23andMe Research Innovation Collaborations Program

Overview

In addition to providing direct-to-consumer genetic testing through the 23andMe® Service, 23andMe endeavors to advance biomedical science through genetic research.

Some of those discoveries have and will come from our own scientists, but others will come from collaborations with academic researchers.

The 23andMe Research Innovation Collaborations Program pairs up academic researchers with 23andMe scientists to perform analyses. Through this program, academic researchers can access de-identified, aggregated data from the 23andMe Research Cohort.

The 23andMe database is a rich resource, with genotypic and phenotypic information from more than 5 million of our customers, 80 percent of whom consent to participate in 23andMe Research. By consenting to participate, our customers agree to make their de-identified genetic data available for study in aggregate and take part in online research under a protocol approved by an external institutional review board (IRB). These research participants also answer online survey questions on a variety of topics, and to date have contributed over 1 billion phenotypic data points.

 

Recent Collaboration Highlights

Over the years, we have participated in over 100 collaborations with academic institutions on a wide variety of topics. Here are select examples of projects we are currently pursuing or have recently completed:

• In collaboration with Danielle Posthuma at Vrije University Amsterdam, 23andMe contributed to the largest GWAS of insomnia, which identified almost 1000 genes that might be linked to this prevalent mental disorder.
• 23andMe scientists are working with Noah Zaitlen at UCSF, Alkes Price at Harvard School of Public Health, and Bogdan Pasaniuc at UCLA To refine computational methods that identify risk loci, train risk prediction models, and fine-map variants based on summary statistics.
• We have investigated the genetic underpinnings of the onset of puberty in both boys (age of voice-breaking) and girls (age at menarche) as part of a collaboration with Dr. John Perry at the University of Cambridge.

Our research team has published or collaborated on over 100 scientific papers. For a complete list, visit our Publications page.

 

Application Process

We accept applications from academic researchers on a rolling basis. In June and December, we hold a scientific review to evaluate proposals for the limited number of collaborative projects we can initiate. By opening this opportunity to the greater scientific community, we hope to widen our perspective, spark new innovation, and generate meaningful discoveries from the 23andMe database. In particular, we are interested in collaborations that have the potential to catalyze novel findings beyond what we can accomplish on our own. This includes analyses with collaborators willing to share complementary data resources, new methodologies, or approaches that validate our findings.

 

What data can be found in the 23andMe database?

We have collected genotypic and phenotypic data from more than 5 million research participants, a cohort that continues to grow. Phenotypic data is self-reported by 23andMe research participants who have responded to surveys hosted on the 23andMe website. A supplement with an overview of the types of phenotype data we collect can be found here.

 

What type of collaboration is of interest to 23andMe?

We seek collaborators who will enable new discovery from our database with complementary datasets, expertise, and analytic techniques. We are particularly interested in developing and establishing the personal and clinical utility of genetics-based risk models. Example collaborations could involve:

• Incorporating data from an ethnically diverse and/or deeply phenotyped cohort to enhance or validate risk prediction
• The development of new methods for creating or evaluating genetic risk scores
• Investigations of genetic risk score clinical utility in observational or interventional studies

These collaborations will leverage 23andMe’s database and infrastructure to demonstrate the real-world utility of genetic risk models, and may lead to new 23andMe Health or Wellness reports. We are also interested in collaborations on the following topics:

• Identification of rare variants with whole-genome sequencing data
• Fine-mapping of causal variants with targeted sequencing data
• Application of genotypic data from select ancestry or disease cohorts to enhance ancestry inference and/or disease risk prediction
• Validation of survey responses through clinical assessment

Who can apply?

• Institutions can be domestic or foreign, public or private, but must be non-commercial and the research must also be for non-commercial purposes
• Researchers may be at any stage of their careers. Applications submitted by a group of researchers at the same institution will also be considered

 

How do I apply?

Your application will include the following information:

• A research proposal summary, which will be made public if the proposal is accepted (no more than 500 words)
• A description of the proposed research project (no more than 2,000 words)
• A description of unique datasets or analytic tools that your research group has developed and will provide for the collaboration. Researchers should include a description of the IRB-approved protocol used to collect the dataset, if applicable (a total of no more than 1,000 words)
• A list of co-investigators and other personnel
• An NIH-style biosketch or CV for the principal investigator.

Submit your application using the following form by December 12, 2018:

Research Innovation Collaborations Application Form

 

How will applications be evaluated?

Applications will be evaluated by 23andMe scientists based on the following considerations:

1. Scientific quality and innovativeness of the project proposed
2. Expertise of and resources available to the investigators
3. Alignment with 23andMe company objectives
4. Quality and value of any complementary datasets that the investigators will share

 

Additional Information and Requirements

• 23andMe data will be shared in aggregate (rather than individual level) and cannot be distributed, shared, or sold to third parties
• Chosen collaborators will receive non-exclusive access to the data
• Collaborators must agree that the results of their research will be published in open-access scientific journals (or open-access articles) and according to 23andMe’s publication best practices. Currently, those best practices only allow for the publication of summary statistics for up to 10,000 SNPs; this applies to meta-analyses that include 23andMe data
• Collaborators may not file for intellectual property rights covering the results of this collaborative research
• 23andMe may request that collaborators meet with 23andMe (in person or by phone) to discuss the research
• Please note that this collaboration will not cover the cost of additional data collection or fees for making an article open-access
• To enable 23andMe’s collaboration and data transfer each collaborator and their institution must enter into a Data Transfer Agreement with 23andMe, which includes the above terms and other requirements

 

Other Types of Collaborations

The following types of requests are reviewed on a rolling basis rather than in the review process that occurs twice a year:

• Populations Collaborations Program. If you seek to genotype a population that is under-represented in genetic studies, learn more about this program here.
• Publication Dataset Access. If you are interested in accessing de-identified summary statistics from a dataset included in a 23andMe publication, learn more here.

 

About protecting customer privacy

Protecting the privacy of our research participants is of critical importance to 23andMe. Data sharing is structured to provide the same robust privacy protections that 23andMe research participants have as part of their normal participation in 23andMe Research. Only data from 23andMe customers who have accepted 23andMe’s IRB-approved consent document will be incorporated into any analysis. Only de-identified, aggregate data will be shared – no individual level data will be shared. All applicants should take this policy into consideration when designing the research approach.

Any data sharing will take place in accordance with the terms of the 23andMe Data Transfer Agreement between a collaborator, the collaborator’s institution, and 23andMe. Any actions taken by our collaborators that threaten the privacy of 23andMe research participants are grounds for termination of the collaboration and to other remedies described in such agreement.

If you have questions, please contact the Research Innovation Collaborations Program Manager Liz Noblin (lnoblin@23andme.com).