This initiative seeks to increase the number NICHD-supported data sets that are archived and disseminated and to improve the accessibility of these data and quality of the associated documentation.
Despite NIH efforts to expand data sharing and the expansion of the NICHD Data and Specimen Hub (DASH) and other NICHD-related archives, the need for this initiative remains. Many NICHD-funded researchers still do not archive and disseminate the data created by their grant activities. Currently, not all NICHD researchers are covered by current NIH data sharing policies. The current policy only applies large grants—investigator-initiated grants that request $500,000 direct costs in any grant year—and to some RFAs. While the NIH is planning to expand data sharing requirements to a wider array of grants, even after the expansion, NICHD will continue to need to stimulate archiving and documentation of NICHD-funded data resources because new NIH policies generally only apply to competing applications, not grants previously funded
The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement will be to continue inviting applications to support archiving and documenting existing data sets in order to enable secondary analysis of these data by the scientific community. The priority of this program is to archive data sets within the scientific mission of the NICHD; highest priority is to archive data collected with NICHD support.
To date, this initiative has successfully solicited applications to make a variety of NICHD-supported and related data resources publicly available. This initiative generated applications for 47 base projects and resulted in 22 awards to 5 DER Branches as of March 2019. These awards have covered topics ranging from acute child trauma and recovery to pediatric HIV/AIDS to reproductive health research.
This initiative responds directly to the NICHD Vision concept of “Conduct of Science” through its emphasis on data access: "Within the next 10 years scientists should be able to, … [c]hange the predominant model for data use to one of open access.” To achieve the NIH goals of reproducibility and replicability of research and cost-effective use of investments in data infrastructure, data resources funded by NICHD need to be accessible to researchers outside the original research team.
Increasing data sharing is a priority for the Population Dynamics Branch (PDB) and all NICHD extramural branches.
Program Contact
Regina Bures
Population Dynamics Branch (PDB)
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