Discover the UK Biobank!

Discover the UK Biobank Research Analysis Platform

The UK Biobank RAP, enabled by DNAnexus, is an all-in-one platform: secure, compliant cloud infrastructure + tools + UK Biobank data

UK Biobank is a large-scale biomedical database and research resource, containing in-depth genetic and health information from half a million UK participants, globally accessible to approved researchers undertaking vital research into the most common and life-threatening diseases. The database is regularly augmented with additional data & researchers from around the world needed to be able to securely access the growing dataset.

Benefits of the Platform

Securely conduct diverse set of analyses on large scale genetic, imaging, lifestyle, and health record data on a leading cloud research analysis platform.

Work within an operating system designed to support end-to-end high performance computing utilizing robust and cutting edge tools/features. Reduce operating costs while having access to high performance infrastructure with minimal maintenance costs. Scale complex multi-omics projects through cloud computing without having to pay for idle infrastructure or scramble to increase infrastructure during high workloads.

Platform Credits Program

Apply now to receive funding towards your work on the UK Biobank RAP.

The UK Biobank Platform Credits Program is courtesy of AWS. The program is available to all early career researchers and those researchers from low- and low-middle income countries to explore the RAP in detail, develop and test tools and methods, and undertake analysis to support their research project. Credits can be used to cover costs of compute and storage above £40 credits provided by DNAnexus.

Registration is free and takes less than 2 minutes!

What is the UK Biobank RAP?

Answer: The UK Biobank Research Analysis Platform is a cloud-based platform providing a research environment that allows researchers to access UK Biobank data without the need to download large data files. It provides access to storage and compute resources that allow researchers to undertake their analyses within the platform. Read the RAP user guide for more information.

How much does it cost to use the UK Biobank RAP?

There is no additional charge to access the RAP for all researchers undertaking an approved UK Biobank project. There is no upfront charge to researchers using the RAP, although certain activities may incur a fee (payable to the platform provider), for example there are fees for storage of uploaded or derived data, compute and analysis (dependent on instance type) and egress charges.

Every researcher who uses the RAP will have to accept certain standard terms and conditions of usage with the platform provider (DNAnexus). The main dataset is stored in the AWS cloud on the London node (EU-West-2).

What data is available on the UK Biobank RAP?

All UK Biobank data must be accessed within the UKB-RAP and cannot be downloaded. Data is available dependent on what tier access you have paid for. Please see the costs page for more details.

Can I import data onto the UK Biobank RAP?

Yes, as long as the data imported into the RAP is to enable research in line with your research project.

There is no limit on the size of data (save that the cost of data storage to the researcher will increase according to the amount of data stored in the RAP) or the type of data that can be imported into the RAP. Data must be used in line with the UK Biobank’s Material Transfer Agreement and the RAP terms and conditions.

What software and pipelines are available on the UK Biobank RAP?

The RAP has an extensive tool library to cover your needs for genomic analysis, statistical analysis, image processing and much more. You can find more information and a list of tools in the DNAnexus Documentation.

Can I bring my own workflows onto the UK Biobank RAP?

In many cases the RAP allows you to use apps and workflows you’ve developed in another environment. You can find more detailed information on how to do so in our Documentation and strategies in our Creating Workflows webinar.

Can I receive support getting started on the UK Biobank RAP?

Once signed up you have access to the DNAnexus Community, a forum where you can access helpful guides and strategies and post your own questions. You can find topics dedicated to getting started on the Platform and on specific topics related to working on RAP. DNAnexus and UK Biobank team members also monitor the forum and will be able to answer your questions. You can find the Community here.

Are there any funding support programs available on the UK Biobank platform?

Yes. Through the UK Biobank Platform Credits Program

The UK Biobank Platform Credits Program is a courtesy of AWS. The program is available to early career researchers or researchers from low to low-middle income countries and is designed to allow researchers to explore the RAP in detail, develop and test tools and methods, and undertake analysis to support their research project. Credits can be used to cover costs of compute and storage above £40 credits provided by DNAnexus.

UK Biobank defines early career researchers as “an individual within an academic institution within four years of the award of their PhD or equivalent professional training, or within four years of starting their first academic appointment (full-time or part-time), excluding career breaks)”. Early career researchers also include those bona fide students eligible for reduced Access fees.

Researchers in low and middle income countries eligible for reduced Access Fees will also be able to apply for this program.

Learn more.

"UK Biobank's platform will make data more accessible to researchers. Free computing for researchers working in resource-poor settings and for young scientists is a fantastic way of increasing the use of UK Biobank's amazing resource."

DR MARK EFFINGHAM
Deputy CEO / UK Biobank

"This platform will democratise access, helping to unleash the imaginations of the world's best scientific minds - wherever they are - to make discoveries that improve human health."

PROFESSOR SIR RORY COLLINS
Principal Investigator / UK Biobank

"We enthusiastically support the foundational UK Biobank project as it breaks new ground in the advancement of disease research through the integration of deep healthcare data with genomics and advanced tools."

RICHARD DALY
CEO / DNAnexus

Gain access to comprehensive biomedical data at a scale the world has never seen.

At a Glance