Data Access, Integration and Analysis Program (DAIA) 2

Data Access, Integration, and Analysis (DAIA) 2 supports the responsible and effective use of health and genomic data for research and innovation. In collaboration with the Health Data Platform BC (HDPBC) by the BC Ministry of Health, DAIA 2 aims to enable the secure integration and analysis of diverse datasets, including omics and health sector data. This initiative aligns with Genome BC’s commitment to data stewardship, promoting FAIR and CARE data principles, and ensuring high-quality collection and ethical use of data. Through HDPBC’s secure cloud-based infrastructure, which provides unified access to curated datasets, built-in analysis tools, and rigorous data governance, DAIA 2 will help accelerate discoveries that improve the health and well-being of British Columbians.

DAIA 2 aims to accelerate health research by enabling the integration of researcher-supplied genomics data with clinical and administrative health data from the Health Data Platform BC (HDPBC). Delivered in partnership with the BC Ministry of Health, the program supports ethically approved projects that securely link and analyze data within HDPBC’s Trusted Analysis Environment (TAE-BC), using tools such as SQL, SAS, Python, R & Rtools, and MS Office. By supporting researchers’ access to health data, DAIA 2 seeks to generate new insights that address clinical needs and contribute to improved healthcare outcomes in British Columbia.

To be eligible for the program, applicants must demonstrate all of the following:

The project has a cohort of patients who were enrolled in BC and requires access to data available within HDPBC for data linkage and integration. Projects that include other data not available via HDPBC (e.g., from other BC health authorities not currently integrated into HDPBC) will be required to submit evidence of approval from the relevant data custodians permitting use of the data within TAE-BC.
The project will have genomics data available for the enrolled patients by the project start date, or the ability to develop genomics data within the first six (6) months of the project from already-collected samples.
The project responds to the objective of this program, namely it can clearly indicate the benefits of using the HDPBC platform for data access, integration, linkage, and analysis in order to achieve its goals.
The project will upload its tabular genomics data into the HDPBC for integration with the HDPBC provided data and analyses.
For Project Leaders with existing Genome BC projects, administrative requirements (e.g. reporting) must be up to date in order to apply to DAIA 2.

The Project Leader is an academic researcher based on one of the following types of BC institutions:

Post-secondary institutions or their affiliated hospitals or research institutes.
Laboratories of federal government departments or agencies, including regional health authorities.
Non-governmental, not-for-profit organizations (including community or charitable organizations) with an explicit research or knowledge translation mandate. Industry partnerships to access the HDPBC data are not allowed.

Note: If the Project Leader is from category 3, please ensure that your project team includes individuals from category 1 or 2. This is necessary because the Principal Applicant for the HDPBC data access request must be affiliated with an institution that falls under category 1 or 2.

Genome BC has committed an investment of up to $1.5M to this competition. The BC Ministry of Health will provide access to data and the HDPBC analytic environment.

The program parameters are as follows:

Co-funding (matching funds) is not required.
The allowable project budget is up to $250,000, which includes data access fees.
The allowable project term is up to 24 months.

The application process will consist of two stages:

Letter of Intent (LOI) to outline the scope of the proposed project to assess its eligibility and help identify reviewers.
Proposal providing full details of the research plan with an accompanying budget.

Letter of Intent

The Letter of Intent (LOI) must provide a brief outline of the proposed project which addresses the eligibility criteria for the DAIA2 program. LOIs must be submitted to Genome BC through Proposal Central by the deadline posted by Genome BC to be considered. LOIs will be reviewed by Genome BC to determine their eligibility to the program.

Proposal

The proposal will provide greater detail about the clinical data requested through HDPBC and the planned project, including its methods, activities, objectives, milestones, and budget. Proposals will be evaluated by external reviewers and Genome BC against the evaluation criteria outlined in Appendix 1 of the DAIA 2 Guidelines. Genome BC reserves the right to decide which proposals will be awarded funding and decisions will be final.

High-level Timeline of Process	Date
Team to submit Letter of Intent (LOI)	September 25, 2025 (by 2:00pm Pacific Time)
Team notified of LOI decision/Invited to submit a proposal	October 16, 2025
Team to submit proposal to Genome BC	November 20, 2025 (by 2:00pm Pacific Time)
Notification of Results	Early March 2026

If you have any questions feel free to contact Genome BC at DAIA@genomebc.ca

Genome BC Programs

Data Access, Integration and Analysis Program (DAIA) 2

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