> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://documentation.dnanexus.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://documentation.dnanexus.com/user/trusted-research-environments/reviewing-access-requests.md).

# Review Data Access Requests

Evaluate data access requests as a designated reviewer in a Trusted Research Environment, including inspecting cohort and field selections, registering approval or rejection decisions, and communicati

{% hint style="info" %}
Apollo and Trusted Research Environments licenses are required to use Trusted Research Environments on the DNAnexus Platform. [Contact DNAnexus Sales](mailto:sales@dnanexus.com) for more information.
{% endhint %}

As a Reviewer in a Trusted Research Environment (TRE), you evaluate incoming data access requests from researchers to ensure their requests align with your organization's security policies, ethical guidelines, and data sharing rules. Each request passes through a configurable multi-step review pipeline, and your decision on your assigned step contributes to the overall approval outcome.

To review requests, you must be assigned as a Reviewer to at least one review step. For details on how review pipelines are configured, see [Configure Data Access Review Steps and Reviewers](/admin/trusted-research-environments/configuring-review-workflow.md).

## Access Your Review Queue

In **Data Resources** > **Request Center** > **My Reviews**, you find data access requests pending your decision on the review steps you're assigned to.

Each request in the list gives you enough context to prioritize — you can see who submitted the request, which data resource it concerns, and when it was created. If you review requests across multiple environments, you can use the filters to narrow the list by, for example, a specific data resource or review state.

![View only the data access requests that require your review](https://1612471957-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-L_EsL_ie8XyZlLe_yf9%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-bbfd854035c15f9564e1f7520c44969ce62700c4%2Frequest-center-my-reviews-in-review.png?alt=media)

## Evaluate the Request

Click a request in your **My Reviews** list to open the request detail page. On the **Request Info** tab, review each section, then check the **Messages** tab for any prior communication between the request owner and reviewers.

1. **Access Request Info** — Verify who submitted the request, which environment they're requesting access to, and their stated research purpose.
2. **Selection Summary** — Check the aggregate totals for participants, fields, files, and file size.
3. **Cohort Selection** — Review the participant cohort the request owner defined. The cohort selection section is absent when the research environment uses full cohort selection.
4. **Data Collections** — Review the data collections the request owner selected.
5. **Collaborators** — Verify that all listed collaborators are appropriate for the requested data.

![A data access request from the reviewer's perspective](https://1612471957-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-L_EsL_ie8XyZlLe_yf9%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-8ebf8fe2dd8659d48d40915952f331599e160315%2Frequest-details-reviewer.png?alt=media)

## Review Status

The right panel of the request detail page shows where the request stands in the approval pipeline. You can see the overall request status, the decision recorded for each review step, and whether all steps have reached a final outcome.

If you are assigned to multiple review steps, you can apply a single decision to all your assigned steps at once.

## Register Your Decision

Once you have evaluated the request, register your decision.

1. On the request detail page, click either **Approve Request** or **Reject Request**.
2. Optionally enter a justification message, up to 1,000 characters.
   * When approving, state why the request meets the necessary criteria.
   * When rejecting, explain the reasons. For example, "Requested fields exceed the scope of the stated research purpose". This feedback helps the applicant understand the decision and revise if needed.
3. Click **Submit**.

A confirmation email is sent to all reviewers assigned to the resolved step.

## What Happens After Your Decision

The outcome depends on the overall pipeline status:

On request approval:

* If additional review steps remain, the request keeps its **In Review** status and awaits decisions from reviewers on the remaining steps.
* If your step was the final (or only) step and all steps have been approved, the request transitions to **Approved** status. The system notifies the request owner and automatically enables data dispensal when the request owner creates a project.

On request rejection:

* The request transitions to **In Revision** status regardless of other steps. The request owner receives your justification message and can modify their cohort (if available), data collection selections, or research summary before resubmitting.
* On resubmission, all review step statuses reset to **In Review** and you are notified to evaluate the revised request.

For more information on the review decision logic, see the [API reference for review decisions](/developer/api/trusted-research-environments/data-access-requests.md#review-decisions).


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