Last month, we added new guidance on the Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Policy and the Genomic Data Sharing (GDS) Policy on NIAID’s website to help you during the application process. As you write your next application, we highly encourage you to visit Data Policy and Guidance for NIAID-specific guidance on NIH data sharing policies.
What is the DMS Policy?
NIH’s DMS Policy, in effect for competing applications due on or after January 25, 2023, promotes the sharing of scientific data generated from NIH-funded research. NIH expects applicants to submit a DMS Plan that describes how data will be managed and shared, and to comply with the DMS Plan on an NIAID-funded application.
As a new applicant, you may have trouble determining which NIH resource sharing policy applies to your research. NIH offers a tool to help researchers determine which NIH policies apply to your research.
What Should I Include in My DMS Plan?
Your DMS Plan should describe in detail what data will be shared as well as where, when, and how the data will be shared. NIAID expects scientific data to be shared as soon as possible into publicly accessible repositories–no later than at the time of an associated publication or end of the performance period, whichever comes first.
Additionally, NIH’s Data Management and Sharing Policy website includes sections on sample DMS Plans, Frequently Asked Questions on DMS, how to budget for DMS Plans, and more.
What Data Types Should I Share?
The DMS Policy requires sharing of all scientific data, defined as all data necessary to replicate research findings regardless of whether the data are used to support scientific papers.
NIAID expects sharing of data and metadata associated with funded research using common data standards, if possible. Any ethical, legal, or technical factors that may affect sharing can be detailed in the DMS Plan. Data types may include, but are not limited to genomic, transcriptomic, imaging, proteomics, metabolomics, immunological, flow cytometry, protein structures, and clinical data from human research participants generated during research projects or clinical trials.
How to Budget for Data Management and Sharing
Remember when you apply that you need to submit a DMS Plan and budget requests as part of your funding application or proposal. You must request costs to support activities described in the DMS Plan in the appropriate cost categories, e.g., personnel, equipment, supplies, and other expenses, and also list them in the budget justification. This justification must be labeled as “Data Management Justification” within the budget justification attachment, followed by the estimated dollar amount.
The justification should also include a brief summary of type and amount of scientific data to be preserved and shared, and the name of the established repositories used. It should also indicate general cost categories (such as curating data and developing supporting documentation, local data management activities, preserving and sharing data through established repositories, etc.); each category should include an amount and a brief explanation. For more information, read NIH’s Budgeting for Data Management and Sharing.
Data Sharing Tools and Resources
- Create Other Sharing Plans – Data Management and Sharing
- Data Management and Sharing for Grants SOP
- NIH Scientific Data Sharing Website
Data Sharing Webinars and Training Materials
- NIH Data Sharing News and Events
- NIH Data Sharing and Reuse Seminar Series
- Diving Deeper into the New NIH DMS Policy – September 22, 2022
- Understanding the New NIH DMS Policy – August 11, 2022