How-To-Guide of the NDA GUID Process

Step 1: Download NDA GUID Tool

Install the NDA GUID tool for your computer based on your computer operating system (Mac OS X or Windows): https://nda.nih.gov/nda/nda-tools#guid-tool

Step 2: Create an NDA Account

NDA uses the Researcher Authentication Service (RAS) to allow researchers to access NIH's data resources using a single sign-on experience. More information on RAS can be found on the Researcher Auth Service Initiative.

Once you have downloaded the NDA GUID Tool, you will need to create or access your NDA account. To access NDA, all you need is a Login.gov account, eRA Commons account, or NIH Smart Card/CAC/PIV (for NIH employees only).

Accesssing Your Account

If you received an "NDA Account Request" email, an NDA account has been set up for you! To access your existing account, link it to a RAS Identity (Login.gov, eRA Commons, or NIH PIV Card).

Establishing a New Account

If you don't have a RAS identity, create a Login.gov account. The email address you use will display in NDA, so we recommend you verify your institutional email address with Login.gov and use it when you're able to authenticate.

Step 3: Logging into NDA Tools

Once you have a RAS identity ready:

Click "LOGIN" on <https://nda.nih.gov/>.
Click "Sign in with RAS".
Sign in using your Login.gov, eRA Commons, or NIH PIV Card (for NIH employees only).
Click "Link To Existing NDA Account".
Enter the email address provided in the email and click "Continue".
NDA will send a verification email. Follow the instructions in the email to link your NDA account and RAS identity.
Once your NDA account and RAS identity are linked successfully, log into your NDA account using your RAS identity.

Tip: If you get an error message when logging into RAS, try using a different browser.

You may be able to create a Login.gov using Chrome, but you may need to use another browser, like Firefox, to log in successfully to https://nda.nih.gov/ for the RAS creation.

Step 4: Create a New NDA Account

Once you have your RAS and account linked, you will fill out the required fields to create a new NDA account.

Click "LOGIN" on https://nda.nih.gov/.
Click "Sign in with RAS".
Sign in using your Login.gov, eRA Commons, or NIH PIV Card (for NIH employees only).
Once successfully signed in, fill out the required fields and click "Create New NDA account".
You'll then be able to sign into NDA using your RAS identity.

Tip: We recommend using a generic password because you will need to re-create a new one at the end of all the steps.

4A. Verify Your Account

Choose which authentication method (text message, automated phone call, or authentication app) you would like to receive the one-time verification code.

4B. Email the NDA Help Desk

Once your account has been created, you must email the help desk at [email protected] to request access to the NDA GUID Tool. The NDA should reply within 5 minutes of sending your access request email.

Tip: Please see the email template below.

Email Template

Hi NDA Help Desk Team:

My name is XX and I am a XX at [Institution]. I want access to the NDA GUID Tool which we plan to use to identify participant data in our research projects.

My NDA credentials are as follows:
Username: XXX_XXX
Email Address: XXXXXX@XXXXXX

Please note that I am requesting access as part of the NIH INCLUDE Project which requires using the GUID tool. This is not associated with an NDA collection.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you,

NDA's Reply to Your Email

You will receive an email notifying you that your access has been granted. If you have not done so, please follow the instructions below to download the GUID tool (see the “NDA GUID Tool” screenshot on page 1).

Good day,
You now have access to the NDA GUID Tool. Please download the GUID tool here: https://nda.nih.gov/nda/nda-tools.html#guid-tool and carefully follow the instructions below.

Please use your NDA username and password to log into NDA Tools
(https://nda.nih.gov/nda/nda-tools.html), as logging in with your RAS identity does NOT apply to any of the NDA Tools. The username listed in your NDA Profile
(https://nda.nih.gov/user/dashboard/profile.html) is the username used to log into NDA Tools.

To set (or reset) your password to log into NDA Tools, please click the "Reset Password" button found on your NDA Profile (https://nda.nih.gov/user/dashboard/profile.html).

Here is more information about the GUID tool: https://nda.nih.gov/nda/using-the-nda-guid.html. Please let us know if you have further questions!

Thank you,
NDA Help Desk

Step 4C: Reset Your Password

After receiving the NDA email, please make sure you reset your password by clicking on the "reset password" button found on your NDA profile: (https://nda.nih.gov/user/dashboard/profile.html). Once you reset your password, open the NDA GUID Client from your computer.

Step 5: Log in to NDA GUID Client

Once you are signed in, you will land on the NDA GUID Client Dashboard. Now, you can access the dashboard to create your GUIDs.

Creating a Single GUID

You can now create a single GUID by filling out the form and requesting the GUID.

Creating GUIDs in Batch

You can also create GUIDs in batch by dragging or dropping all your files directly to the area shown in the screenshot below. Upon completion, submit your batch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some commonly encountered questions regarding the specifics of GUID creation.

What if I only have the middle initial or nickname?
Only full legal names as they appear on the birth certificate should be used. Initials, nicknames, or unknowns/blanks should not be used.
What if I don't know the middle name or they left the "middle name" blank?
If you know that the participant has no legal middle name on their birth certificate, the tool allows you to specify that the person has no middle name. If you do not have the middle name, or if you do not know whether they have one, you cannot create a GUID.
What should I do with suffixes like Jr., III, etc.?
Suffixes such as these should be omitted from the names when creating a GUID.
Should I include state/country when entering the city/municipality of birth?

No, only the city/municipality name as it appears on the birth certificate should be entered.
What should I do if a participant identifies as non-binary?

When creating GUIDs, you should always use the information listed on the most recent birth certificate. Therefore, you should use the assigned sex at birth when a participant identifies as non-binary.
What should I do if a participant was born intersex?

The information listed on the participant's most recent birth certificate should be used when creating GUIDs. If the birth certificate lists neither male nor female, pseudoGUIDs will need to be created. Please view pseudoGUIDs for how to request pseudoGUIDs.
What should I do if a participant is transgender?

The information listed on the participant's most recent birth certificate should be used when creating GUIDs. If their birth certificate has not yet been officially updated, then you must use the information listed on the current birth certificate.
I promoted pseudoGUIDs to real GUIDs. Do I have to resubmit my data?

If you promote pseudoGUIDs to real GUIDs using the NDA GUID Tool, you don't need to resubmit your data. The NDA GUID Tool automatically promotes pseudoGUIDs to real GUIDs.

NDA Tutorials

There are some NDA Tutorials that may be useful for you. The tutorials outline the NDA submission cycle tasks in sequence.

NDA User Tool Manual

You can find detailed information about operating this tool by downloading and reviewing the NDA GUID Tool User Manual.

Attribution and Support

The NDA GUID Tool is built and operated by the NIMH Data Archive. All users must agree to the software terms and conditions before accessing the Tool. Submit a request to access the NDA GUID Tool or a technical support inquiry by emailing the NDA Help Desk.