Crafting a robust Resource Sharing Plan is crucial for securing NIH funding and ensuring your research resources are accessible to the broader scientific community. This guide will help you master the essentials of creating an effective plan that complies with NIH requirements and promotes the dissemination of your work.
What is a Resource Sharing Plan?
A Resource Sharing Plan (RSP) outlines how you intend to share the resources resulting from your federally funded research. This includes educational materials, software, models, and other research tools. The RSP is a mandatory component of most NIH funding applications and plays a significant role in the evaluation of your proposal.
Types of Resources to Address
When developing your RSP, consider including the following types of resources:
- Educational Materials: Curriculum content, training modules, and other teaching resources.
- Methods: Analytical methods, experimental protocols, and data collection instruments.
- Models: AI/ML models, predictive models, and other computational tools.
- Physical Products: Animal models, antibodies, cell lines, and laboratory equipment.
- Protocols: SOP manuals, laboratory protocols, and new standards.
- Research Findings: Best practices, frameworks, and comprehensive reports.
- Software: Algorithms, APIs, applications, and source code.
Note: Resources do not include data. For sharing scientific and genomic data, refer to the Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan as per NIH guidelines.
Developing a Conscientious Resource Sharing Plan
Format and Accessibility
Ensure that the resources you plan to share are in accessible formats. Consider long-term maintenance and the structures needed to support ongoing access and updates. This includes using standardized formats and ensuring compatibility with commonly used platforms.
Community Engagement
Incorporate opportunities for community input and feedback. This can include feature requests, problem reports, and collaborative enhancements. Engaging with the community fosters a sustainable and user-driven resource ecosystem.
Privacy Considerations
Evaluate whether your resources contain personally identifiable information (PII). If so, implement appropriate safeguards to protect privacy in alignment with NIH requirements and ethical standards.
Sharing Your Resources
Selecting Repositories
Choose stable, public repositories for disseminating your resources. Some recommended platforms include:
- Cell Lines, iPSCs, Plasmids: ATCC, Corriell
- Models: Hugging Face
- Preprints and Publications: ArXiv, BioRxiv, Figshare, MedRxiv, PubMed Central
- Protocols: Protocols.io
- Software: GitHub, GitLab, Zenodo, Bitbucket
Tip: Utilize repositories that align with the nature of your resource to maximize accessibility and impact.
Timeline for Sharing
Aim to share your resources by the end of the NIH award period. Early planning with your institution’s technology transfer office can help navigate potential patent protections and ensure timely dissemination.
Inventions and Patents
Collaborate with your institution’s technology transfer staff to evaluate inventions for patent protection. This collaboration ensures that your resources can be shared effectively without compromising intellectual property rights.
Best Practices for Sharing Software
- Licensing: Use licenses that allow unrestricted redistribution and modification.
- Citable Software: Make your software citable using persistent identifiers like DOIs.
- Transferability: Ensure that others can continue development if needed.
- Reproducibility: Promote the use of automated pipelines to enhance reproducibility.
Conclusion
An effective Resource Sharing Plan not only fulfills NIH requirements but also enhances the visibility and impact of your research. By thoughtfully planning the sharing of your resources, you contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge and foster a collaborative research environment.
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