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Frequently Asked Questions

Who Can Access Pioneer Project Data?
How can TWU faculty apply for access to Pioneer Project data?
How will applications be reviewed?
How will I receive the Pioneer Project data I am authorized for?
What are my obligations as a Pioneer Project Investigator?
Does research using Pioneer Project data require IRB approval?
Who should I contact for further information?

Who Can Access Pioneer Project Data?
TWU faculty members can apply for access to Pioneer Project data sets for research purposes. Faculty members who gain access to Pioneer Project data through the application process are designated as Pioneer Project Investigators.

TWU graduate students and research support staff are also eligible to access Pioneer Project data under the direction of faculty-level Pioneer Project Investigators. TWU graduate students and support staff who access Pioneer Project data under the supervision of an Investigator are designated as Pioneer Project Research Staff.

Researchers at institutions other than TWU are not eligible to access Pioneer Project data as either Investigator or Research Staff at this time.

How can TWU faculty apply for access to Pioneer Project data?
TWU faculty interested in applying for access to Pioneer Project data must complete and submit an Application for Access to Data. The application requests a brief research proposal and specific data requested.

How will applications be reviewed?
The application will be reviewed by the Pioneer Project Scientific Review Panel. Applicants will be notified within 14 days about the outcome of their proposal. The Review Panel will request additional information, if needed.

How will I receive the Pioneer Project data I am authorized for?
If your application is approved, you will receive a letter of authorization from the Pioneer Project Scientific Review Panel. The letter will specify that you, as Investigator, read and sign an Agreement for the Use of Data and Security Pledge for Use of Data. Members of your Research Staff must read and sign a Supplemental Agreement for Research Staff and Security Pledge for Use of Data.

After your request has been approved and agreements signed by the Investigator and Research Staff have been received, Excel spreadsheets containing the raw data you requested will be forwarded by the Pioneer Project office via either email or CD.

What are my obligations as a Pioneer Project Investigator?
Authorized Pioneer Project Investigators and Research Staff agree:

• That the data will be used solely for statistical analysis; no attempt will be made to identify specific individuals, nor will any listing of data at the individual level be published or otherwise distributed.

• If the identify of any person should be discovered inadvertently, then no use will be made of this knowledge, the Principal Investigator will be advised of the incident, the information that would identify the person will be safeguarded or destroyed as requested by the Pioneer Project, and no one else will be informed of the discovered identity.

• That no persons other than those identified in this agreement, or in subsequent amendments to this agreement be permitted access to the contents of data files or any files derived from data files.

• To include in each written report or other publication based on analysis of data from the Pioneer Project, the following statement:
This research is based on data from Texas Woman’s University Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health, The Pioneer Project, designed by Drs. Charlotte F. Sanborn (PI), Sydney Lou Bonnick, Sue Smith, Leann “Beez” Schell, Jean Henry, Linda Owen, John Duncan, and Nancy DiMarco, and funded by the State of Texas.

• To destroy all the electronic and paper files, at the agreed-upon date specified in the Application for Access to Data;

• To provide annual reports to Pioneer Project administrators which include: (1) a copy of the annual IRB approval for the research project, (2) a listing of public presentations at professional meetings using results base on these data, (3) a listing of papers accepted for publication using these data, with complete citations, and (4) a listing of graduate students using the data for dissertations or theses, the titles of those papers, and the date of completion.

• To provide the Pioneer Project administrators with a reprint of any publication based directly or indirectly on use of the Pioneer Project Data.

Does research using Pioneer Project data require IRB approval?
Yes, research projects using Pioneer Project data must be approved by your campus IRB. In most cases, an Exempt IRB application will be appropriate. Your letter of authorization from the Pioneer Project Scientific Review Panel documents your access to Pioneer Project data.

Who should I contact for further information?
For information about gaining access to Pioneer Project data, contact Dr. Nancy DiMarco, phone 8-1-2785, email ndimarco@mail.twu.edu. For information about the scientific content of the Pioneer Project database, contact Dr. Barney Sanborn, 8-1-2575, email csanborn@twu.edu.