PFGRC Data Release Policy
The goal of the NIAID-funded Pathogen Functional Genomics Resource Center (PFGRC) is to provide scientists with centralized resources necessary to conduct functional genomics studies on a variety of pathogens and vectors for which genomic sequence information is currently, or will soon be available.
A data release plan for each NIAID-funded PFGRC project is required, and final details will be negotiated between NIAID, the NIAID funded PFGRC and collaborators. Final approval for the data release plan will be given by NIAID, see specifics below.
Guiding Principles
NIAID recognizes that rapid and unrestricted sharing of the data and information obtained through this effort is essential for advancing research on infectious agents responsible for human disease. Data release plans should be based on the guiding principle that data be made available to the research community as rapidly as possible. Under these general guidelines, the PFGRC is expected to provide rapid access to data, reagents, protocols and other information through publicly available resources such as public databases or databases provided through the PFGRC and its web site or those designated by NIAID. Examples of such data include, but are not limited to; sequencing, genotyping and polymorphism data, RNA and protein expression studies from model infectious systems, and proteomics profiling data.
At the conclusion of any Collaborative Research supported under NIAID PFGRC, scientists from the PFGRC and its collaborators will be allowed six months to prepare and submit a manuscript for publication prior to putting the associated data in the public domain. At the end of this six month period, the PFGRC will provide public access to data from the collaborative projects through a web site presentation as agreed upon between the PFGRC and the NIAID Program Officer.
The above Data Release Guidelines are meant as a general guideline to be followed between the PFGRC and its collaborators. It is recognized that each project may pose specific opportunities or challenges with respect to public data release, and efforts will be made to tailor the Data Release Guidelines accordingly with the approval of NIAID.
Data Release Plan Preparation:
A plan to share research data and resources with the scientific community is to be developed and submitted. The plan should include (but not limited to) the sharing of: genomic sequencing data, functional genomic data sets, proteomic data sets, clones, microarrays, protocols, technologies, reagents, and bioinformatics and computational software tools and source codes generated during collaboration with the PFGRC. The plan must adhere to current NIAID policies on sequence data and NIH guidelines on genome wide association studies, where appropriate.
The plan shall detail:
- What data types and resources will be generated under this collaboration and shared with scientific community.
- An estimated timeline for release of each data set, and resource to the scientific community.
- The location where the data will be released: NIAID funded Bioinformatics Resource Centers, GenBank or other database sites.