Information for potential collaborators

The MRC Epidemiology Unit (South Wales) was formally closed at the end of March 1999. To ensure that the data and biological samples collected by the unit are still made available to the academic community, the MRC has entrusted the University of Bristol with its custodianship. The study is now looked after by the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (MRC IEU), part of the Bristol Medical School (Population Health) at the University of Bristol.

Although funding was made available for the transfer and collation of the materials, there is no specific funding for meeting future requests for new work on the various cohorts. To maintain that materials are used appropriately, avoid duplication of work and ensure that any outputs are of the highest scientific calibre, a Data Access Committee exists to review all requests for collaboration utilising these materials and a Steering Committee to advise on the management and future direction of CaPS. Only proposals that have been approved by the Data Access Committee can proceed.

The primary route to accessing CaPS data is via application to the UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration (UK LLC) and/or Dementias Platform UK (DPUK) (no linkage data available). Applications received by these entities will undergo preliminary review according to their own procedures and then passed to the study DAC for final approval. If you have any queries regarding access to or use of data, please contact the study PI, Laura Corbin (laura.corbin@bristol.ac.uk) and/or the Chair of the DAC, Rosie Cornish (Rosie.Cornish@bristol.ac.uk).