Sharing Information and Data: Data Transfer and Use

Data Use Agreements (DUA) or Data Transfer & Use Agreements (DTUA) are used when there is a transfer of data collected or developed such as raw data, data sets, student info, personal health info, and other data. Data may be shared with UW (inbound data), shared by UW (outbound data), or both.

While university research is premised on the principle of open access to data, when applicable, there are restrictions that may prevent data sharing or require additional terms and conditions in a data use agreement.

A DUA must be in place whenever there are restrictions for any of the following reasons:

• Information Privacy: protected health or personal data
• Information Security / National Security: data sharing restrictions imposed by the federal government
• Protecting commercial, proprietary or confidential data interests

Need a DUA?

The UW recommends starting with the Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) DTUA Templates.

Complete the Face page with attachments 1 & 3 and select relevant Attachment 2.

If the Data Sharer has a non-FDP agreement, your reviewer may need more information to put the agreement into place. Review the FDP DTUA or DUA templates to help understand the type of information needed.

The Office of Sponsored Programs only reviews and coordinates DUAs and DTUAs that are supporting an active or pending sponsored program.

DUAs Not Supporting Active/Pending Sponsored Program

Your departmental authorized official signs DUAs and DTUAs that are not in support of an active or pending sponsored program.

Applicable Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) Data templates are available to use for non-sponsored program DUAs and DTUAs.

NOTE:

• A DUA that is not supporting an active or pending sponsored program does not route to the Office of Sponsored Programs.
• The “recipient” on the Face page should reflect the authorized signature.
• For example, if the School of Medicine (SOM) is signing a DUA (because it is a SOM DUA and it is not supporting related to an active or pending sponsored program) then the Recipient will list the SOM and the Signature will be the SOM.

DUAs Supporting to an Active or Pending Sponsored Program

Prepare & route an After-the-Fact eGC1.

Controlled-Access Data and Federal Repositories

There are security and operational standards that must be in place in order to use controlled-access data from a federal repository. You may need to seek an IT environment that meets these standards prior to accessing. Please see a listing of NIH Controlled-access Data Repositories.

When you are accessing or submitting data to a federal repository such as dbGaP, NIAGADS, CMS, and are required to complete a Data Submission Agreement (DSA), Data Access Request (DAR) or Data Use Certification (DUC) you will need to submit an Award Modification Request in SAGE.

Prepare your SAGE Request to OSP: Federal Repositories

Review & follow these steps for dbGaP requests before sending a request to OSP in SAGE. Please see How to Request Datasets from dbGaP.

There are two scenarios:

• Is the DSA, DAR or DUC associated with an existing sponsored program? Follow Award Modification in SAGE for Federal Data Repository Access & Submission instructions.
• Is the DSA, DAR or DUC not associated with a specific sponsored program? Route an After-the-Fact eGC1.

NOTE: Before submitting human subjects datasets to repositories, consult with the Human Subjects Division hsdinfo@uw.edu.

Page reviewed & updated 1/26/2026