Research Data Management

Funder Guidelines on Data Sharing

Federal Agencies

Many funding agencies require formal data management and/or sharing plans as part of their granting process. Check SPARC's Data Sharing Requirements by Federal Agency website for information about US federal agency data sharing plans. To get the most up-to-date information, be sure to check your funding agency's website directly. Requirements will also be changing -- on August 25, 2022, Dr. Alondra Nelson of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a memo, Ensuring Free, Immediate, and Equitable Access to Federally Funded Research (the "Nelson Memo"), which requires all funded scholarly research and underlying raw data to be publicly available without embargo by 2026. Science.gov provides links to and information on public access plans and guidance, including responses to the 2022 OSTP policy guidance.

National Institutes of Health (NIH):

• NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing (2023): Requires NIH-funded researchers to proactively plan for how scientific data will be preserved and shared through submission of a Data Management and Sharing Plan (effective date January 25, 2023).
• NIH Genomic Data Sharing: To promote robust sharing of human and non-human data from a wide range of genomic research and to provide appropriate protections for research involving human data.
• Final Rule for Clinical Trials Registration and Results Information Submission: Clarifies and expands requirements for submitting clinical trial registration and results to ClinicalTrials.gov.

National Science Foundation (NSF)

• NSF Data Management Plan Requirements and Data Sharing Policy: Proposals must include a supplementary document of no more than two pages labeled "Data Management Plan." This supplementary document should describe how the proposal will conform to NSF policy on disseminating and sharing research results.

Foundations/Organizations

• Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Research Policies: Requires publications to contain sufficient information about their experimental methods and procedures, and make available data, software, and tangible research materials. This is designed to enable other scientists to reproduce and extend the results of all publications on which the HHMI laboratory head is an author.
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Open Access Policy: Includes an Open Access policy that enables the unrestricted access and reuse of all peer-reviewed published research funded, in whole or in part, by the foundation, including any underlying data sets.

Publisher & Journal Requirements

Increasingly, journals are adopting the Joint Data Archiving Policy. Before submitting a manuscript to any journal, check their data policy details on how to handle associated data files. The Data Policy Finder is a database containing information and links for data, code, and materials policies. Search for data sharing and management policies by publisher or publication.

Authors will often need to include a "Data Availability Statement" in their article, which details what data are available, where the supporting data can be found, and any applicable access terms.

• How to Write a Data Availability Statement: Resource from F1000Research on writing a clear Data Availability Statement for various data sharing mechanisms.

UC-Specific Requirements

The University of California issued a Research Data Policy, effective July 15, 2022, that clarified "the Regents of the University of California owns Research Data generated or collected in the course of University Research, and exercises this responsibility to support research, collaboration, public dissemination of information, and to meet its responsibility under sponsored research awards and other research agreements." Ownership of Research Data by the University of California is a longstanding precept originally articulated in Regulation 4 (Academic Personnel Manual 020).

Policy Highlights

• Defines Research Data as recorded information embodying facts resulting from a scientific inquiry, regardless of the form or media in which they may be recorded. In this policy, Research Data does not include:
  • "Scholarly and Aesthetic Works" defined under the University of California's Copyright Ownership Policy
  • Informal notes, preliminary analyses, drafts of scientific papers, and communications with colleagues that do not include recorded information embodying facts resulting from a scientific inquiry
  • Administrative records incidental to award administration such as financial records, contract and grant records, or records related to institutional reviews and approvals
  • Patient source documents and medical records created in the course of clinical care
• Identifies Principal Investigators as the primary stewards of Research Data. Research Data will be retained by the Principal Investigator of a research project. However, the University may take custody of Research Data under certain circumstances, such as where necessary to perform any investigations associated with allegations of research misconduct, litigation, or to ensure continuity of research.
• Assigns responsibility for the interpretation, implementation, and oversight of the Policy to the Vice Chancellor for Research.

For more information, visit Frequently Asked Questions about UC's Research Data Policy.