Access to the catalogue
Belgian researchers, active in the broad field of oncology, can request access to the catalogue of the Belgian Virtual Tumourbank by the following procedure:
1. Download and fill in the catalogue application form. (download form)
2. Send this form (with requested attachments) to biobank@kankerregister.org.
3. After positive evaluation of the application by the BVT Steering Committee, the Belgian Cancer Registry sends the catalogue access agreement. (preview document)
4. After signing and returning this access agreement, access to the BVTc is provided.
For further information or for information on the state of your application please contact the biobank team of the BCR.
Please note that you will need an eID, an eID-card reader and your eID-pincode in order to access the catalogue module of the BVT.
The most recent table with aggregated data of primary malignant tumour tissue samples registered in the BVT catalogue, can be downloaded on the page Aggregated data.
1. Download and fill in the catalogue application form. (download form)
The following information is requested in the form:
1. Coordinates of the applicant:
o Name and first name: the access is strictly personal
o Function: only research functions can lead to catalogue access.
o National registry number: Access is provided via the User and Access Management of the Belgian eHealth platform, where this number is needed as a personal identification number of the user.
o E-mail address: only institution-related email addresses are valid.
o Telephone number
o Name and address of the institution: only institutions with direct research activities can access the catalogue. A list of institutions that have access to the catalogue is publically available on the BVT website.
o Responsible Health Care practitioner: access to the BVTc can only be granted if the applicant is a Health Care practitioner (e.g. a physician) or accesses the catalogue under the direct responsibility of such a practitioner. Information on this person needs to be provided.
o A proof of function and relation with the institution needs to be attached when sending the application.
2. Motivation of the application:
o The references to the 3 most relevant research papers of the applicant.
o The principal research activities of the institution.
o The added value of the access to the BVTc for the higher specified research activities.
o The applicant needs to indicate the requested duration of access to the BVTc. The maximum duration is 3 years.
3. Project description
o This part can be replaced by a separate document containing all the requested information (e.g. FWO/FNRS request), if desired by the applicant.
o Title of the project where the access will be used for.
o Short description of the project.
o Indication (+specification if applicable) whether:
- The project is approved by a scientific committee
- The project is approved by an ethical committee
- The project is financed already
- There are other partners involved in the project
2. Send this form (with requested attachments) to biobank@kankerregister.org
A mean processing time of 4 to 5 weeks needs to be taken into account after sending the application form.
3. After positive evaluation of the application by the BVT Steering Committee, the Belgian Cancer Registry sends the catalogue access agreement. (preview document)
The catalogue access agreement specifies the conditions for accessing the BVTc. These include:
The coordinates of the researcher that can access the BVT.
The duration the access will be provided.
The aim of the access is restricted to sample localizations for scientific purposes.
The researcher needs to declare that he/she ... :
will only use the BVTc for well-defined research projects on cancer that may potentially lead to an application for samples to the participating biobanks.
will not make any attempts to identify sample donors (which is very unlikely given the coded character of the data provided).
will only access the BVTc personally and under no circumstances shares this access with others.
informs the BCR when access is no longer needed, he/she changes function in the institution that was mentioned in the access application form, or he/she stops working for the institution that was mentioned in the access application form.
is aware of the fact that a list with the name of the institutions who have access to the catalogue is publically available on the website.
is a professional Health Care practitioner (preferably a physician) or uses the personal data of the BVTc under the responsibility of such a practitioner.
will at all times respect the Belgian Privacy law of December 8, 1992.
4. After signing and returning the access agreement, access to the BVTc is provided.
A manual about the BVTc application as well as all other relevant information is provided.
The name of the institution will appear on the BVT website.
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