NIH Final Policy for Data Management and Sharing

The NIH Final Policy for Data Management and Sharing will go into effecton January 25, 2023. The policy states that all reserchers applying for NIH funding will be required to submit a Data Management and Sharing Plan with their funding proposal.  This applies to all research funded or conducted by NIH that results in the generation of scientific data. 

NIH defines scientific data 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.

  • 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.

More information and resources for drafting your plan can be found through the University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Library and the New NIH Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Policy guidance.