Donate

FAQs

The IFH Data Core is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) core facility and is a central hub for specialized database and survey resources for analyses. The Core is home to a variety of datasets – including population-based surveys and New Jersey-based, national, and international medical and administrative databases – as well as highly trained and specialized analytical personnel with the expertise to provide efficient and professional research support. The Core also includes a HIPAA-compliant high-performance computing environment that meets the stringent standards required to store and use highly sensitive datasets.
Core facilities are centralized shared research resources that provide access to instruments, technologies, services, as well as expert consultation and other services to scientific and clinical investigators and staff. Typically, core facilities are a discrete unit within an institution and may have dedicated personnel, equipment, and space for operations. The foundation of an NIH core facility’s operating procedures is based on NIH policies for core facilities, federal cost principles, and institutional policies.
The IFH Data Core provides a wide variety of research services and expertise, including support with survey research design and execution as well as support with data management and analysis. Our experienced staff can provide research support from the start to the finish of a project, including study design, generation of preliminary data, data management, and data analysis.
The IFH Data Core is combines electronic healthcare and survey data resources under one umbrella. The Core is home to highly specialized data resources from population-based surveys, New Jersey-based datasets, and national and international medical and administrative datasets. The Core also includes experienced personnel that can support projects from start to finish. Our data are secured in a high-performance HIPAA-complaint computing environment. The Core has dedicated administrative and IT staff on hand to provide personalized service to meet your needs.
Faculty, staff, and students at Rutgers and other institutions, including nonprofit and commercial organizations, can access Core resources for projects or training purposes. Access to specific data resources may have their own restrictions or additional requirements.
The IFH Data Core’s rates are determined through a formal budgetary planning process that included review by Core and Institute leadership, review by Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, and a final certification by Rutgers University central administration. As per NIH guidelines, the rates are based upon applicable federal cost principles and include only those direct costs that are directly attributed to the operations of the Core. The costs of providing the services are allowable, allocable, and must be consistently applied and reasonable. These factors are included in ongoing institutional review of the Core. NIH rules forbit the Core from making a profit; all rates are designed for the Core to break even.
The Core’s budget and rates are reviewed annually and may change each fiscal year beginning on July 1. Core and Institute leadership make every effort to keep rates the same or lower rates over time, if possible.
NIH regulations do not permit a discount to any user of the Core, regardless of institutional affiliation or funding source. Billing rates must not discriminate between federal and non-federal users, including internal institutional activities. Internal unfunded studies and student projects must also be charged at the same rate.
NIH policy does not permit discounts of any kind, including if an investigator provides their own resources to the Core. As Core use increases, it is expected over time that the unit cost for that resource will be shared by all users, and the cost to individual users will decrease. In terms of personnel provided to the Core, the Core is permitted to provide preferential assignment of personnel time to researchers in this circumstance.
The Core encourages partnerships with other schools, institutes, and units at Rutgers or elsewhere to offset Core costs. For example: A 50% “discount” can be provided by using institutional funding to fund half of the cost, while the other 50% is made up by another funding source (e.g., a grant).
Applications for each new project requiring access to core resources (personnel or data) may be submitted here. Projects reviews are generally completed within 1-2 weeks. More details about the submission process be found here.
No, IRB approval is not required before submitting a request to the Core. However, projects using Core resources generally cannot be started without an IRB determination.
The IFH Data Core bills for usage on a monthly basis for work that has been completed. The Core does not bill for anticipated usage in advance of the work being performed.
In situations where Rutgers is the recipient of a sub-award and a Rutgers researcher is included on the budget, the sub-award would be charged internal rates.
Any Publication arising from services conducted by the Core or using Core resources should include the following statement in the publication: “This study was completed in part by research services and/or survey/data resources provided by the Institute for Health Data Core at Rutgers University, available at: http://www.ifhcore.rutgers.edu Use of certain data resources may have additional citation requirements.

Yes, the IFH Data Core computing platform is HIPAA-compliant and can store protected health information (PHI) for research purposes.
Yes, the IFH Data Core facility features a state-of-the-art computing environment hosted by the Rutgers Clinical and Research Data Warehouse (CRDW). Specific details about the platform’s parameters may be requested at at any time. The computing environment is also equipped with a wide range of analytical, statistical, and database packages and software, such as SAS, SPSS, Stata, R, Python, and SQL.
Yes, data are backed up every day locally, and full backups are taken twice a month and retained for 6 months.
Available software includes: Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, SPSS, Stata, SAS, R, Python, MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, Outlook), and Adobe Acrobat PDF reader.
Yes, specialized statistical or programming software may be added to the computing environment upon request.
Yes, with appropriate permission, you are allowed to upload your own data to the IFH Core computing platform for use on your own project. Datasets need to be vetted by Core IT staff before being uploaded, and contractual documents need to be kept on file with the Core. Specific Data Use Agreement and contractual requirements for data on the Core computing platform (Core data or investigator-provided data) govern whether datasets can be linked for a specific project.
No, the Core does not automatically absorb an investigator’s data for its use or for other Core users. Data that are uploaded for a specific project will remain under the ownership of the investigator. However, in certain cases, an investigator could consider transferring data to the Core and have the Core support regular data updates and make the data available to all Core users.
All output must be vetted and approved by Core IT staff prior to being released to users. This is a requirement to prevent protected Core resources or data, including Protected Health Information (PHI), from leaving the platform.
Yes, the IFH Core computing platform and all of its data resources are remotely accessible.
No, working directly from the IFH building will not improve the quality of the connection as users connect to the system via a virtual server.

There are 3 main options to utilize the IFH Data Core databases: 1) The IFH Data Core dedicates an analyst to a project, who provides comprehensive support including data management and data analysis using an investigator’s own data, Core databases, or a combination of the two. 2) The investigator or designated team members use IFH Data Core databases and conduct their own analysis. 3) The investigator stores their own data on the IFH Data Core computing platform and the investigator or designated team members conduct their own analyses. A combination of these options may be used. For instance, IFH Data Core analytic staff may provide an investigator or research team with a data cut from IFH Data Core Core databases, and the investigator or designated team can then proceed with data analysis on the IFH Data Core computing platform.
IFH Data Core database resources refer to any databases managed by the Core. A full list of IFH Data Core database resources can be found on the Core Database Page of this website.
Any number of IFH Data Core database resources can be used for a project at the same rate. The only stipulation is that: 1) use of IFH Data Core data is scientifically justified and approved by the Core; and 2) any necessary licensor and regulatory approval is obtained.
The IFH Data Core has a standardized fee structure for users to access IFH Data Core databases. Use of certain datasets may require additional fees that are imposed by the licensor by contract. The Core will charge these fees to the user as a direct pass-through cost for accessing the data. The rate can vary based on the funding source or type of user (academic vs commercial). Typically, such access fees are a one-time expense.

There are 3 main options to utilize the IFH Data Core’s survey resources: 1) The Core collects data and conducts the analyses. 2) The investigator brings survey data to the Core, and Core analysts conduct the analyses. 3) The Core collects data, and the investigator or designated team completes analyses. If the Core’s survey collection platform is being utilized, regardless of who collects the survey data, this counts as Core data collection.
IFH Data Core survey data refer to any data that collected via survey and managed by the IFH Data Core. A full list of survey data can be found on the Core Survey Page of this website.
Survey data using the IFH Data Core survey collection platform can currently be collected in English, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Hindi, and Spanish. Additional language capabilities are in process.
The IFH Data Core survey platform allows survey data to be collected by research staff or entered directly by research participants through self-administered surveys.