NIAID Now | March 23, 2020
Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. This transmission electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2—also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19. Isolated from a patient in the U.S., emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab
In light of the rapid research being conducted in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic, all NIAID-funded researchers are encouraged to share research data to enhance the rigor and reproducibility of research results and secondary use.
NIAID has a vision for a modernized, integrated biomedical data ecosystem as outlined in the NIH Strategic Plan for Data Science. To support this goal, it is critical to enhance data-sharing and access and to have NIAID-funded data be findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR).
NIH and NIAID support several open domain-specific repositories and knowledgebases for broad sharing of data with the larger research community. However, not all data have domain-specific repositories or allow self-publishing. There are several generalist repositories that can fill this gap. Researchers are encouraged to use one of their choice and/or work with their institutional library-supported repository to rapidly self-publish all useful and usable data in any file type, with meaningful titles and descriptions. The repositories will, in many instances, help track metrics to measure its use and impact.
NIH is assessing the role of a generalist repository for NIH-funded research and has launched the NIH Figshare instance, a pilot project with the generalist repository Figshare. It is available for all NIH-funded researchers to share research data that do not have a domain-specific repository, data underlying publication figures and tables, or useful data not associated with publications.
To learn more about how you can leverage generalists repositories such as the NIH Figshare instance to publish your data and other research work products, you can access the recording of the webinar from March 24, 2020. This project is a trans-NIH effort supported by the NIH Office of Data Science Strategy.
NIAID has also created an infographic to help you navigate the process of sharing data. Download the PDF of 3 Easy Steps to Share COVID-19 Research Data or visit the webpage version.
For additional guidance on data management and sharing NIAID-funded data, contact the NIAID Office of Data Science and Emerging Technologies at niaidodset@nih.gov.