NIH Issues Draft Policy, Guidance Documents for Data Sharing, Management Plans
NIH is seeking comment on a proposed policy for data management and sharing, as well as two related guidance documents that together seek to “promote effective and efficient data management and sharing to further NIH’s commitment to making the results and accomplishments of the research it funds and conducts available to the public.” NIH said in its Nov. 6 announcement that it hoped to do this “while minimizing burden on the research community.” Applicable to “all research, funded or conducted in whole or in part by NIH, that results in the generation of scientific data,” the proposed policy would also include “research funded or conducted by extramural grants, contracts, intramural research projects, or other funding agreements regardless of NIH funding level or funding mechanism.”
A data sharing and management plan for extramural awards would be required through a just-in-time submission and “as part of the technical evaluation for contracts,” NIH explained. Draft guidance documents address a data management and sharing plan and allowable costs. Regarding data elements, NIH said it “encourages the broadest use of scientific data resulting from NIH-funded or conducted research, consistent with privacy, security, informed consent, and proprietary issues.” Awardees would be asked, among other elements of data plans, to provide a “rationale for decisions about which scientific data are to be preserved and made available for sharing, taking into consideration scientific utility, validation of results, availability of suitable data repositories, privacy and confidentiality, cost, consistency with community practices, and data security.” Draft guidance states that allowable costs “may be included in NIH budget requests” and may cover expenses associated with “curating data and developing supporting documentation,” with “preserving and sharing data through established repositories,” and with “local data and management considerations.” The deadline for comments is Jan. 10.