A leading research university moved off a SaaS-only research platform to Research Gateway Enterprise on AWS. The result: a governed Trusted Research Environment with controlled data ingress and egress, federated identity for both internal and external collaborators, and standardized secure research workspaces.
INDUSTRY
Healthcare & Life Sciences - Academic Medical Centers
A leading U.S. research university sought to establish a modern Trusted Research Environment (TRE) capable of supporting sensitive research workloads, external research collaborations, and future compliance-driven research initiatives.
Having previously evaluated Research Gateway in a SaaS deployment model, the university selected Research Gateway Enterprise to gain greater control over research infrastructure, secure data management, federated identity integration, and trusted research workflows.
Working together, RelevanceLab and the university implemented a Secure Research Environment (SRE) architecture that enables controlled data ingress, secure researcher workspaces, governed data egress, and project-level isolation while maintaining a self-service experience for researchers.
The resulting platform provides a scalable foundation for secure research, trusted collaboration, and future expansion into regulated research programs.
Case Study · PDF
Trusted Research Environments for Sensitive University Research Data
A deep dive into how Research Gateway Enterprise delivers governed, self-service research workspaces, controlled data ingress and egress, and federated identity for internal and external collaborators on AWS.
The university faced several strategic challenges while expanding its cloud research capabilities:
01
Protecting Sensitive Research Data
Researchers required access to controlled datasets with secure data access, project-level isolation, controlled data movement, protection against unauthorized downloads, and fully auditable research workflows.
02
Supporting External Collaborators
Research initiatives involved collaborators outside the university, requiring federated identity, SAML-based authentication, secure onboarding, and simplified access management without increasing IAM complexity.
03
Enterprise Governance Requirements
The institution required complete ownership of AWS infrastructure, enterprise security integration, flexible authorization models, HIPAA-ready architecture, and standardized research workspaces under centralized governance.
Solution
Relevance Lab implemented Research Gateway Enterprise as the foundation for the university's Trusted Research Environment strategy.
The deployment combined:
Secure Research Environments (TRE)
Research Gateway Enterprise established isolated Trusted Research Environments with built-in security controls.
Controlled data ingress
Controlled data egress
Secure Linux desktops
Project-level storage
Encrypted communications
Research project isolation
Federated Identity Integration
AWS Cognito and SAML authentication enabled seamless access for both internal researchers and external collaborators while simplifying administration.
AWS Cognito integration
SAML authentication
External collaborator access
Simplified authorization model
Centralized identity management
Standardized Research Workspaces
A Golden AMI strategy delivered consistent research environments across every project.
Rocky Linux workspaces
Amazon DCV secure desktops
RStudio
JupyterLab
Docker-enabled environments
Standardized researcher experience
Trusted Research Environment Architecture
The Secure Research Environment was designed around a governed data lifecycle.
Key Capabilities
Trusted Research Controls
Controlled Data Ingress
Controlled Data Egress
Data Steward Approval Workflow
Secure Research Desktops
Download Restrictions
Project-Level Isolation
Audit Trail & Monitoring
Identity Federation
AWS Cognito Integration
SAML Authentication
External Collaborator Access
Researcher Self-Service Access
Simplified Authorization Model
Research Platform Services
Research Gateway Enterprise
AWS Service Catalog
Amazon EC2
Amazon S3
Amazon Cognito
AWS Lambda
AWS Lake Formation
AWS Cost Management
Business Outcomes
Improved Research Security
Protected sensitive research data
Controlled ingress and egress workflows
Secure isolated environments
Complete audit trails
Better Researcher Experience
Self-service workspace provisioning
No deep cloud expertise required
Rapid project onboarding
Consistent research environments
Simplified Collaboration
Federated authentication support
Internal researcher access
External collaborator integration
Streamlined identity management
Operational Consistency
Standardized workspace images
Reduced administration effort
Simplified maintenance processes
Centralized governance controls
Future-Ready Platform
Trusted Research Environments
HIPAA-aligned research
Regulated data programs
Advanced governance initiatives
Hybrid cloud research computing
Customer Perspective
“
Research Gateway Enterprise provided a scalable foundation for trusted research by combining secure research environments, federated identity integration, and self-service researcher experiences while maintaining strong governance and security controls.
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH CASE STUDY
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