Requests for Collaboration

The purpose of PEDIGREE is to progress the cancer control objectives of The Cancer Council Victoria and University of Melbourne by developing and maintaining high quality resources for epidemiological research.  PEDIGREE has a significant asset in the data and biospecimen information it has collected through its extensive research studies. The data and biospecimens are available to researchers on a cost recovery basis. Prices and availability will be confirmed via an application of an Expression of Interest.

Requests to collaborate on projects using data or biospecimens from PEDIGREE are assessed by the PEDIGREE Executive Committee.

Step 1: Form a research idea that could utilise PEDIGREE resources

 

Step 2:

  1. Decide on a lead investigator

  2. Nominate other investigators

    The investigators listed in the Expression of Interest (it should be a fairly short list) constitute the default writing group for all the publications emanating from the proposed project. For any individual papers, you could consider inviting additional investigators to that paper’s writing group – for instance, if they have subject matter expertise relevant to the paper’s topic.

  3. Write a project synopsis

    The synopsis should include:

    • Aims and hypotheses
    • Background
    • Research plan
    • Significance
    • Rationale for resource use
    • Requirements for project
    • A provisional timeline

Revision

 

Step 3: Complete an EoI form and submit it to PEDIGREE@cancervic.org.au.

Submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) when you have a research question and a general methodology. One purpose of an EoI is to avoid duplicating research efforts. Another is to inform people who might wish to join the project. EoIs from external researchers give the PEDIGREE committee a chance to evaluate the research and their participation in it.

The committee will review the EoI and will either:

  • Approve the project
  • Ask for revisions and a resubmission
  • Reject the proposal (rare)

The review normally takes up to two weeks.

Approval

Step 4: Draft an analysis plan

The analysis plan for the project should include, at a minimum: aims, inclusion criteria, outcomes and exposure variables of interest, statistical methods, covariates and rationale for their inclusion, any sensitivity analyses and tentative timeline.

 

Step 5: Circulate analysis plan to the writing group for feedback and approval.

Include PEDIGREE coordinator ( PEDIGREE@cancervic.org.au) in all correspondence.

 

Step 6: Organise/verify Materials Transfer Agreement (MTA)

Unless your institution has an existing relevant Data Transfer / Materials Transfer Agreement, contact PEDIGREE@cancervic.org.au to organise one.

If you did not have HREC approval when submitting your EoI, make sure you provide PEDIGREE with it now.

 

Step 7: Submit a data request

Fill out the PEDIGREE data request form (.docx) and send to PEDIGREE@cancervic.org.au.

At this point you will need to hold a finalised ethics approval, and an MTA.

Data request processing times can range from a week to over a month, depending on urgency, request complexity and available resources.

Data received from PEDIGREE

Step 8: Perform the data analysis

 

Step 9: Draft a paper outline, including tables & other outputs. Share results on an ongoing basis with all candidate authors to enable them to contribute meaningfully as co-authors

The committee may suggest additional authors

Submit a Publication Registration form to PEDIGREE.

 

 

Step 10: Circulate the paper draft(s) to all candidate authors and to PEDIGREE@cancervic.org.au.

Feedback and revision

Step 11: Circulate the FINAL DRAFT.

Ask all authors to check their affiliations and acknowledgement texts.

 

Step 12: SUBMIT your paper to the journal

If your project extends beyond one paper, re-start the process from step 4.

Please remember to keep PEDIGREE and your co-investigators informed as to the status and progress of the publication/s

  • Respect other authors – treat them as you would want to be treated yourself
  • Involve all authors at every step
  • Give authors adequate time to give feedback on drafts
  • Distribute final draft to all authors prior to submission and gain their approval to submit
  • Share reviews with all authors
  • Distribute revised draft(s) to all authors for feedback and gain their approval to resubmit 

 

If your project evolves further, please contact pedigree@cancervic.org.au to discuss the changes. 

Health 2020 or the Prostate Cancer Program

To access resources from the Cancer Council Victoria-based research programs Health 2020 or Prostate Cancer, please complete an Expression of Interest and email to the PEDIGREE Co-ordinator. Once this has been approved please send the Data Request form to the PEDIGREE Co-ordinator.

Biospecimen and Data Access Policy

Expression of Interest    

Data Request Form

Progress Report Form

ABCFR and ACCFR

To access the University of Melbourne-based resources, the Australian Breast Cancer Family Registry (ABCFR) or Australasian Colorectal Cancer Family Register (ACCFR), please contact the PEDIGREE Co-ordinator for details.

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