Your SPARCS data lease ends two (2) years after you receive the final calendar year of data on August 1. This is outlined in the “Data Retention and Application Expiration” section of the Data Governance Policy and Procedure Manual. Your approval letter will list the expiration date.
The project is closed when the retention period expires, upon project completion and the return/destruction of the data, or upon withdrawal of the request. SPARCS will request an Affidavit of Data Destruction as the expiration date approaches to ensure that the data is no longer being used.
If you need more time to complete the study, you may request the retention period be extended for up to one (1) additional year. To request an extension, you must submit a request at least 60 days prior to the data lease expiration date, to allow time for the SPARCS team to review and approve your request. To do this, submit a request, and select “I am submitting a request for an amendment to an existing SPARCS data lease”. Refer to How do I extend my data lease? for more information.