Applying to use the UK CliC TRE involves a structured onboarding process designed to ensure that cohort data can be securely managed, linked, and shared for research.
Apply to use UK CliC
Step 1: Register your interest
Complete and submit the UK CliC enquiry form and a member of the team will follow up to discuss.
To help ensure a smooth process, cohort study teams should be prepared to provide (if available):
- Study consent forms and participant information sheets
- Details of governance approvals
- Data dictionaries and metadata
- Information on funding and proposed use of the platform
Step 2: Full application
If the cohort study team wish to proceed, a completed application form should be submitted along with supporting information. A review of the study’s consent materials, which includes Patient advisory group review, will be completed by the team to ensure:
- Appropriate participant consent for data linkage and onward data sharing
- Cohort teams will need to address any feedback before progressing
Step 3: Finalising scope and costs
Once we have confirmed that the cohort data can be linked to NHS data, we work with the SAIL team to complete the final project scoping and costing. This ensures that all requirements have been agreed before moving to the contracting stage.
This includes:
- Finalising funding arrangements
- Confirming the scope and details of the data to be onboarded
- Agreeing any governance or technical requirements
Step 4: Contractual agreements
The lead organisation for the cohort study enters into formal contractual arrangements.
Step 5: Onboarding and linkage
Cohort study data is onboarded to UK CliC using secure transfer processes OR a database is set up in UK CliC to enable data collection.
Cohort study team are able to access their unlinked data in UK CliC.
A separate file with identifiers is provided to enable linkage to NHS data. This is handled by a trusted third party – Department of Health and Care Wales.
Step 6: Access to linked data
Apply for access to anonymised cohort study data linked to NHS data via the SAIL Databank Information Governance Review Panel (IGRP), which assess research projects for public benefit.
Interested in getting started?
Complete the UK CliC enquiry form and contact the BHF Data Science Centre team to discuss your cohort’s requirements and suitability for the platform.
More information
Types of data cohort data supported
The following data types can be ingested to the UK CliC TRE for linkage:
- Clinical data
- Biomarker and laboratory data
- Demographic data
- Imaging data
- Pathology data
- Personal monitoring data
- Radiological data
- Omics and molecular data
If your cohort has collected any other data types, please contact us and the UK CliC team will confirm if it can be used within the environment.
NHS data available for linkage
Go to the UK CliC TRE Data Hub to view data available for linkage.
We will review your consent materials and protocol to establish what NHS data participants have consented to for linkage.
If there is a dataset you wish to link to but it is not listed, then please get in touch to discuss.
Making your linked data available for other researchers
Your linked data is listed on the SAIL Asset Register for other researchers to use. This can be delayed until your cohort study analysis is completed.
You can choose if your data is listed as:
- Core Restricted data (where you are consulted on access requests)
- Core data (available through the standard IGRP process)
UK CliC support services
Additional specialist support is available for researchers, including data engineering and patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) support services.
Data engineering support can include:
- Data preparation activities
- Data insights
- Data analyses
- Planning and design
- Building community
- Facilitation
- Material development and review
How long does onboarding take?
The BHF Data Science Centre and SAIL teams work closely with cohort owners throughout onboarding, providing support at each stage to progress the process as efficiently as possible.
The duration of onboarding to UK CliC varies depending on the complexity of the cohort, governance approvals, consent review requirements, contractual arrangements, and the volume and quality of data being transferred.
Typically, the longest stages are:
- Scoping and feasibility review, including assessment of participant consent, data linkage requirements, and funding arrangements
- Contractual agreements, including completion of the Data Sharing Agreement between the cohort owner, SAIL, and DHCW
- Data transfer, curation, and quality assurance, particularly where datasets require significant preparation or documentation before being made available for research
What are the costs?
A breakdown of charges will be provided at the scoping phase of onboarding and will depend on the requirements of the cohort study.
Charges will cover:
- Costs for access to UK CliC TRE
- Data science curation and engineering support
- Disclosure control
- Cohort study data onboarding
- NHS data costs from England, Scotland, and NI (if applicable)
- Project management, governance, and project set up
- Database for data collection (if required)