submission, you can schedule the data release. Please take into account that the release process needs time for the files to be archived in our system, and for the Helpdesk team to validate your submission. Can I withdraw (meta)data from the EGA? We have methods in place for the secure removal of deposited (meta)data. Contact EGA-helpdesk for further details. EGA complies with FAIRness of (meta)data, and thus, even when the data is removed we keep an entry for their identifiers in our system. In other words, we execute a soft delete on canceled objects (e.g. a study): metadata is still stored in our systems, but it loses all links, cannot be queried and data files cannot be retrieved anymore. The reason behind this behaviour is so that queries using withdrawn data properly respond back (see example of a canceled study). What happens to the data once it has been submitted to the EGA? When the data is submitted, the submitter can choose either keep their data private or schedule the release of their data.

Documentation submission/metadata/submission/FAQ

DAC for EGA study: "ctDNA residual disease analyses during perioperative nivolumab or nivolumab plus ipilimumab in resectable diffuse pleural mesothelioma"

This DAC regulates access to the whole-exome sequence data for the study "ctDNA residual disease analyses during perioperative nivolumab or nivolumab plus ipilimumab in resectable diffuse pleural mesothelioma".

Dac EGAC50000000706

Hi-C for Junvenile Pilocytic Astrocytomas

5 Hi-C datasets (4 JPA and 1 LGG). Hi-C data for the remaining 5 JPAs used in our paper as well as all controls have been uploaded to EGA under EGAS00001005476.

Dataset EGAD00001009044

NTNU Data Access Committee for “ProstOmics: spatial and bulk multi-omics of prostate cancer” datasets archived in Federated EGA Norway

The ProstOmics project of NTNU contains spatial and bulk multi-omics datasets of prostate cancer, and access request to these datasets are handled by this Data Access Committee on behalf of NTNU.

Dac EGAC50000000277

Paired Biopsy Project: West Coast Dream Team

This project contains the 16 WGS tumor samples and the corresponding 15 WGS normal tissue samples (germline control) not yet deposited in the public domain (e.g., EGA, dbGaP) at the time of submission of the manuscript (Zhu et al.)

Dataset EGAD50000000473

Boyes Lab - DAC policy

Access to this data is controlled. Upon request from a third party for access to the data, a separate Data Sharing Agreement would be put in place between the University of Leeds and the third party prior to EGA granting access to the data to the third party.

Dac EGAC50000000283

The EGA joins EUCAIM, the European project powering AI and imaging in cancer research

EUCAIM (EUropean Federation for CAncer IMages) is the cornerstone of the European Cancer Imaging Initiative, one of the flagships of the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan (EBCP). The European Genome-Phenome Archive (EGA), as member of the EUCAIM consortium, attended the kick-off meeting organized this week in Brussels for the launch of the Initiative. The EGA will contribute to the project with the experience gained in the deployment of our federated network, the Federated EGA (FEGA), and the experience gained as partners of EuCanImage (AI4HI initiative) contributing to the definition of common data models, ontologies and data standards. The ultimate goal of the project is to unlock the power of imaging and Artificial Intelligence for the benefit of cancer patients, clinicians and researchers. The consortium will deploy a pan-European digital federated infrastructure hosting cancer-related images, and associated pathology, molecular and laboratory data from Real-World. This endeavour will provide a comprehensive dashboard for imaging data discovery, federated search, metadata harvesting, annotation and distributed data processing. EUCAIM joins 76 partners, gathering the experience and previous effort made by the different repositories of the AI4HI initiative, European Research Infrastructures and national/regional repositories. Find out more information about the EUCAIM launch here

Blog the-ega-joins-eucaim

Submitter Portal API

Submitter Portal API The metadata submission process can be difficult and time-consuming. For this reason, the EGA has developed the Submitter Portal, a tool that was created to offer a simplified and user-friendly method of registering metadata. Our portal provides features that are intended to make the input of metadata easier, ensuring that your data is registered correctly and effectively. Our page is divided into logical sections and includes a helpful video instruction to further assist you as you complete the submission process. With the Submitter Portal, you can rest assured that the submission of your data is in good hands. For those that want a more flexible and automated approach, we also provide a programmatic approach using the Submitter Portal AP in addition to the user interface of the Submitter Portal. With the help of our API, you can quickly include the submission of metadata into your own workflow for a more effective and individualised experience. Previous steps Create your EGA account To submit data you first need to create your EGA user. Then, once your account has been verified, you will have to request a submitter role and sign the EGA Data Processing Agreement (DPA). When the DPA is signed, you must send it to EGA Helpdesk for further validation. Please, note that if you already have an EGA account, or you have an ega-box (submission account), you can skip this step. Upload your files Please note that all your files must be encrypted using the Crypt4GH tool before upload them.As soon as you are assigned with a submitter role, you will be able to connect to the EGA inbox and upload your files. Understand the EGA metadata schema It's crucial to comprehend the EGA metadata schema, a set of rules that specify how data is organised, described, and shared inside the EGA, in order to get the most out of this resource. Learn all about EGA metadata schema! Register your DAC and policy There are two objects in the EGA metadata schema that are registered in a separate portal. All DACs and policy objects are registered using the DAC Portal, a tool developed by EGA to help data controllers manage their data stored at the EGA. You can find the relevant information in the DAC Portal Guide. Programmatic submission All the calls to the API need to be Authenticated. We use the OpenID Connect protocol. API Usage Flow: Click here to check the API usage flow schema Obtain Access and Refresh Token: The first step to using the API is to obtain an access and refresh token. These tokens are required for authentication and authorisation of API requests. To obtain these tokens, you need to log in using your EGA credentials. Example: curl "https://idp.ega-archive.org/realms/EGA/protocol/openid-connect/token" \ -d "grant_type=password" \ -d "client_id=sp-api" \ -d "username=your-username" \ --data-urlencode "password=your-password" Use Access Token in API Calls: Once you have obtained the access token, you must use it in all the calls to the API. The access token is valid for a limited time period. When it expires, you will need to use the refresh token to obtain a new access token. Create Submission Object: After authentication, you can start creating a submission object. This object will be used to store all the metadata objects and files related to the submission. Example: curl "https://submission.ega-archive.org/api/submissions" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer your-access-token" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d "{ \"title\":\"My submission title\", \"description\":\"My submission description\" }" Create EGA Metadata Objects: Within the submission object, you can create other metadata objects required for the submission. These objects may include information about the submitter, study, sample, experiment, and run. Example of study creation: curl "https://submission.ega-archive.org/api/submissions/{submisison-id}/studies" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer your-access-token" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d "{ \"title\":\"My study title\", \"description\":\"My study description\", \"study_type\":\"Metagenomics\" }" If you would like to reuse already registered objects in new submissions, bear in mind that they must have an accession which you must use to reference them. You cannot reuse objects that have not been finalised and accepted yet.For example, when creating a new run which is reusing a previously submitted experiment, instead of using experiment_provisional_id, you must use experiment_accession_id. Enums There are some fields that only accept specific values, i.e. study_type. The API provides several enumerations to list these values. You can list all the enumerations, or a specific one, for example, study_types. Obtain IDs of files You can list the files available in your inbox and filter by a prefix by adding the prefix param, i.e. &prefix=/my_folder/abc Example: curl "https://submission.ega-archive.org/api/files?status=inbox&prefix=/my_folder/abc" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer your-access-token" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" To improve performance and manageability, we have limited the number of files that the Submitter Portal API can return in a response. If a given call exceeds this limit, user will be asked to narrow down the search by using the query parameters already available in this endpoint. Finalise Submission: Once all the metadata objects are created and linked to the submission, you can finalise the submission. Finalising the submission sends it to the Helpdesk team for review. Please, note that all files linked to the submission must be ingested, and all objects created in a submission must be linked before you can finalise the submission. API Reference: For a full API reference, please check our specification documentation.

Documentation submission/metadata/submission/sequencing-phenotype/submitter-portal-api

Genome-wide SNP and CNV analysis identifies common and low-frequency variants associated with severe early-onset obesity

We performed SNP and copy number variation (CNV) association analyses in 1,509 children with obesity at the extreme tail (>3 s.d. from the mean) of the BMI distribution and 5,380 controls. The control samples were made available from the EGA with accession numbers EGAD00000000021 and EGAD00000000023.

Study EGAS00001000878

What is a DAC?

What is a DAC? Given the complexity, scale, and diversity of global submitters and studies, the EGA operates a distributed data access model in which requests are made to the data controller, not to the EGA. The European Commission defines a data controller, in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), as the person that determines the purposes for which and the means by which personal data is processed. A Data Access Committees, commonly referred to as DACs, comprise on or more individuals (or data controllers) that review data access requests and make decisions on who can access personally identifiable genetic, phenotypic, and clinical data deposited at the EGA. Therefore, the members of a DAC should be individuals who have the authority to approve data access requests. The animation describes how you can authorise access to your sensitive data with the help of Data Access Committee and Authorisation tool. Acknowledgement to CSC - IT Center for Finland, Elixir Finland, Elixir Europe. Frequently Asked Questions How can I create a Data Access Committee? How can I create a Data Access Committee? The members of a DAC can come from different areas of expertise, such as data management, data analysis, information technology, legal and compliance, subject matter experts, privacy and security, and representatives from the organisations or individuals that provide data to the DAC. The specific members of a DAC can vary depending on the needs of the organisation and the type of data being managed. The EGA strongly suggests checking with your organisation to align with its regulations How should a DAC be named? The chosen name must be informative to the applicant. For example, internal identifiers, such as grant numbers, should not be used. Individual PI names should also not be used. DAC's are often named after the organisation or department of the data source. Browse the full list of DAC names currently in the EGA. How can I become an EGA DAC contact? To register a DAC at the EGA you must create first as an EGA user. Once your EGA user has been approved by the Helpdesk team, you will be able to log in to the DAC Portal. How can I register a DAC? To register a DAC, follow the DAC Portal instructions. You will be required to provide a DAC name, name of the individual(s) that make up your DAC and contact details for your DAC including your Institutional email(s). Wherever possible, the DAC should make sure that all points of contact are readily available and able to answer any initial data requests/queries in < 2 weeks. Once your DAC is registered, you will have to wait upon the validation from our Helpdesk team. As soon as all the validations have been completed, your DAC will be activated. Alternatively, you can also establish a DAC at the EGA during a programmatic submission through Webin API. Which are the possible roles of a DAC contact? There are two possible roles for DAC contacts: member and admin. An admin has additional privileges compared to a member: An “admin” can manage data requests, create and edit policies, edit the content of the DAC, add or remove contacts, and decide the role of each contact. A “member” can manage data requests and create policies. However, a member does not have permission to modify DAC details, edit information from policies where they are not admins, or add/remove contacts. There is no limit to the number of admins in a DAC, and each admin is responsible for deciding who should have editing privileges. This allows for a more decentralised and democratic approach to managing the DAC. How can I modify the information of a DAC? To modify a DAC, follow the instructions here. Keep in mind that only DAC contact with an admin role can modify the information of a DAC. If your DAC was registered before the lauch of the DAC Portal, and its ID is EGAC0 (not EGAC5), you must use the programmatic submission to modify it. Please, do not hesitate to contact our Helpdesk team if you need help with this! To prevent potential data breaches and ensure adherence to GDPR regulations, it is essential that the European Genome-Phenome Archive (EGA) is informed via the Helpdesk team of any changes to the Data Access Committee (DAC). This should be done in addition to any changes being made on the DAC portal. Data Controllers (as per the definition in the DPA) are also responsible for notifying the previous DAC of any modifications. Without proper notification, changes might not be automatically updated in our system, leading to the risk of incorrect permissions being applied and potential data access issues. Therefore, it is imperative that all Data Controllers follow this protocol to maintain data integrity and security. What’s the link between DAC, policy and dataset? A dataset is linked to one single policy. At the same time, one policy has a one to one relationship with a DAC. In this example, you can see that in this dataset page, we are only showing the information of one DAC (1 dataset - 1 DAC). However, the ratio of objects does not work the same in the other direction. One DAC can own multiple policy objects. And each policy object can be reused in several datasets. Thus, one DAC can manage one or more datasets. In this example, you can see that in this DAC page, we are showing all the datasets that are managed by one DAC (1 DAC - >400 datasets). EGA Data Access Committee Best Practices Which are the EGA DAC best practices? Refer to DAC Best Practices What happens if a DAC member changes institutions? EGA is committed to the protection and ownership of the data stored in our systems. We respect the institution's ownership of the data, and as such, if a DAC member changes institutions, the ownership of the data will not be transferred to the new institution. Therefore, before changing institutions, we request that the DAC contact add a new member who will replace them once they no longer work at the institution. This ensures that the data remains protected and is accessible to authorised personnel at the institution. To prevent potential data breaches and ensure adherence to GDPR regulations, it is essential that the European Genome-Phenome Archive (EGA) is informed via the Helpdesk team of any changes to the Data Access Committee (DAC). This should be done in addition to any changes being made on the DAC portal. Data Controllers (as per the definition in the DPA) are also responsible for notifying the previous DAC of any modifications. Without proper notification, changes might not be automatically updated in our system, leading to the risk of incorrect permissions being applied and potential data access issues. Therefore, it is imperative that all Data Controllers follow this protocol to maintain data integrity and security. What happens if EGA detects an unresponsive DAC? EGA defines an unresponsive DAC as a DAC with one or more contacts who do not respond to data access requests. EGA has procedures in place to identify these types of DACs, escalate the issue, and attempt to reassign the DAC to a responsive contact. This is a crucial step in ensuring that data can be accessed and utilised by researchers. If EGA identifies an unresponsive DAC, the organisation will first try to resolve the issue by escalating it to the appropriate parties. This may involve attempting to reassign the DAC to a more responsive contact. Unfortunately, in situations where we cannot reassign the DAC, the dataset will be withdrawn from the public website and the files will be removed from our system. If an EGA ID is referenced in a publication, the EGA will take extra steps to ensure that the public is made aware of the data's unavailability. I don't want to receive an email notification for pending requests. How can I do that? If you are an EGA DAC with pending requests, you will always receive emails for new data access requests. However, the EGA understands that a request resolution can take some time, for this reason, if you add a comment (make sure you save it by clicking the APPLY button!) we will filter those requests at the time of sending the notification! How can I manage data access requests? What documentation does the DAC need to provide? Each dataset that is submitted to the EGA must be linked to a policy object. The policy is a Data Access Agreement (DAA), which defines the terms and conditions of using the dataset, such as how the data files should be stored once downloaded or details of publication embargoes that should be observed by the approved user. As part of the Data Access Agreement, information regarding the application can be captured to help inform the DAC when making its decision. For example, requestors could be asked to provide a proposed title for their research and a proposal of how the data will be used. By asking for provision of such information the DAC can be assured that the requestor fully understands any consents associated with the data. It is important that accounts created at the EGA, are created solely for those individuals that will be downloading the data from the EGA. As part of the data access request, we strongly encourage you to identify individuals that will need an account at the EGA in order to prevent sharing of login details, which is strictly prohibited under EGA user account policy. Such information can easily be captured in the DAA. NOTICE The data access agreement template below is provided for guidance only and should be adapted as you see fit to suit your own purpose. In the interest of promoting data sharing, we suggest that if an agreement cannot be met around clause 19 in this example that both parties should agree to remain silent, and that the clause should be removed from the agreement. Example DAA How can the DAC provide the DAA? The DAC should provide their own DAA when registering a policy. Data requestors will download this document and should fill it in and send it back to the DAC. Data access decisions should be based on such documentation. The DAA can be downloaded through the request data webpage. Once it has been filled in, the signed copy of the DAA can be uploaded back to the request data webpage and sent to the DAC for review. How can I grant access to the data? Once you receive a data access request, you can login to the DAC Portal. In this portal you will see all your pending requests and will be able to grant or decline access to the requestors. I am a member of the Data Access Committee. Could I approve somebody else to deal with the requests on my behalf? If you want to delegate data access decisions to someone else, make sure that the individual's account is officially registered as a member of the DAC. Remember that a DAC contact with an "admin" role can always add new members to an existing DAC, remove members, and modify contact details through the DAC Portal. Can I automatise the process of managing data access requests? The answer is yes! You can use a programmatic approach using our DAC API! Check out the DAC API specification! Data Breach What should a DAC do if they suspect a breach? If a DAC suspects a data breach of one or more of their datasets, they should immediately contact the EGA Helpdesk team at this link. The DAC must provide the following information when contacting the EGA Helpdesk team: A list of affected datasets An estimated date of the data breach (or interval of dates) A list of unauthorised users who accessed the data (if available). Otherwise, they can provide a list of authorised users for the affected datasets Any observations they would like to raise to the EGA team Once the DAC has contacted the EGA team, we will respond within 48 hours (please allow some leeway during peak times) and activate our data breach protocol. What can I expect from the EGA if they detect a breach? Once the EGA determines that a security incident has occurred, we will notify all DAC members that a data breach has been detected, and take steps to contain the incident. Containment approaches may include: Revoking a data provider's access to the EGA resources, such as by changing passwords. Removing affected EGA datasets from distribution, such as by withdrawing a dataset. Disabling certain functions or services, such as the EGA ingestion pipeline. Shutting down the system or disconnecting it from the network. After the incident has been contained, the EGA will determine whether it is necessary to eradicate components related to the incident. Finally, the EGA will enable recovery of the service to normal operation and confirm that all services are functioning normally.

Documentation access/data-access-committee/what-is-dac

EGA metadata schema

EGA Schemas In this page, you will find information on how the European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA) manages its metadata standards using both XML Schema Definition (XSD) and JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) formats. If you are not sure what this means, you may want to explore our brief metadata introduction. This information may be of your interest if you are planning to learn more about how the EGA is built and how to wrap around it for other processes. Nevertheless, if you are a common user (e.g. submitter or requester), you would not have to worry about these schemas nor their format, since they are implemented in user-friendly ways for you. Metadata standards are rules that define how to format and structure data of metadata objects (i.e. entities), like EGA's samples or experiments in a consistent manner. These objects are the nodes of the metadata model of the EGA (Figure 1). Figure 1. Diagram of EGA's metadata model. The model's building blocks are objects (e.g. sample), which can reference each other (e.g. an experiment referencing the used samples). Once your files are uploaded, they can also be referenced by Runs and Analyses. The submission object is an object itself that compiles many others. At EGA, we inherit our metadata schemas from the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA), and we have expanded them to include bespoke objects such as "Policy", "Dataset", and "DAC" (Data Access Committee) for our specific use-case: handling sensitive human data. See below a list of all our metadata objects and some context for each. Metadata Object EGA accession Description Examples of metadata fields Study EGAS… Information about the study Study type, study title, study abstract… Sample EGAN… Information about the used samples in the experiment or analysis Taxon ID, scientific name, biological sex, phenotype… Experiment EGAX… Information about the performed experiment Used libraries, sequencing platform, reference to the used samples… Analysis EGAZ… Contains information about the analysis Type of analysis, used assembly, reference sequence… Run EGAR… The run holds information about the files containing the raw reads generated in a run of sequencing Platform, spot descriptor, raw file references… DAC EGAC… Contains information about the Data Access Committee (DAC) DAC contacts, contact emails… Policy EGAP… Contains the Data Access Agreement (DAA) and policy which its usage complies with Policy text, data use ontologies (DUO) codes… Dataset EGAD… Contains the collection of runs/analysis to be subject to controlled access Dataset type, compilation of Run's and Analysis' IDs There are two different sets of schemas, based on their formats, in which the EGA accepts metadata: XSDs (for XML files) and JSON Schemas (for JSON files). EGA's XML Schema Definition . When programmatic submissions are pushed through the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) system, XML format is used. The schemas that are applied for this format are defined in XML Schema Definition (XSD) files, which can be found at ENA's GitHub repository. You can find more information on how to validate and submit your data programmatically in our programmatic submission documentation. Furthermore, see at our GitHub repository some XML examples with either made-up values (similar to what you would submit) or descriptive values for each field (just for documentation). EGA's JSON Metadata Schemas . When programmatic submissions are pushed through the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) system, JSON format specifications are used instead. See the full JSON specifications for further details. In conclusion, the EGA metadata schemas are crucial for maintaining the quality and consistency of submitted data. By understanding and following the rules outlined in these schemas, you can ensure that your submissions comply with the EGA's standards and contribute to a valuable and accessible genomic resource. Sample checklists Besides the standards in our schemas, we have another layer called Sample checklists. These are another system that the EGA inherits from ENA, and specifies what attributes are required or allowed for a sample object. The EGA uses these checklists to enforce that, for example, a sample object has the three mandatory attributes: subject ID, sex and phenotype of the individual the sample was taken from. When you submit to EGA, our checklist is automatically selected by default.

Documentation submission/metadata/ega-schema

Beacon v2

Beacon v2: a tool for data discovery Motivation In the era of data-driven health research and personalised medicine, human genomic data has become extremely valuable. These are also identifiable data, as they carry information pointing to a specific individual as well as their own family; and as such, they must be protected. This makes data discovery particularly challenging: this is where “Beacon” comes in. A “Beacon” is an API aiming to enable the search of genomic variants and associated information without jeopardising the privacy of the dataset. Here, we refer to its current version, namely version 2 (v2). Definition Beacon v2 is a term that can refer to different aspects. The EGA is playing a central role in the following aspects: The Beacon v2 protocol is a Global Alliance for Health and Genomics standard. The Beacon v2 Reference Implementation (B2RI) is an “out-of-the-box” Beacon instance developed with ELIXIR, which facilitates Beacon deployment. The EGA Beacon(s) are Beacons following the v2 standard and using the B2RI, deployed on top of data hosted at the EGA and allowing for their discovery. Resources Depending on whether you are visiting us a stakeholder (you need more general information about Beacon), a deployer /implementer (you want to have your own Beacon instance), or an EGA user (you want to query Beacon and start browsing data), you will be interested in the following resources: Your role Beacon aspect Documentation type Stakeholder Beacon v2 protocol Beacon website Beacon page on the GA4GH website Deployer/Implementer Beacon v2 protocol Read the docs: Beacon v2 standard technical description GitHub repository Beacon v2 standard Beacon v2 Reference Implementation Read the docs: B2RI technical description GitHub repository B2RI Guide to deploy Beacon using B2RI EGA user EGA Beacon(s) API in construction UI in construction

Documentation about/projects-and-funders/beacon

Cancer Discovery Hub (CDH), National Cancer Center Singapore

This is a DAC for data deposited into EGA generated by Cancer Discover Hub, NCCS. The use of datasets in this portal is solely for research and academic use only, uses other than the have to be approved by the relevant DAC members.

Dac EGAC50000000039

Data set for pan.met study

The dataset referenced by EGA Study ID EGAS00001004208 includes 20 human exome sequencing data and 11 human RNA sequencing data from tumor or normal tissues. Each sequencing data includes two pair-end short read files in fastq format.

Dataset EGAD00001005957