2023 NIH Data Management Sharing Policy

The 2023 NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy (DMSP) requires that all NIH funded research describe in detail how scientific data will be shared and managed in a useable format. Data is also required to be preserved within a specialized repository whenever ethically and legally possible. The data management and sharing plan is a 2 page (approximately) document that proactively plans for how you will manage your data throughout the research process, and how you will share you data upon completion of the project.

We strongly recommend that all researchers who are planning to apply for an NIH grant meet with a librarian to discuss the elements of a data management and sharing plan. In this meeting, we will go over each element of the plan, provide you with a template for writing it, answer questions you may have about each element, and help you select an appropriate repository for your data.

Once you have completed your data management and sharing plan, you are welcome to send it to a librarian for review to ensure all elements are adequately addressed.

We ask that you reach out to the library at least 3 weeks before your grant proposal is due. Reach out to University Library Director Hal Bright at hbright@atsu.edu to set up a consultation.

Does My Research Project Require a DMS Plan?

All NIH-funded original research that produces scientific data requires a data management and sharing plan be submitted as part of the research proposal. This included all NIH-funded research regardless of funding level. 

List of Activity Codes Applicable to DMS Policy

What Is Considered "Scientific Data"?

Scientific Data is defined as data commonly accepted in the scientific community as of sufficient quality to validate and replicate research findings, regardless of whether the data are used to support scholarly publications. This scientific data is what you must share to comply with the NIH policy.

• Scientific data includes any data needed to validate and replicate research findings.
• Scientific data does 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.

Do I Have to Share My Data?

Not necessarily. The goal of the NIH DMS Policy is to maximize appropriate data sharing. When data cannot be fully shared due to ethical, legal, or technical restraints, these restraints must be addressed as part of the DMS plan as well as their rationale. 

However, data sharing is considered the default for NIH-funded research, and researchers are expected to take the appropriate steps such as obtaining consent for data sharing, de-identifying datasets, and using controlled-access repositories when appropriate.

Datasets being too small, low anticipated reuse, difficulty finding a suitable repository, and researcher preferences are NOT considered justifiable reasons for restricting data sharing.

When Do I Need to Share My Data?

Data must be shared either when a manuscript is published that uses the data, or at the conclusion of the award's performance period, whichever comes first.

NIH has instituted a new DMSP to promote a culture change around data sharing and to encourage data sharing and reuse as the "norm" in the scientific community.

Data Sharing: 

• Accelerates biomedical research discovery
• Enhances research rigor and reproducibility
• Provides accessibility to high-value datasets
• Promotes reuse for future research
• Expediates the translation of research results into knowledge to improve health practices