BioGrid operates a unique data governance model incorporating legislative, institutional, custodian and researcher requirements underpinned by:

1. Unique evergreen collaboration agreement with 41 institutions (representing 80 sites across Australia) covering the management of governance, data access, undertaking projects, publications, intellectual property and commercialisation amongst the collaborators.
2. Unique human research ethics framework for national data linkage platform covering systems, methodologies and processes for data linkage, governance, privacy, security and project-specific access in every Australian state and the ACT.

There are a number of key benefits when an institution is a member of the BioGrid Collaboration. There is resourcing efficiency across the legal and ethics offices – no need to draft, advise, or review specific multi-site agreements for each multi-site-specific project as the BioGrid evergreen collaboration agreement can be used.

With institutional knowledge and ethical oversight of what data is connected and how their connected data is managed by BioGrid, including how BioGrid keeps data secure and privatcy protected, institutions have peace of mind with BioGrid.

Working with BioGrid enables collaborating institutions to leverage BioGrid’s national data governance and connectivity platform, resulting in IT and administrative cost savings.

BioGrid’s unique federated national data connectivity platform enables access to real-time hospital and clinic data across the federation, when specific research is authorised, is of great benefit to collaborating institutions.

Member institutions can leverage BioGrid’s centralised federation infrastructure with no need to build the same capability internally. Importantly, the collaborating institution has full control over provision of data for connectivity. That provision ensures that all data transfers and linkages are performed over secure and encrypted network connections.

Joining the Collaboration

There are two ways to collaborate. Either for a specific project, or ongoing, as a full member. Fees for accessing data can also be calculated on an agreed project, or is included in annual membership subscriptions.

Each Collaboration Agreement is established to protect both data contributors and users employed by the collaborating institutions, particularly in relation to data and project intellectual property. To ensure that each collaborator is equally protected, each participating collaborator institution is required to execute either the member Collaboration Agreement or the Data and Research Collaboration Agreement.