Supporting Health, Education, Social, and Economic Research and Policy in South Australia and the Northern Territory

Delivering high quality linked data for evidence-based research and policy evaluation

 

 

SA NT DataLink is part of SA Health

We have nearly completed the transition from the University of South Australia as host. It's still business as usual. This means:

  • Research applications for data linkage continue through the PHRN online application system.
  • Existing data linkage projects progress as usual.
  • Any inquiries related to data linkage can still be directed to to SANTDataLink@unisa.edu.au.
  • SA NT DataLink remains in the SAHMRI building on North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia.
  • During quarter 1 of 2025 all existing data sharing agreements with data custodians will either be transferred or replaced with new agreements with SA Health, until then all agreements remain in place with the Univeristy of South Australia.

The decision to move to SA Health as host, made by the SA Government in May 2023, reflects a commitment to ensure the sustainability of SA NT DataLink.

In a collaborative approach with the NT Government and other key stakeholders, we will establish a long-term business model for SA NT DataLink.

As of 1 January 2024, all staff are employed by SA Health, while the University of South Australia will continue as the administering organisation.

A committee comprising the SA Department for Health and Wellbeing, NT Health, the SA Department for Education and the University of South Australia will oversee operations while new governance arrangements are put in place. 

Updates on the transition will be communicated on this website and through broader communication channels.


SA NT DataLink provides high quality data linkage services to support research, policy development, service planning and evaluation.

SA NT DataLink is part of an Australian wide national data linkage network - the Population Health Research Network (PHRN).

The establishment of SA NT DataLink in 2009 as a collaboration between the Northern Territory and South Australia partners supported important population based data linkage research to inform many areas of policy and service development within South Australia and the Northern Territory and nationwide.

Providing access to accurate and unbiased information held by Government agencies and other organisations that can better inform research, policies and practices is central to the role of SA NT DataLink. Research using de-identified data linked for large or entire populations are much more inclusive, representative and unbiased, and also more cost effective and efficient than conventional studies based on sampling. 

 SA NT DataLink:

  • enables the linkage of administrative and clinical datasets providing an evidence base for researchers and policy makers to better understand and monitor the population health and wellbeing impacts of policy and investment decisions for South Australians, Northern Territorians and other jurisidictions.
  • provides the infrastructure to make available access to information for researchers who wish to collaborate within and across jurisdictions in population based research.
  • can provide access to sources of information for analyis to assist the achievement of SA and NT government strategic plan targets and Council of Australian Governments goals.

As part of building the population research infrastructure in South Australia and the Northern Territory, SA NT DataLink has been established with very high levels of security and with practices that protect the privacy of individuals.

SA NT DataLink is supported by the Population Health Research Network (PHRN) which is a capability of the Australian Government National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) and Education Investment Fund Super Science Initiative.