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RTI International researchers created toolkit for NIDDK, promoting open science and FAIR data principles
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.—RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, collaborated with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) to establish their initial Data Management and Sharing (DMS) resource kit. The resources will promote the management and sharing of scientific data generated from research funded or conducted by NIDDK and their collaborators.
The policies are in accordance with the new NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy, which has been built to emphasize the importance of good data management practices and establishes the expectation to maximize the appropriate sharing of scientific data produced from research. While the project was funded by NIDDK, the resources are applicable to projects across NIH institutes.
“When responding to a NIH funding opportunity, investigators are required to submit a two-page data management and sharing plan and NIDDK recognized that researchers would need support in completing this step,” said Helen Pan, a bioinformatician at RTI. “The materials will help NIDDK investigators and project officers facilitate the management and sharing of their research data.”
In addition to DMS worksheets, sample plans have been shared to support investigators as they create their own plan. A webinar series was also produced to disseminate information about the tools and how they can help fulfill data standard requirements. Many aspects of the DMS policy are not routine considerations for investigators—such as considering metadata to describe the research data, organizing the data they collect and selecting repositories where the data can live—so the webinar series offers accessible guidance on how to leverage the resource kit based on their project.
The NIH DMS Policy went into effect in January 2023. In the spirit of the open science initiative and NIH FAIR data principles, the DMS Policy focuses on sharing research results in the public space faster. Not only does this promote the primary research, but it allows interested parties to see it and set a foundation for additional study, and, ultimately, discovery. The increased transparency and access will enhance the collective impact that NIH-funded research can have through secondary data use.
Read about the DMS policy and leverage the resources to develop a DMS plan
Learn more around RTI’s commitment to the open science initiative
