Privacy Act memo

DATE:

February 4, 2020

TO:

Dr. Zhining Wang
Center for Cancer Genomics Programs Office
National Cancer Institute (NCI)

FROM:

NIH Privacy Act Officer

SUBJECT: Applicability of the Privacy Act: NCI Genomic Data Commons (GDC) Data Submission
Request Form
I have reviewed the NCI submission to the Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork
Reduction Act which proposes to extend the collection of personally identifiable information (PII) via
the Genomic Data Commons (GDC) Data Submission Request Form, a mechanism in which
Investigators can request data submission for a study into the NCI GDC.
Respondents of the form are Investigators interested in submitting data from their cancer genomic
studies into the GDC. Investigators will navigate to the GDC website, select a link to complete the
GDC Data Submission Request Form, and submit the completed form. Information in the completed
form will be routed to the GDC Support System and maintained in the Kayako Help Desk Software.
The Principal Investigator will receive an automated e-mail message providing confirmation that the
data submission request was received. Without this form, the GDC will have difficulty determining in a
structured fashion whether the study is applicable to cancer genomics research and whether the GDC
has the available resources to support the management of study data.
I have determined that the Privacy Act will apply to this information collection request due to the
collection of the name and email address of the Principal Investigator as well as any Bioinformatician
assisting with data submission.
The data collection is covered by NIH Privacy Act Systems of Record 09-25-0156, “Records of
Participants in Programs and Respondents in Surveys Used to Evaluate Programs of the Public
Health Services, HHS/PHS/NIH/OD.” If you have any questions, please contact my office at (301)
402-6201.

Celeste Dade-Vinson
NIH Privacy Act Officer
cc: Diane Kreinbrink, NCI