N3C Pilot Enclaves

NCATS is piloting the use of the N3C infrastructure developed for COVID-19 research for additional health conditions. The pilot projects build on and extend N3C’s expertise and the resources initially developed in response to the pandemic.

The N3C pilot projects leverage operational and governance aspects of the original N3C platform that were established already. A key difference from the N3C COVID Enclave effort is that the pilot projects essentially have their own data enclave where the proposed research is conducted. They do not use any data from the N3C COVID Enclave, and they require separate data transfer and use agreements.

For all N3C pilot projects, NCATS provides stewardship of the technology platform. The center takes a comprehensive approach to keeping data secure and protecting patient privacy.

The following N3C pilot projects are active:

Renal Enclave

Lead organization: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH

This enclave focuses on using real-world clinical data to better understand the patient’s journey through chronic kidney disease, including dialysis and transplant.

Cancer Enclave

Lead organization: National Cancer Institute, NIH

This enclave focuses on using real-world clinical data to study differences in cancer patient outcomes and treatment practices.