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NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing

Overview

NIH has issued the Data Management and Sharing (DMS) policy (effective January 25, 2023) to promote the sharing of scientific data. Sharing scientific data accelerates biomedical research discovery, in part, by enabling validation of research results, providing accessibility to high-value datasets, and promoting data reuse for future research studies.

Under the DMS policy, NIH expects that investigators and institutions:

• Plan and budget for the managing and sharing of data

• Submit a DMS plan for review when applying for funding

• Comply with the approved DMS plan

Policy Details

The NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing sets forth a number of standards for good data management practices and data sharing expectations applicable to research funded by NIH.  Most notably:

• Researchers applying for NIH funding must create and submit to the NIH a Data Management and Sharing Plan (a “Plan”) outlining how scientific data and any accompanying metadata used in research will be managed and shared, considering any potential restrictions or limitations. A Plan should include a brief summary of:

  • The type of data managed, preserved, and shared;

  • Related tools, software, and/or code used;

  • Standards applied to the data;

  • Methods of data preservation, access, and associated timelines;

  • Approach for access, distribution, and reuse considerations; and

  • Oversight of data management and sharing.

• Researchers should consider how to maximize appropriate sharing of data, while acknowledging existing legal, ethical, or technical factors that may call for justified limitations or exceptions.
• In particular, NIH highlights the importance of informed consent and emphasizes that researchers should clearly communicate with prospective subjects how their scientific data are expected to be used and shared.
• NIH released six supplemental information documents and FAQs to accompany the Policy:

  • Elements of an NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan

  • Allowable Costs for Data Management and Sharing

  • Selecting a Repository for Data Resulting from NIH-Supported Research

  • Protecting Privacy When Sharing Human Research Participant Data

  • Responsible Management and Sharing of American Indian/ Alaska Native Participant Data

  • Implementation Changes for Genomic Data Sharing Plans

  • FAQs for the NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing

NIH Resources

The NIH Scientific Data Sharing Website is a one-stop shop for all the information you need to know about NIH data sharing policies, including the NIH Policy on Data Management and Sharing.

• Writing a Data Management and Sharing Plan

  • Learn what NIH expects DMS plans to address. This website also includes information on the DMS plan format, an optional DMS plan template, and sample plans.

• Budgeting for Data Management and Sharing

  • Find out what data sharing costs may be requested in an application for funding. This website also includes links to the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Forecasting Costs for Preserving, Archiving, and Promoting Access to Biomedical Data resource and NIMH Data Archive (NDA) Data Submission Cost Estimation Tool. These resources may be useful when budgeting for data management and sharing costs.

Brown Resources

Research Data Management

• Preparing for Collecting Data:

  • Write a data management and sharing plan

    • DMPTool: access data management plan templates and Brown guidance

    • Check out OSF's Extended Reference for DMSP Checklist

    • Contact University Library for assistance at [email protected]

  • Educate new research group members on University and project data management protocols

    • Starting a New Project Onboarding Checklist

  • Ensure your informed consent documents include information on use of data repositories and data sharing. Researchers who intend to deposit human subjects data into data repositories should use these templates as an addendum to the informed consent process.

    • Data Repository Assent Template (Ages 7-14)

    • Data Repository Parent Permission Template

    • Data Repository Consent Template (Ages 15+)
       

• Data Collection

  • Find solutions to store and backup your research data

    • CCV Storage Finder

  • Create an electronic laboratory notebook for each research group member

    • LabArchives Electronic Laboratory and Research Notebooks

    • Contact University Library for assistance at [email protected]
       

• Sharing Data

  • Find a data sharing repository

    • Repositories available at Brown

    • Data De-Identification Certification

  • Get help with a Data Use Agreement (DUA) and/or Materials Transfer Agreement (MTA) for outgoing data

    • DUA Requests

    • MTA Requests

  • Contact [email protected] for assistance
     

• Project Closing

  • Complete the Closing out a Project Offboarding Checklist for closing a project

  • Ensure publications are in compliance and deposited in PubMed Central (PMC) and data and publications are reported on your Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR)

  • Contact University Library for support at [email protected]
     

• Training Videos
  • We recommend watching:

    • Preparing for the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy

    • Putting the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy into Practice at Brown (slides available here)

      • The new NIH Policy on Data Management and Sharing went into effect on January 25, 2023. How have the departments at Brown that support researchers prepared for this new policy? How should researchers prepare for changes in proposal development, data collection, and depositing data? How does the policy impact research, including updating documentation for informed consent, new pre- and post-award engagement with NIH repositories, and updated timelines for data preparation and depositing? Resources will be shared such as templates to help researchers with writing plans, tools for managing their data throughout a project, and sharing data during and after a project closes.

    • Creating Data Management Plans with DMPTool

Additional Resources

AAMC NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy Resource Page
COGR NIH Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Policy Resource Page
Informed Consent for Secondary Research with Data and Biospecimens

For more information, contact [email protected].