Library News
New NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy
New NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy
Starting January 25, 2023, ALL grant applications or renewals generating scientific data must have a detailed plan for data management and sharing through the entire funded period
Why?
It is a culture shift to make data sharing as routine as reporting findings. This move toward Open Science will expand access to taxpayer-funded research data. It was required for grants over $500,000 but is now required for grants of any amount.
What do I have to do?
- Identify approaches and repositories for managing and sharing scientific data.
- Submit a ~2-page data management and sharing plan (DMSP) within the funding application or proposal.
- Estimate and request funds for data management and sharing activities if not already covered by institution or other sources.
Do I have to share my data?
It’s encouraged but not required. The NIH wants to maximize appropriate sharing within legal, ethical, or technical exceptions. You must communicate these reasons in the NIH DMSP. In addition, sharing plans must be communicated in informed consent documents. However, ALL data must be managed, even if not shared.
Which items are considered scientific data?
- “Scientific data includes any data needed to validate and replicate research findings. regardless of whether the data are used to support scholarly publications.”
- “Scientific data do not include laboratory notebooks, preliminary analyses, completed case report forms, drafts of scientific papers, plans for future research, peer reviews, communications with colleagues, or physical objects, such as laboratory specimens."
From 2023 NIH DMSP.
How Do I Write a DMS Plan?
Use a talk-through template like the University of California's DMP Tool. It includes the recommended elements of a plan as follows:
- Data type: Identifying data to be preserved and shared
- Related tools, software, code: Tools needed to access and manipulate data
- Standards: Standards to be applied to scientific data and metadata
- Data preservation, access, timelines: Repository to be used, persistent unique identifier, and when/ how long data will be available
- Access, distribution, and reuse considerations
- Oversight of data management: Who will monitor and manage plan compliance
How Do I Select a Data Repository?
NIH Office of Data Science Strategy established Generalist Repository Ecosystem Initiative (GREI) to make it easier to find and reuse NIH-funded data. GREI is intended to supplement the domain-specific data repositories.
Geisinger researchers, please note: The Open Science Framework (OSF) data repository has already completed the SCP review of research partners process.
Selecting a data repository outside of GREI? Use a high-quality data repository with:
- persistent unique identifiers.
- available metadata.
- long-term preservation.
Comparison Chart: https://fairsharing.org/GeneralRepositoryComparison
What support is available?
- The Geisinger Library offers the following to our faculty, staff, and administrators:
- Communications & Outreach Materials
- Libguide on the new policy.
- On-Demand Informational Sessions
- Group & one-on-one workshops for hands-on template plan developments as well as identify Data Repositories.
- Click here to request assistance
The National Institute of Health has training and support available at sharing.nih.gov.