OUR APPROACH
The GIC is the first queryable, federated, genomic data collaboration between leading hospitals in the nation and the first genomic data commons in the world that offers participating institutions the ability to leverage globally scalable technologies, policies, and procedures for sharing genomic data, phenotypic data, and biospecimen metadata on broadly consented cohorts, across sites of care. Interested healthcare institutions are invited to join the GIC.
MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL DATA
The GIC leverages a multi-institutional patient population of diverse backgrounds with unparalleled representation across the spectrum of diseases. Researchers and clinicians employed by member institutions have access to the combined patient population, which is continuously updating and available to query in aggregate view.
DATA IS STORED LOCALLY
Institutional data is stored locally and does not leave member institutions without approvals from institutional IRBs and the GIC's Federated Data and Sample Access Committee.
OPEN SOURCE TECHNOLOGY
Members are granted access to the GIC’s open source technology. The GIC Portal is the first portal in the world that enables researchers and clinicians to query genomic data, phenotypic data, and biospecimen metadata. The GIC portal is API-driven, extensible, and has been designed with thoughtful UI/UX to optimize end-users' experience in querying GIC data.
DOCUMENTATION AND SUPPORT
Members receive documentation and hands-on support to implement technological procedures.
ACCESS
Clinicians and researchers, who are CITI trained and who are employed by member institutions, are able to use the GIC Portal as peers.
LOCAL BENEFITS
The GIC supports participating organizations with data and analytic tools to advance local research agendas and clinical activities. The GIC has created a shared database of genes and conditions to lay the foundation for inter-institutional research collaborations, accelerate genomic discoveries, and provide a reference database for clinicians to clinically contextualize a patient’s genetic variant, resulting in improved clinical care and outcomes for patients.
FEDERATED MODEL
The federated model in which each member institution’s data are maintained separately not only affords local control over data and participation in studies, but also enables member institutions to develop important local applications which use their own data plus networked-derived intelligence. Distributed data networks can have benefits beyond simply providing local control over a queryable database. The GIC network permits a full end-to-end informatics system for research with federated data. Local control enables policy to be effected by those with direct care responsibility for the patients whose data are monitored.
REPRESENTATION
Member institutions are encouraged to take part in the design, selection and approval of GIC research studies.
TRANSPARENCY
Member institutions have full insight into use of their data by other member institutions.
TEMPLATIZED REMOTE CONSENT
The GIC offers member institutions the option to use our messaging and remote consent technology to recurit additional participants into institutional biobanks.
UNIFORM BIOBANKING PROTOCOLS
The GIC offers member institutions the ability to consent participants through uniform biobanking protocols.
NO MEMBERSHIP FEE
Interested healthcare institutions are eligible to join the GIC with sufficient internal information technology capabilities and a commitment to sharing genomic data. There is no membership fee to join the GIC.