Preparing your application

Find guidance on how to use the Researcher Access Service.

Illustration of a rocket blasting off over sheets of paper.

Guidance for applicants

Guidance is available for download on the full end-to-end online application process for projects progressing through the Researcher Access Service (RAS) Approval Pathway.

The following document is arranged in sections based on the statuses you will see on your Service dashboard as you move through the application process: Enquiry, Application in progress, In review, Data assembly and Data access.

Download Researcher Access Service guidance

Find detailed instructions to help you navigate your data access application.

Download RAS guidance (PDF 536.24 KB)

Requesting an amendment

If you request a change to your application after it has been approved, you will need to submit an amendment. In some situations, the requested amendment might take your project out of the scope of the RAS Approval Pathway.

In this case, you will be asked to submit a new application through the PBPP Approval Pathway, which will likely incur additional costs. eDRIS Research Coordinators will be able to advise on your specific situation.

View enquiry form questions

All researchers who require access to secure datasets held by our partner organisations will start their application journey by submitting an enquiry form. For a full view of the questions you will be asked on the enquiry form, please download a read-only version of this form using the link below.

Download enquiry form

See what questions you'll be asked on your enquiry form.

Download the RAS enquiry form (read only) (PDF 95.26 KB)

View application form questions

At this time, only researchers applying for data access through the RAS Approval Pathway will submit their full application using our online application system. For a full view of the questions you will be asked on this application, please download a read-only version of this form using the link below.

Please note: Researchers who are applying via the PBPP Approval Pathway will complete a different form which will be provided by eDRIS.

Download application form

See what questions you'll be asked during your full Researcher Access Service (RAS) application.

Download the RAS application form (read only) (PDF 130.65 KB)

Watch: An overview of the Researcher Access Service

Want to get a sense of how the enquiry and application process works for the Researcher Access Service? Watch the short video below for an overview of the process and form design.