Requesting Access to ASPREE Data

Last updated on Jan 16, 2024

Below is a summary of how to request access to ASPREE data. Further information on the application process can be found here.

Click the link on the top right of the menu bar to be taken to the log in page of the ASPREE Access Management System (AMS).

If you do not have an account one can be made in seconds using the Sign Up form on the log in page. All you need to do is enter your personal details, pick a username and password and provide an email address.

Once you have logged in, on the right side of the home page there is a form to create a new project. Enter the name of your proposed project, what type of project it is (data request - analysis of existing ASPREE or sub-study data, biospecimen access +/- data access, or new sub-study - new data collection/generation or linkage in which ASPREE receives new data) and pick a project category. Once the form is submitted your new project has been created. You will receive an automated email containing intructions and information on the next steps in the review of your project proposal.

Before Submitting an EOI

If you would like to submit a data request application to access sub-study data, then you must contact the relevant sub-study lead investigator before submitting an EOI.

A contact list of the sub-study investigators can be found here.

Submitting an EOI

Once your project has been created you will be able to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). Information contained in the EOI includes:

  • A brief description of the rationale for your project, its aims and methods
  • Selection of the type of data that you are interested in analysing
  • Funding and ethics information for your project (if applicable)
  • Nomination of the project lead, analyst, category lead and primary project contact

Once your EOI has been submitted, a group of nominated voters will review your EOI. Voters have seven days to review your EOI. If there are any aspects of your EOI that need to be further discussed, this will happen at the International Executive Committee meeting that occurs twice a month. New sub-study project proposals will proceed straight for review by the International Executive Committee.

A note for data access requests:

If your application is successful, you will be granted reserved data access for six months, after which it is expected that you will produce a draft manuscript for review by the International Executive Committee (if you have not already published). You may apply for an extension, but the application may not be approved if you cannot demonstrate progress or reasonable justification for your lack of progress. If your application for an extension is not approved, we may begin to approve applications from other researchers who are interested in completing the same or similar work.

Please see here for a list of all ASPREE-related publications.

ASPREE Data Use MoU

Before accessing ASPREE data, applicants are required to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) outlining their responsibilities in respect to the use of ASPREE data. Once your project has been approved and the data custodian has confirmed the MoU has been signed, you will then be given access to data in one of the following environments.

Data Access

Information on the ASPREE Data Use Policy can be found here.

ASPREE Safehaven

The ASPREE Safehaven is an analysis environment that can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection and contains a number of common analysis tools such as R, Stata, SPSS, SAS and more. This is the default method for data access. Once you have an approved project and have signed the MoU the Safehaven team will coordinate your access to the ASPREE Safehaven. For internal Monash users this will require your authcate details and for users who are external to Monash this will require an external account to be created for you.

Access at Monash University or Berman Center

The ASPREE data set will be available in a secure location at both institutions for analysis by researchers within the institution as allowed by the institution’s Principal Investigator.

Outside the ASPREE Safehaven

Access to ASPREE data extracts may be requested by researchers outside of Safehaven for analysis for the following reasons:

  • To include in meta-analyses
  • To use analytical tools that are unavailable in Safehaven such as those needed for handling large-scale genomics and imaging analyses with linked phenotypic information, or online disease risk calculators
  • To enhance speed of collaboration in the data analysis process when this occurs in investigator teams
  • To facilitate analyses being conducted at remote sites

Data provided via this method will be limited to the study participants and data fields that are essential for completion of the approved project. This type of request will require a data use agreement (DUA) approved by both Monash University and the Berman Center (HHRI).

For Linkages to External Data

Linkages for the sole purpose of ingress of data from a registry to become part of the ASPREE resource:

  • Ethics approvals will be required to receive data from a registry and for any agreements required by the external party to be completed by Monash University, and/or the Berman Center (HHRI) and the authority managing the database to be linked
  • The linkage process will be undertaken in a secure environment
  • The new data will reside in the ASPREE database
  • To access this data, a data access EOI must be submitted

Linkages involving egress of ASPREE data to be linked with registry data that will reside outside the ASPREE database:

  • Ethics approvals will be required, and a DUA between Monash University, the Berman Center (HHRI) and the authority managing the database that is to be linked. The DUA for the new Linkage Study should nominate an ASPREE-XT Principal Investigator with responsibility for directing the resulting Linkage Study
  • The linkage process will be undertaken in a secure environment and the resulting linked data set will be de-identified and stored in a secure location that is separated from the personal identifiers
  • With the agreement of the external data repository, a copy of data fields in the linked data set that originated from the external source may be transferred to the ASPREE database and considered part of the ASPREE resource for future research
  • To access this data, a data access EOI must be submitted

Key ASPREE Contacts

ASPREE Principal Investigators

Monash University

Professor John McNeil, john.mcneil@monash.edu
A/Professor Joanne Ryan, joanne.ryan@monash.edu

Berman Center

Professor Anne Murray, amurray@bermancenter.org
Professor Andrew Chan, achan@mgh.harvard.edu

For general enquiries:

ASPREE-XT Data Manager
Dr Michelle Wilson, michelle.wilson@monash.edu

Sub-Study Investigators

Anaemia
A/Professor Zoe McQuilten, zoe.mcquilten@monash.edu
Professor Erica Wood, erica.wood@monash.edu

ASPREE Antisepsis
Professor Damon Eisen, damon.eisen@jcu.edu.au
Professor Karin Leder, karin.leder@monash.edu

ASPREE Age related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
Professor Robyn Guymer, rh.guymer@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Luba Robman, liubov.robman@monash.edu

ASPREE Atrial Fibrillation (ASPREE AF)
Amy Brodtmann, amy.brodtmann@monash.edu

ASPREE Biobank Inflammatory biomarkers (Hamburg)
A/Professor Robyn Woods, robyn.woods@monash.edu
James Phung, james.phung@monash.edu
Professor John McNeil, john.mcneil@monash.edu

ASPREE Biobank Clinical Measures (ALFRED Clinical Chemistry)
Professor John McNeil, john.mcneil@monash.edu
A/Professor Robyn Woods, robyn.woods@monash.edu

ASPREE Biobank LP(a)
Professor Andrew Tonkin, andrew.tonkin@monash.edu

ASPREE Biobank Plasma Metabolomics/Proteomics (WEHI)
Dr Andrew Webb, webb@wehi.edu.au
Nadja Bertleff-Zieschange, zieschang.n@wehi.edu.au

ASPREE Biobank Urinary Metabolomics/Proteomics (WEHI)
Dr Andrew Webb, webb@wehi.edu.au
Nadja Bertleff-Zieschange, zieschang.n@wehi.edu.au

ASPREE Cancer Endpoint Study (ACES)
Dr Suzanne Orchard, suzanne.orchard@monash.edu
Dr Andrew Haydon, andrew.haydon@monash.edu
Professor Andrew Chan, achan@mgh.harvard.edu

ASPREE Cancer Treatment Study (ACTS)
Dr Suzanne Orchard, suzanne.orchard@monash.edu
Professor John Zalcberg, john.zalcberg@monash.edu

ASPREE Fracture
A/Professor Anna Barker, anna.barker@monash.edu

ASPREE Genomics
Dr Paul Lacaze, paul.lacaze@monash.edu

ASPREE Healthy Ageing Biobank
A/Professor Robyn Woods, robyn.woods@monash.edu
James Phung, james.phung@monash.edu
Professor John McNeil, john.mcneil@monash.edu

ASPREE Hearing
Professor Elsdon Storey, elsdon.storey@monash.edu
Dr Carlene Britt, carlene.britt@monash.edu

ASPREE Knee
Professor Anita Wluka, anita.wluka@monash.edu
Professor Flavia Cicuttini, flavia.cicuttini@monash.edu
Dr Suzanne Orchard, suzanne.orchard@monash.edu

ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP)
Professor John McNeil, john.mcneil@monash.edu
A/Professor Robyn Woods, robyn.woods@monash.edu
Dr Alice Owen, alice.owen@monash.edu
Dr Carlene Britt, carlene.britt@monash.edu

ASPREE ALSOP-XT
A/Professor Robyn Woods, robyn.woods@monash.edu
Professor Andrew Chan, achan@mgh.harvard.edu
Dr Alice Owen, alice.owen@monash.edu

ASPREE Neuro
Professor Elsdon Storey, elsdon.storey@monash.edu
Dr Stephanie Ward, stephanie.ward@monash.edu
Professor John McNeil, john.mcneil@monash.edu
Dr Ruth Trevaks, ruth.trevaks@monash.edu

Australian Medical Benefits Scheme (MBS) & Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
Professor John McNeil, john.mcneil@monash.edu
Dr Ruth Trevaks, ruth.trevaks@monash.edu

CHIP
A/Professor Zoe McQuilten, zoe.mcquilten@monash.edu

Dementia Diagnosis External Community Methods (not ASPREE dementia outcomes)
Professor John McNeil, john.mcneil@monash.edu
Dr Xiaoping Lin, xiaoping.lin@monash.edu
Professor Jane Banaszak-Holl, jane.banaszak-holl@monash.edu

ENVISion
Professor Walter Abhayaratna, walter.p.abhayaratna@act.gov.au
Dr Ruth Trevaks, ruth.trevaks@monash.edu

MGRB (Garvan Whole Genome Sequencing)
Dr Paul Lacaze, paul.lacaze@monash.edu

Resilience (ICAHN)
Dr Paul Lacaze, paul.lacaze@monash.edu

SHOW
Professor Susan Davis, susan.davis@monash.edu
Professor Robin Bell, robin.bell@monash.edu

SNORE-ASA
Dr Stephanie Ward, stephanie.ward@monash.edu
Dr Ruth Trevaks, ruth.trevaks@monash.edu

Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Registry (VACAR)
Professor John McNeil, john.mcneil@monash.edu