Research Application Platforms

  • BioRender

    A web platform for creating and sharing illustrative scientific figures for publications and communications using a scientifically accurate image library.

    Images and illustrations can be imported and the service includes the creation of new custom icons on demand. In addition to saving on expensive illustration software, the goal of this solution is to reduce the amount of time required by researchers to create illustrative figures.

     

    Eligibility
    • Available to anyone working at Harvard University (Faculty, Staff, Postdocs, and Students)
    • 33-digit Harvard billing number required for payment
    • A valid and active HarvardKey account
    • Hospital Affiliates are not eligible

     

    Cost
    • Please visit our pricing page
    • Harvard Departmental 33-digit billing code required
    • License term is November 1- October 31
    • No prorated pricing is available for this software

     

    How to request

     

    BioRender access

     

    Support

     

    System Requirements

    BioRender is a web-based tool that supports Mac OS, Windows, and Linux browsers.

  • eLabNext Platform (Pilot)

    The eLabNext Platform offers eLABJournal, eLABInventory, and eLabProtocols which together enable users to securely and efficiently document experiments, while also tracking the lab's inventory of samples, reagents, and equipment. 
    Platform Overview 

    eLABJournal is a fully compliant Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN), offering an intuitive and flexible solution to documenting, organizing, searching, and archiving research data. You can upload and annotate images, upload and edit excel files and link to your larger data files. You can upload files of any type and view or edit those files through associated desktop applications. You can also link to samples and reagents stored in eLABInventory. 

    With eLABInventory you can efficiently track any sample, specimen, chemical, or instrument in the lab. You can setup templates to track any information about any item in your lab inventory. You can also centralize orders by keeping track of quantities, and receive notifications when chemicals, samples, and consumables run out of stock. 

    eLabProtocols is a web-based protocol management system to design protocol templates and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). You can create a step-by-step experimental procedure and define the output parameters to be collected in your experiment.

     

    Eligibility 
    • HMS On-quad Labs, Departments, and Cores approved by HMS ELN steering committee. 

     

    Features 
    • Integrated with HMS Authentication with 2FA.  HMS account ID required

    • Application is available via the HMS network and externally

    • Intuitive User Interface 

    • Integration with HMS Office 365 Excel 

    • Supports Experiment Templates, Protocols & SOP management, including version support 

    • Sign and Witness experiments 

    • Automatically synchronize uploaded data (eLABSync)  

    • Upload files of any type, and open with associated desktop software (eLABWebEdit) 

    • Collaborate with colleagues 

    • Customizable User Roles and Permissions  

    • Sample & Inventory Barcoding 

    • Keep track of quantities, and centralize ordering 

    • Schedule lab devices 

    • Mobile app and other add-ons 

    • Secure and Compliant (ISO 27001 certified, FDA 21 CPR part 11, GLP) 

    • Fully documented API and SDK 

     

    Limitations 
    • Currently limited to Harvard Data Security Level 3 

     

    Compatibility 
    • Brower-based system, compatible with all major web browsers on Linux, Mac OS, and Windows, Mac systems. 

    • Mobile app available for iOS and Android devices. 

     

    Cost 
    • There is no cost for HMS on-quad users during the pilot. 

     

    Request an account 
    • HMS Principal Investigators or core directors who would like their groups to participate in the eLabNext Pilot should contact rchelp@hms.harvard.edu for further information about eligibility. 

     

    Getting started with eLabNext 
    • During the Pilot, training will be provided to new groups as needed. Email us at rchelp@hms.harvard.edu for further details 

      

  • Harvard Code

    If you need to store code or scripts in a safe and secure location, Harvard Enterprise GitHub is the answer.

    Harvard Unversity IT provides access to the on-prem Enterprise version of GitHub.

    You can access at https://code.harvard.edu

    There is no cost for this service.

    Eligibility
    • Available to anyone working at Harvard University (faculty, staff, postdoctoral researchers, and students)
    • You must have a Harvard Key account and be located at Harvard University 
    • HMS-affiliated hospitals do not qualify for access license
  • HMS Globus Data Transfer

    The HMS Globus platform enables users to share large volumes of data with collaborators
    Description

    The HMS Globus platform enables users to share large volumes of data with collaborators. It allows researchers to efficiently, reliably, and securely transfer large data sets to and from O2-accessible storage and folders or local workstations. Files can be exchanged with external collaborators who have access to the Globus.org platform.

    Features
    • Optimized for large file transfer (Gigabytes or Terabytes).

    • Enables collaboration with external HMS Researchers.

    • Bidirectional transfers to and from O2 accessible storage and folders and local file storage.

    • Transfers run in the background. You don’t need to stay connected for the transfer node to complete.

    • Accommodates scheduled transfers.

    • Web Console that provides transfer monitoring and sharing status.

    • Command line feature available on the platform via the Globus CLI application allowing users to automate file transfers.

    • Globus Desktop Client “Connect Personal Client' that supports Linux, macOS, and Windows.

    Eligibility
    • Available to HMS Quad-based faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate students. Also available to externally sponsored collaborators who are working with HMS Labs or Cores.

    • HMS Affiliate O2 users who are set up via the HMS RC Core have the ability to use the HMS Globus system to transfer data to and from O2 storage, but you will need to create a Globus account at https://app.globus.org.  

    Requirements
    • The user must have a Harvard Key. You will also need an HMS account if you intend to use O2-accessible storage.

    Cost
    • No Cost

    Limitations

    How to request the service

    Support

  • OMERO

    A visualization platform for the management of microscope images and metadata, available for use across the HMS research community. 
    Overview

    OMERO is a visualization platform for the management of microscope images and metadata, available for use across the HMS research community. 

    Eligibility

    Available to HMS Quad-based faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate students. External sponsored collaborators who are working with HMS Labs or Cores.

    Requirements

    The user must have an HMS account.

    Cost

    No Cost for HMS Quad-based faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate students. No Cost for external sponsored collaborators who are working with HMS Labs or Cores.

    Storage Limitation:

    Reference HMS storage and quota policies.

    Request HMS OMERO account

    Account Request Form

    Client Software

    Download and install OMERO.insight, which is necessary to import data into OMERO. 

    Support
    • If you having issues, contact us at rchelp@hms.harvard.edu.

    • Guides for using OMERO.insight are maintained on the openmicroscopy.org website. Go to Adding image data for instructions on how to import data into OMERO. 

    • More information on getting started is available in the FAQ.

  • REDCap Research Electronic Data Capture

    A web-based Electronic Data Capture (EDC) application designed for building and managing online surveys and data capture for research and clinical studies. REDCap was developed by a multi-institutional consortium initiated at Vanderbilt University and is
    Eligibility
    • For HMS IRB studies in REDcap,  users must be listed on your active approved IRB.
    • Available to all HMS and HSDM quad-based staff, faculty, and postdoctoral researchers. Other HMS affiliates do not qualify for this license.
    • Students who work in HMS-based research labs are also eligible, with Lab or Departmental approval.
    • Survey subjects do not need an HMS account ID to take a REDCap survey.

     

    Features
    • Online or offline project design: Use the Online Designer or offline using a “data dictionary” template in Microsoft Excel that can be uploaded later into REDCap.
    • Secure and web-based: Input data or build an online survey or database from anywhere in the world over a secure web connection with authentication and data logging.
    • Fast and flexible: Conception to production-level database or survey in less than one day.
    • Fully customizable
    • Audit trails: For tracking data manipulation and user activity.
    • Automated export procedures: For seamless data downloads to Excel, PDF, and common statistical packages (SPSS, SAS, Stata, R).
    • A built-in project calendar
    • A scheduling module
    • Ad hoc reporting tools
    • Advanced features such as branching logic, file uploading, and calculated fields.
    • Available in multiple languages
    • HMS REDCAP is approved for use with Harvard Data Security Level 4 data
    • Preview or Test Projects can be created in our REDCap Sandbox environment.

     

    Limitations
    • HMS REDCap is not a HIPAA-compliant service.
    • Provide functional support for Survey (Project) creation, import, conversion, or publication.

     

    Compatibility
     
    Cost
    • There is no cost to eligible users of this HMS service.

     

    Request an account

     

    Getting started with REDCap
  • Research Data Visualization Platform (Pilot)

    A platform that can host Shiny Applications, R and Python code based on RStudio Connect technology

    Note: once you submit your request, it can take up to 10 business days to provision the Posit (RStudio) Connect instance

    Features
    Eligibility
    • Available to HMS Quad-based faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate students.

    • HSDM, HSPH and Hospital Affiliates, and hospital-based labs are not eligible.

    Requirements
    • You must have a Harvard Key account and have been provided access to the instance.

    • Your lab must be located on the HMS Quad.

    Cost
    • During the pilot phase, there is no cost to use this service however in the future based on demand there could be an annual fee to use this platform.

    Limitations
    • Applicants must have a faculty member or research staff member as a sponsor. (Faculty and research staff may sponsor themselves.)

    • Shiny Application limit: 100 MB per app.

    • Data size limit: 5 GB per application.

    • Maximum number of authenticated users per lab: 10

    • Access to HMS Posit/RStudio Connect is restricted to faculty, staff, and students who are on-quad at HMS.

    • This system is approved for use with Harvard Data Security Level 3 data if Harvard Accounts are used for authentication.

    • This system is NOT a HIPAA-compliant service.

    • RDVP service is provided for the distribution of lightweight apps.

    • Currently, there is no integration with the HMS O2 Cluster.

    • Shiny app performance can be impacted by code design.

    • If you need additional resources or larger amounts of local storage please contact us at

      rchelp@hms.harvard.edu

    How to request the service