Registration
The CoBi is available to all bona fide researchers for blood cancer-related research which is in the public interest and compliant with the Research Framework of the CoBi. In advance all researchers have to collaborate with DKMS Group gGmbH or any cooperating Transplantation Centre.
There are no costs.
No, the e-mail address and/or contact details used must be your individual business address (not a group or non-business address).
If you have attached a wrong document please write an e-mail to the CoBi-Team who will be happy to replace documents.
Completeness check: If all necessary documents are provided, the application automatically advances to the second step.
Ethico-legal review: This step shall be performed within 4 weeks after the completeness check by the CoBi-Team.
Scientific review (DKMS Group gGmbH applications only): The committee shall act upon application within 8 weeks. In case of open questions the casting of votes for a decision can be extended to 16 weeks or can be put on hold.
Transfer Agreement: Samples and/or data will be transferred after clarification of contractual terms.
Yes, on a short term notice directly after the request it should be possible to stop a request procedure. Please contact the CoBi-Team. In this case your application documents will be deleted.
If an applicant Principal Investigator is advised that the biobank is minded to reject an application, they may request that the application be reconsidered.
Contact details can be updated by emailing to the CoBi-Team.
Application
The CoBi is happy to respond to any general questions that you may have.
No, in general, samples and/or data exports can be requested by any research groups, provided certain conditions are met.
No, under the terms of the CoBi protocol the resources are available to all bona fide researchers regardless of their location.
No, researchers need to apply on their own behalf. If you apply you automatically become the applicant Principal Investigator.
You have the possibility to list registered researchers and third parties who will have direct access to provided samples and data of the CoBi (quoting their e-mail). Researchers who are involved in the project (e.g., as co-authors on publications) but who are not handling samples and/or data, do not need to be named.
Yes, please get in contact with the CoBi-Team quoting your application number and project title.
Yes, please e-mail the CoBi-Team to confirm that you are moving your institute with the date you intend to move. Depending on who signed the transfer agreement prepared samples and/or data shall move with you or remain in your previous institute. The CoBi-Team will advise you how to proceed.
After you have performed your Feasibility Check it is required to complete the ‘Access Application Form’ form with the following information:
- Lay summary (200 words or less) of the research project, including an explanation of how the proposed project meets the Research Framework of the Collaborative Biobank;
- Objectives;
- Names of all collaborators, including commercial/industrial;
- Name and address of the leading institute;
- Name of the applicant Principal Investigator;
- Required data and/or quantity and type of samples with specification for gender selection and age range;
- Ethic approval by its competent Ethics Committee for the research project;
- Research project protocol, which also addresses data security and privacy issues in the research project.
No, although it must be relevant to your application.
Payment
Costs are based on whether samples and/or data are required. There is no fee for the preliminary application process.
For sample requests the CoBi policy is as follows: The costs cover sample export process in the laboratory, working hours, and shipping costs. Therefore the costs do depend on the volume of sample requests, shipment quality, and country of destination.
For data extraction the costs depend on the number of data records and on the level of complexity of the request. This shall be decided in each individual request.
Yes, please e-mail to our CoBi-Team.
The actual amount of the payment will be stated in the transfer agreement and shall be transferred according to the bank information provided with the agreement.
Not currently. All invoices to the CoBi must be paid in EURO, taking bank charges into account.
Approval, Licensing and Ethics
Yes, the ethical approval has to come from the competent Ethics Committee for the research project.
Property Rights
With the transfer agreement the ownership of samples will be transferred to the Principal Investigator or requesting institute. For the use of data a limited non-transferable and non-exclusive right of use will be granted.
Depending on whether material and data are already provided the transfer agreement shall only be amended in agreement with all contractual parties.
There could be several reasons for termination. With the termination an acceptable justification shall be provided.
Samples and/or data release and additional requests
Samples and/or data will be provided for an unlimited time period. It is mandatory that after completion of the research project remaining material shall be destroyed immediately and shall not be used for any other purpose than contractually agreed to.
Please e-mail the CoBi-Team for assistance.
Please e-mail the CoBi-Team quoting the CoBi project number, listing the data-fields you would like and a brief reason as to why they are needed for your project. In the individual case a contract amendment could be possible.
Please e-mail the CoBi-Team quoting your application number and how you wish to extend the project. The scope can only be expanded with the permission of the CoBi Team and in specific cases by the Scientific Committee.
Each dataset is provided with an unique identifier so that researchers cannot link their datasets. Researchers are also obliged to NOT seek to identify participants; Penalties may be imposed on researchers and/or their institutes who seek to do this.
Publications and Return of Results
Yes, according to the Access Policy you are obliged to publish your findings in a peer-reviewed journal or an open source publication site within 6 months after project end date.
Yes, we ask that you acknowledge the CoBi: ‘This research has been facilitated by the Collaborative Biobank’.
Please send all written reports (e.g., meeting abstracts, online reports, publications) to the CoBi at least two weeks before their expected public release date. This is solely for tracking how results are being disseminated (you do not require our approval) and to make general information available to participants who have provided samples and data.
Useful Information
DKMS Group gGmbH
Clinical Trials Unit
Augsburger Strasse 3
01309 Dresden
Germany
contact@cobi-biobank.com
www.cobi-biobank.com