You must first request a “Handle” or name under which you will be submitting your data by using the Handle Request Form. The handle might be an acronym, or a shortened name of a primary investigator or large laboratory. This "handle" will allow submissions to be associated with laboratories independent of who is handling a particular set of submissions from that laboratory.

Once you have submitted your handle request, it usually takes dbSNP 1 to 2 days to process your request and email your handle confirmation to you.

Note: You cannot submit to dbSNP until you have received a handle confirmation from dbSNP.

Click here to see common questions asked while filling out the handle request form.

Since situations may arise during submission processing that requires dbSNP to contact the person actually submitting the data, dbSNP requests that the individual filling out a submission file place their own contact information (name, email, etc.) in the CONTACT section of the submission file.

A handle is associated with the contact information of a person in authority who is associated with the laboratory (the Lab Chief or Principle Investigator) regardless of who actually handles and submits the data. So your laboratory’s handle, which is also required on the submission form, will associate the submitted data with the submitting entity (laboratory, center, institute or project) independent of the details of who handles the submission from that entity.

In the contact section of your submission form, put your lab’s Handle in the Handle field, but insert your own name, telephone, fax and email information in the telephone, fax and email fields located below the Handle field.