NIH Issues Genomic Data Sharing Policy

The National Institutes of Health has issued the final NIH Genomic Data Sharing (GDS) Policy that “will apply to all NIH-funded, large-scale human and non-human projects that generate genomic data,” effective for funding applications submitted for the January 25, 2015 receipt date and thereafter.

The NIH Office of Extramural Research has issued implementation guidelines for grant applications and awards. Dr. Sally Rockey, NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research, states in her blog post that applicants “are expected to state in their cover letter if their proposed research will generate large-scale human or non-human genomic data. If so, applicants are expected to include a genomic data sharing plan, and NIH will ask peer reviewers to comment on this plan, though it will not factor into the overall impact score for the project (unless specified otherwise in the funding opportunity announcement).”

The NIH news release states, “A key tenet of the GDS policy is the expectation that researchers obtain the informed consent of study participants for the potential future use of their de-identified data for research and for broad sharing. NIH also has similar expectations for studies that involve the use of de-identified cell lines or clinical specimens.”

Resources

• NIH Genomic Data Sharing
• NIH Genomic Data Sharing (GDS) Policy (NOT-OD-14-124)
• Implementation of the NIH Genomic Data Sharing Policy for NIH Grant Applications and Awards (NOT-OD-14-111)
• NIH news release: NIH issues finalized policy on genomic data sharing
• NIH Rock Talk blog: Expanding the Impact of Genomic Data

FY 2015 Composite Fringe Benefit Rates Posted

The approved UC Berkeley composite fringe benefit rates for Fiscal Year 2015 received from Space and Capitol Resources are now posted on the the SPO Salary and Benefits page. The Fiscal Year 2015 rates are effective for the period July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.

Projections for future fiscal years also are included for planning purposes only.

2014 Sponsored Projects Annual Report Published

The Sponsored Projects Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2014 is now available on the SPO web site. The report provides information on campus proposals and awards during the past year; in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, the Berkeley campus received $738.5 million in contract and grant awards.

NIH to Require Individual Development Plan Description in Progress Reports

The National Institutes of Health will require that investigators submitting NIH annual progress reports on or after October 1, 2014 include a section describing how individual development plans (IDPs) are used to identify and promote the career goals of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers associated with the award.

Investigators using the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) for NIH progress reports must include a description on the use of IDPs in Section B. Accomplishments, Question B.4., on how and whether they use IDPs for all the graduate students and postdoctoral researchers included in Section D. list of Participants. Note that actual IDPs should not be included. A similar response will be required for all T, F, K, R25, R13, D43, and other awards or award components designed to provide training and professional development opportunities for graduate students and postdocs.

• Revised Policy: Descriptions on the Use of Individual Development Plans (IDPs) for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Researchers Required in Annual Progress Reports beginning October 1, 2014 (NOT-OD-14-113)

DOE Open Access: Office of Science to Require Data Management Plan; New Public Portal

The U.S. Department of Energy has announced “new measures to increase access to scholarly publications and digital data” resulting from DOE-funded research.

DOE Office of Science solicitations and invitations issued on or after October 1, 2014 for new, renewal, and some supplemental funding will require “a Data Management Plan that describes whether and how the digital research data generated in the course of the proposed research will be shared and preserved.” Other DOE research offices will be implementing data management plan requirements within the next year, according to the DOE announcement.

DOE has also launched a new Public Access Gateway for Energy and Science (PAGES) to provide free public access to accepted peer-reviewed manuscripts or published scientific journal articles within 12 months of publication.

• DOE Press Release: U.S. Department of Energy Increases Access to Results of DOE-funded Scientific Research
• DOE Office of Science Statement on Digital Data Management
• DOE PAGES: Public Access Gateway for Energy and Science