Identifiable requests undergo multiple levels of review and assessment by the Data Governance Committee. The application lifecycle is detailed below.
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Completeness review: this stage ensures that the applicant has fully completed all documentation pertaining to their application.
- Organizational DUA: To be completed by an Organizational Representative, separate from the project director, and notarized appropriately. SPARCS will only accept fully completed forms with either a wet signature or an electronic signature with a digital stamp.
- Individual DUA: Please submit separate forms for each data user on the proposed project, including the project director. SPARCS will only accept fully completed forms with either a wet signature or an electronic signature with a digital stamp.
- Security Guideline: To be completed by a current Chief of Information Security Officer, Lead Information Technology Administrator, and the Organizational Representative. SPARCS will only accept fully completed forms with either a wet signature or an electronic signature with a digital stamp.
- Project Summary: Please submit a 1-page summary detailing the research goals and methodology in the context of SPARCS and how it will assist with the study.
- IRB Protocol (Identifiable Request Only): Please submit an IRB protocol detailing your research project.
- IRB Acceptance Letter (Identifiable Request Only): Please submit an IRB approval letter for human subject research.
- IRB Exemption Letter (Identifiable Request Only): Please submit an IRB exemption letter for non-human subject research.
- Soundness Review: All applications undergo an internal review by a Department Research Scientist to assess feasibility and ensure compliance with SPARCS minimum use case requirements. Applicants will receive feedback to assist with their research and recommended edits as necessary.
- Security Review: A policy hearing officer will review applications to verify appropriate data housing and linkage plans.
- Data Governance Committee Review (Identifiable Request Only): Identifiable data file requests must be approved by the SPARCS Data Governance Committee (DGC), which convenes eight times per calendar year (approximately every 6 weeks). When your SPARCS request is added to a DGC meeting agenda, you will be notified approximately two weeks prior to the meeting date. Meetings are typically held via WebEx and last from 10 AM to 1 PM, depending on the number of requests. Applicants (or their designees) must attend the DGC meeting to address any questions from the committee members. Once all questions are resolved, the request is put to a vote, requiring a majority approval from the DGC. Voting members who dissent or abstain are recorded. If approved by the DGC, the request is submitted to the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee (SPARCS Administrator) for ratification within 15 business days. Upon ratification, the SPARCS program will send the applicant a signed approval letter detailing the data files, years provided, and other relevant decisions, along with the application expiration date. If the Commissioner does not ratify the DGC's decision, the application is returned to the applicant with an explanation of the factors leading to the denial. The applicant may apply again.
- Invoicing and Fulfilment: After DGC approval, the SPARCS program will provide an invoice to the applicant for the data extract. The data extraction process can take several weeks (2-3 weeks) to complete by our vendor. Once the SPARCS team receives the data extract, they will provide instructions for receiving the data via ASPERA, an IBM secure, high-speed file transfer tool.