Related Extramural SOP: Sharing Model Organisms
The NIH Model Organism Sharing Policy covers all projects that produce or may produce model organisms, regardless of the amount of the budget. Other NIH sharing policies such as the Genomic Data Sharing policy, 2003 Data Sharing Policy, and the Data Management and Sharing Policy pertain to data. To find out which policies apply to a research project, check Which Policies Apply to My Research?
Below is an actual plan from a principal investigator with [brackets] in place of identifying information. Use it to guide your writing as you comply with the model organism sharing policy.
You can also find more information on NIH’s Model Organism Sharing Policy webpage.
Contact your program officer at Contacting Program Officers and Grants Management Specialists for more information.
Sample Sharing Plan
Following the characterization and peer-reviewed publication of the transgenic mouse strain generated, mice will be freely distributed to investigators at academic institutions wanting mice for non-commercial research. Individual requests for shipment of mice generated by this program project funding to AAALAC (Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International) accredited institutions will be honored. The recipient investigators would provide written assurance and evidence that the animals will be used solely in accord with their local IACAC review; that animals will not be further distributed by the recipient without consent of our-Program; that animals will not be used for commercial purposes.
Requests for mice from for-profit corporations to use the mice commercially will be negotiated by our institution's technology transfer office. All licensing shall be subject to distribution pursuant to my institution's policies and procedures on royalty income. The technology transfer office will report any invention disclosure submitted to them to the appropriate Federal Agency.
In addition, all of the transgenic mice generated will be deposited in at an NIH supported mouse repository [see Section IV for part list of mouse repositories and database. NIH supported repositories cryopreserve embryos or sperm and distribute the frozen embryos or mice to biomedical researchers. For the mice I generate I will use standard nomenclature and receive approval from the Mouse Genome Informatic (MGI) nomenclature committee http://www.informatics.jax.org/.
To facilitate sharing and distribution of the transgenic/knockout mice and associated resources developed under this grant, mice will be maintained in a specific pathogen free facility. This facility will maintain the mice free of the following micro-organisms and pathogens (e.g., pinworms, mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), Sendai virus, mycoplasma, mites, etc.) Should the transgenic/knockout mice become infected with any of these micro-organisms, the mice will be rederived through embryo transfer.
"Other Research Resources" generated with funds from this grant will include DNA constructs, etc. These resources, as available, would also be freely distributed upon request to qualified academic investigators for non-commercial research.
My institution and I will adhere to the NIH Grants Policy on Sharing of Unique Research Resources including the "Sharing of Biomedical Research Resources: Principles and Guidelines for Recipients of NIH Grants and Contracts" issued in December, 1999 . Specifically, material transfers would be made with no more restrictive terms than in the Simple Letter Agreement or the UBMTA and without reach through requirements. Should any intellectual property arise which requires a patent, we would ensure that the technology remains widely available to the research community in accordance with the NIH Principles and Guidelines document.