Modernizing enterprise data at the National Cancer Institute

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) modernized its enterprise data platform to gain greater flexibility, improve cost transparency, and support future innovation. Working alongside NCI’s Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology (CBIIT), we helped evaluate platform alternatives, guide the modernization effort, and establish a governed foundation for data, analytics, and AI. The transition was completed in a single quarter, without disrupting mission operations.

Within one single quarter, migration from platform selection to full production of the enterprise data platform was completed with zero disruptions to mission-critical data services throughout the modernization process.

Challenge

NCI relies on enterprise data to support research, analysis, and decision-making across its mission. Over time, leaders faced a critical question: how could the organization modernize a platform deeply embedded in daily operations while maintaining continuity, controlling costs, and preparing for future needs?

The challenge extended beyond technology. Palantir Foundry served as both NCI’s enterprise data platform and the foundation for data-centric applications used across the organization, supported by embedded professional services. Replacing it required more than migrating data. Critical data pipelines, governance processes, analytics workflows, and application functionality had to be re-engineered.

Solution

Rather than beginning with a technology decision, NCI began with a decision-making process.

Working alongside NCI leadership, we conducted a structured Analysis of Alternatives that evaluated potential platforms against the criteria that mattered most: FedRAMP authorization and data security, governance, ease of data acquisition and integration, usability for analysts and citizen data scientists, flexibility to build data-centric applications, and predictable, transparent costs. Rather than relying on theoretical assessments, the ICF team collaborated with stakeholders and other contractor teams, to validate platform capabilities and identify the solution best aligned to NCI's mission and future data strategy.

The AoA process surfaced clear, evidence-based findings: our evaluation of Snowflake proved to be a mature, stable platform with intuitive configuration, robust pipeline orchestration, seamless Git integration, and strong BI tool support. Based on our evaluation, NCI selected Snowflake's AI Data Cloud as the foundation for its enterprise data strategy. The analysis also made the financial case clear: retiring the old technology rather than renewing the licenses would avoid approximately $8 million in annual costs, resources that could be redirected to NCI’s mission.

Once NCI selected Snowflake’s AI Data Cloud, NCI and ICF focused on building a modern enterprise data environment rather than simply replicating legacy systems. We prioritized security, establishing single sign-on and a role-based access model that enforces least privilege, then implemented a scalable lakehouse architecture on Snowflake capable of integrating data from both on-premises and cloud environments. Because the legacy platform’s proprietary pipeline logic could not be exported, the implementation team helped re-engineer more than 400 automated data transformation tasks using Snowflake-native capabilities. The new design replaced proprietary workflows with modular, cloud-native engineering patterns that improved flexibility, transparency, and long-term maintainability.

The work extended beyond engineering. The implementation team assisted with compiling the security documentation and evidence needed to support federal authorization-to-operate (ATO) requirements, leveraging Snowflake’s built-in governance and compliance controls, while standard operating procedures, migration runbooks, and tracking matrices gave leadership clear visibility throughout the transition.

Results

NCI completed the transition in a single quarter from platform selection to full production cutover without disrupting ongoing operations, allowing researchers, analysts, and other stakeholders to continue their work throughout the modernization effort. The modernization effort also embedded financial operations (FinOps) practices from the outset. By rationalizing more than 400 automated data transformation tasks, eliminating inefficient legacy patterns, and creating real-time cost monitoring capabilities, NCI gained unprecedented visibility into technology spending and better control over ongoing platform costs.

The new environment provides a stronger foundation for advanced analytics and future AI initiatives. With modern governance practices, improved scalability, and greater operational flexibility, NCI is better positioned to support evolving research and data needs while continuing to advance its mission.

Every dollar not spent on software licensing is a dollar that can be redirected to cancer research. Through a rigorous, evidence-based platform selection process, a carefully executed migration, and close collaboration among NCI, ICF, partner contractor teams, and Snowflake, NCI transformed a recurring licensing expense into recurring mission capacity. Today, NCI operates on Snowflake’s AI Data Cloud with full ownership of its enterprise data environment and a trusted, governed foundation purpose-built for AI-enabled science.