Access to DNBC data

The Danish National Birth Cohort operates an open access policy. The DNBC Reference Group will, however, give priority to projects already launched and agreements made.

Access to electronic data from interviews, data linkage and ad hoc analyses.

Access to personalised data requires that your DNBC project is listed on your institution's record of data processing activities ("Fortegnelsen") as well as a permission from the DNBC Reference Group.

• The Reference Group will not grant access to projects that may harm the DNBC’s reputation nor to projects whose purposes are incompatible with the overall aim of the project.

• The DNBC management takes no responsibility for the scientific quality of projects in which they have no part.

Access to biological specimens

The access policy for biological specimens will be restrictive. The Scientific Ethical Committee, the Danish Data Protection Agency and the DNBC Management must sanction any access. The Reference Group will ensure the following:

• a minimum only of biological material should be used

• data must be analyzed in certified laboratories. Any remaining material should be restored to the biological bank

• a considerable quantity of the biological material should still be available in the bank when the cohort children reach the age of 18.

• biological specimens should be given solely to projects, which require blood samples or other information to be collected during pregnancy (gene-environment interaction).

• a study design must be chosen which best utilizes the biological specimens.

• the applicants should account for the feasibility of the analyses (requirements for transportation, fractioning and storage of the blood must be taken into account

• biological material may not be used for purposes that do not comply with the DNBC overall aim. Thus, biological material will not be given to commercial purpose projects, nor for use in analyses where results will not be published.

• in cases of important therapeutical action only may biological material be handed over to individuals for diagnostic purposes

The DNBC Reference Group may revise the present guidelines at any time.

Data from the Danish National Birth Cohort are public domain data with some restrictions. The cohort is mainly financed by means of Danish national sources. It is therefore our hope that epidemiologists from outside the country who wish to use data from the DNBC will do so in collaboration with Danish scientists, preferably by carrying out the data analyses in Denmark.

Please start by requesting the newest version of the DNBC application form.
Send your request to: [email protected]

Fill in the form and return it together with a short protocol to: [email protected]. 

Your application will be given a reference number and will be submitted to the DNBC Management and then to the DNBC Reference Group. You can expect to hear from us again after 6-8 weeks.

If you are asking for data where individuals may be identified, your DNBC project must be listed on your institution's record of data processing activities ("Fortegnelsen").

If you are applying for biological material you also need permission from the Committee on Biomedical Research Ethics (Videnskabsetisk komité).

From October 1st, 2018 the DNBC introduces a new fee policy for the processing of applications and data access. This means that you should allow for the following fees when drafting your project budget:

• Administration fee (processing of application) to DNBC secretariat: DKK 4.000,-
• Access to data for projects that include 1 planned scientific publication: DKK 21.000,-
• Access to data for projects that include up to 4 planned scientific publications: DKK 41.000,-
• Working with data on our VDI server (annual fee): DKK 5.000,-

The price for your data set will depend on the time our data managers spend on assisting you and constructing your data set. Usually, the price will be around DKK 10 - 15,000.

Price example: total price for a project including a maximum of four publications: 4.000 + 41.000 + 10 - 15,000 = DKK 55 - 60,000

In addition there is an annual fee of DKK 5,000 if you choose to work on our VDI server (if you access your data from Statistics Denmark this fee will lapse).

As general rule retrieval of samples from the DNBC collection in the Danish National Biobank is free of charge. Some services, such as aliquoting or transport may incur costs. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

To enhance data security your data set will be made available to you through a secure connection to our server at Aarhus University. We can also send the data set to Statistics Denmark. Please direct your inquiries to data managers Lone Fredslund or Inge Eisensee at [email protected].

If you already know that you will be working with data on the Aarhus University server (VDI), please read the below document carefully before filling it out and returning it to Lone Fredslund at [email protected].