Starting a Certificate of Confidentiality Request

Use the Online Certificate of Confidentiality System to request a Certificate of Confidentiality (CoC), issued by NIH. First, determine your eligibility by answering questions. Then, if the answers indicate eligibility, enter information about your research and your institution to complete the request.

A Certificate of Confidentiality request must be completed in its entirety in one Internet browser session; you cannot save and finish it later. Because of this, you might want to review the information that you will be asked to provide in the online Certificate of Confidentiality (CoC) system before you begin.

NOTE: At any time during the CoC request process, click the Print button at the right of the page to display a printer-friendly form with all questions and answers entered thus far. The browser's print dialog also opens.

To start the CoC request:

1. Go to the How to Get a Certificate of Confidentiality? page.
2. Click the Get your CoC button to open the Online Certificate of Confidentiality System.

3. Select the source of funding from Select Funding Source and click the Next button. If you select this option:
   • National Institutes of Health, your CoC request stops. Research covered by the NIH CoC Policy is automatically deemed issued a Certificate of Confidentiality. You do not need to use this system to request a CoC.
   • Other DHHS agency, then select an option from the Select DHHS Agency that appears, which lists some Department of Health and Human Services agencies. For all selections listed, except Other, your CoC request stops. You will see a window that directs you to agency-specific directions on NIH's website. Choose Other if your funding agency is within HHS and is not listed in the drop-down list. Choosing Other continues to eligibility questions.
   • Other federal agency, then select an option from the Select Federal Agency that appears, which lists DOJ (Department of Justice) and Other. If your funding agency is DOJ, your funding request stops. You will see a window that directs you to agency-specific directions on NIH's website. Choose Other if your funding agency is a non-HHS federal agency other than DOJ. Choosing Other continues to eligibility questions.
   • Non-federal, this indicates you are doing research not funded by any federal department or agency. Choosing Non-federal continues to eligibility questions. Requestors who have applied but not received funding from NIH may designate their request as non-Federal. NOTE: You do not need to apply for a CoC if your research project will not begin until after award.

4. Answer all eligibility questions. These appear only if you choose one of the following:
   Other DHHS agency --> Other
   Other federal agency --> Other
   Non-federal
   For specific details on these questions, see Details on Certificate of Confidentiality Eligibility Questions.
5. Click the Next button, which takes you to the intake form, where you enter information about your research. See Requesting a Certificate of Confidentiality for details on the next screen.

NOTE: Answering No on question 2, 3, 4, or 5 disqualifies the research project from proceeding with the CoC request. Answering Yes on question 6, and No on the subsequent question that appears under question 6 also disqualifies. Contact with questions related to eligibility for a CoC.