Local Download for Data Releases
- Emily Martens
- Alana Sparks
When a request for data from a Controlled Data Release on the Brain-CODE Portal is granted, researchers are typically provided with a secure Brain-CODE Workspace for accessing and analyzing their data. In some cases, analyzing data in a Workspace may not be feasible (e.g., researchers may require access to proprietary software that cannot be installed in the Workspace). If a Workspace cannot be used for accessing and analyzing data, local download access can be requested.
Please note a Data Transfer Agreement will need to be executed with the researcher’s respective legal office prior to download. This Agreement will be provided by the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) upon approval of the data access request.
How to request local download access
Once you have reviewed the available data in a Data Release and submitted a Data Access Request through a Data Release Dashboard on the Brain-CODE Portal, you will receive an email prompting you to complete a Data Access Request form.
Click the Data Access Request link in the Access Request Instructions email
Complete the required fields and pages 1-4
On Page 5 under Data Access select Local download with VPN
Provide rationale for the request to download data locally
Complete any remaining required fields and submit the request
Your request for local download will be reviewed by the Brain-CODE Data Release Team and if additional information is required, you will be contacted by email. Once your request is confirmed, it will be sent to the Brain-CODE Data Access Committee and the Brain-CODE Steering Committee for further review. Learn more about these Committees in the Brain-CODE Governance Policy. You will be notified by email when your request has been reviewed. Upon approval, you will receive instructions on downloading your data.
How to Access Data via local download
Setup VPN Client
To begin, set up your VPN using the steps below:
Navigate to the VPN Client Installations Guide in the Help Desk and review the appropriate installation guide based on your computer's operating system.
Install, configure, and connect using your VPN credentials as indicated in the guide.
VPN Config File: sent via email
VPN Password: sent via SMS
Download Requested Data
Once you have set up the VPN on your local device, follow the Data Download Instructions below:
Once connected to the VPN, navigate to Brain-CODE's Seafile.
Log in to Seafile with your email address and the temporary password that will be sent via email from seafile-workspace@braincode.ca.
Navigate to Shared with me and select the folder name with your Request ID (e.g., "Request_123").
Download your requested data packages.
Note: if you are downloading a large number files or encounter interruptions in the download process, we recommend using the Seadrive desktop application.
Once analysis is complete, delete all data from local devices.
If additional team members require access to local download data, the Principal Investigator should submit the Team Members form to request VPN certificates and Seafile accounts for members of their team.