Access to HUNT data and samples for research purposes

Access to HUNT data and samples for research purposes

Researchers with a PhD associated with Norwegian research institutes can apply for the use of HUNT material: data and samples - given approval by a Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics. Researchers from other countries are welcome to apply in cooperation with a Norwegian Principle Investigator. 

Access to the requested HUNT material is given after the application is approved of by HUNTs Data Access Committee (DAC) and an agreement is signed. The agreement gives the researcher(s) the right to research a specific topic for a limited time period and to publish a decided upon number of articles.

What is available?

The Trøndelag Health Study stores questionnaire data, measurement data and biological specimens from the general population of (Nord-)Trøndelag in Norway, gathered since 1984 and up til today.

Types of material

  • Variables from HUNT questionnaires and measurements
  • Variables from additional projects performed within the HUNT framework (special conditions may apply)
  • Results of analyses done on our samples
  • Samples (blood, serum, DNA, urine, saliva, feces)
  • GWAS data - solely in collaboration with researchers from HUNT Center for Molecular and Clinical Epidemiology
  • SNP-data form our fast-track catalogue with known SNP's (costs apply)
  • Proteomics data

Guidelines for administration and use of data from HUNT (under revision)

20 Oct 2023

DAC-meetings 2024

DAC-meetings 2024

Committee meeting Application deadline
Aug 13 Aug 08
Aug 27 Aug 22
Sept 10 Sept 05
Sept 24 Sept 19
Oct 08 Oct 03
Oct 22 Oct 17
Nov 05 Oct 31
Nov 19 Nov 14
Dec 3 Nov 28
Dec 17 Dec 13

Who can apply for data?

Who can apply for data?

Researchers (PhD) associated with Norwegian research institutes can apply for the use of HUNT material: data and samples - given approval by a Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics. Researchers from other countries are welcome to apply in cooperation with a Norwegian Principle Investigator. 

Access to the requested HUNT material is given after the application is approved of by HUNTs Data Access Committee and an agreement is signed. The agreement gives the researcher(s) the right to research a specific topic for a limited time period and to publish a decided upon number of articles.

Students

Students can use HUNT data in their thesis. The student's supervisor files the application as the Principal Investigator, this applies to both PhD students and students writing a Master's thesis. Master's thesis agreements do not allow publication as a peer-reviewed article without additional permission and payment.

Filling in the application form and the course of a project

Filling in the application form and the course of a project

The application form must be filled in here: HUNT databank. Choose “Register” if it is the first time you send an electronic application. Take note of your username and password.

The application form will ask you for the following obligatory information, without which it will not be possible to complete the form:

  • Project title
  • Project protocol
  • Affiliation of the Principle Investigator and Signing Official. These must be located at the same research institute. Signing Official is the person in charge of Scientific Research at the PI's institute, this will often be the Head of the Department.
  • Project description in Norwegian
  • information on performed DPIA
  • Provisional titles of planned publications
  • Keywords
  • Projected start and end date for the project
  • Invoice information
  • Information on all project participants. Each project must at least register a Principal Investigator and a Signing Official.
  • Information about which data is applied for (wave of data gathering, Young-HUNT or main HUNT)
  • If applicable: which other registries will be used in combination with HUNT data (note: each registry has their own application procedure, and PI must file applications to these registries too)
  • If applicable: what kind of samples, how many, and in which concentration. Information on where samples will be analyzed. 

Documents:

  • Data  Protection Impact Assessment*
  • REK (ethics committee) application
  • REK approval

*You do not need this if you only use adult HUNT data from HUNT2, HUNT3 and HUNT4, without merging with other data registers. In all other instances, a DPIA is necessary.

After you sent in your application, you will receive an automatic affirmation of sending. This includes a summary of what you sent to us. 

Shortly after, one of our staff will register the application in our database and send you an affirmation of this with a reference number. This reference number is what you need to request the variables for your project. 

PI = Supervisor for the PhD student

Please be aware that the data file will be made available for downloading to the Principle Investigator. If you wish HUNT databank to make the data file available to someone other than the PI (the PhD student for instance), it should be mentioned in the application.

The student's supervisor should be mentioned as the Principle Investigator.

Please be aware that the data file will be made available for downloading to the Principle Investigator. If you wish HUNT databank to make the data file available to someone other than the PI, it should be mentioned in the application.

Master's thesis agreements for the use of HUNT data do not allow publication as a peer-reviewed article without additional permission and payment.

When your application is sent to HUNT, you will get an automatic notification of receipt. 

Shortly after, one of our staff will register the application in our database, and send you an affirmation of this with a reference number. This reference number is what you need to request the variables for your project.

With the reference number ready, open HUNT web databank

Login with your username and password

Request the variables you need for your project - the protocol is guiding in which variables can be requested. Please note: 

  • Age and sex are included in each data delivery - the variables cannot be ordered.
  • Very large variable orders (>1000) will be rejected and the PI will be asked to reduce the number of variables requested. The 1000-variables rule applies also when additional variables are requested later in time, such that the total number of variables for a project cannot exceed 1000.
  • Some variables are the result of additional projects or analyses other projects have enabled. For these variables, we ask you to contact the PI of the original project and offer the PI a contribution to the project by collaboration.  

For more information on the variables, you can access the sites with questionnaires or spørreskjema (more complete, in Norwegian).

HUNT operates with the following time frames for projects, depending on the number of publications involved, with a maximum of 4 years:

Number of publications

Duration of agreement
1 2 years
2 3 years
3 4 years

 

HUNT does not enter into agreements that span over more than 4 years, but it is possible to apply for an extension by the end of this period. 

The duration of an agreement can never exceed the duration of the REK approval.

For an overview over the costs for the right to analyse HUNT data and publish on that, see:
https://www.ntnu.edu/hunt/pricing-hunt-projects

For an estimation of costs for the use of samples in your project, see our site on biospecimens from HUNT, or contact HUNT biobank for more information. 

An invoice for the project will be sent after the agreement is signed and the data is made available to the Principle Investigator.

New applications are assessed by HUNTs Data Access Committee for quality and feasibility and compatibility with HUNTs purposes More on the criteria for assessing HUNT applications can be read in our guidelines. Dates of DAC meetings and corresponding deadlines can be found on our website. 

With DAC positive, and all the necessary documentation sent in, HUNT will send out an agreement for signing by the PI and the Signing Official for the PI's Insitute. The agreement settles the rights and duties of the PI and HUNT regarding the research project, and we advise all PIs to read it carefully. 

If samples are analyzed / delivered to someone other than the PI who receives the data file, a Material Transfer Agreement may need to be signed in addition. 
In the case of sample delivery to a laboratory outside of the PIs institute, a Third Party Contract must be signed by the laboratory receiving the samples.

With the signed agreement(s) returned to HUNT, we will proceed with the delivery of samples and data, and the sending of merging bridges to other registries if requested. 

While the project is ongoing, the REK approval must always be valid, as long as publications are pending.

Before sending a manuscript to a scientific journal for peer-review, send it in to HUNT for approval by the Publication Committee. They will check whether the publication is in accordance with the agreement for your project.

Please use the Checklist when sending in your manuscript

Read the guidelines for publication for more information.

If, in the course of a project, a PI sees a need to alter a project, an application for change must be sent to HUNT Research Centre. Read more on how to apply for changes such as: 

  • an extension of the duration of a project,
  • an expansion of the project with more planned publications or
  • an application for more variables in the project:

https://www.ntnu.edu/hunt/project-changes

Please follow the procedure for ending a HUNT project when all manuscripts are published and you do not longer require HUNT data.

The HUNT Application Process

The HUNT Application Process

See whole process from application to publication

From application to publication

All applications and other inquiries must be sent to kontakt@hunt.ntnu.no 

Send us the application form + attachments (protocol, ethical approval, variable list etc.). The Data Access Committee will evaluate the application and get back to the applicant with their decision. Possible replies from the committee:

  • Approved (see below: "2. From data approval to data delivery")
  • Follow-up questions (about data power, research designs, ample use etc.)
  • Missing documents (start a new application process with the previous missing documents)
  • Rejection

This process usually takes one month (after the complete documentation is received).

  1. Approval
  2. Agreement/MTA sent
  3. Agreement/MTA signed and returned
  4. Data and sample delivery
  5. Research

If you need to make any changes to your project during the process, like additional variables, changes in research method, new publication plans or extensions, please contact us for an updated and valid application.

The manuscript must be approved by the HUNT Publication Comittee before being submitted for external publication.

If the manuscript is rejected by the HUNT Publication Comittee, check to see if the manuscript meets the requirements of the agreement and that the acknowledgements and use of HUNT in title/methods section is correct .

When the research project is completed, delete all data files and notify us.