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NIH Data Management & Sharing Policy

A guide addressing the new NIH Data Management & Sharing Policy that went into effect Jan. 25, 2023.

Planning for Data Sharing

What do you need to do?

Create a Data Management and Sharing Plan to submit with your NIH funding application.

Why do you need to plan?

Starting January 25, 2023 to receiving funding from the NIH all research applications must include a detailed plan for how the research data will be shared once the grant is complete. 

Who is impacted by this policy?

This policy impacts researchers who receive funding from the NIH and generate scientific data.

When do you need to start planning?

This policy applies to all grant applications beginning on January 25, 2023. 

How do you start to plan?

NIH has a fillable version of the page format for the Data Management and Sharing Plan.

Elements to consider and include in your plan: 

  • Data type: Identify the data to be preserved and shared; types and amounts
  • Related tools, software, code: Tools and software 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 the data will be available
  • Access, distribution, reuse considerations: Description of factors for data access, distribution, or reuse
  • Oversight of data management and sharing: Plan how compliance will be managed