Your application may need to include a plan for sharing model organisms, final research data, or data or other information related to genome-wide association studies.

If any of these requirements apply to your research, write your plan or plans as a single attachment.

All plans go in the Resource Sharing Plan attachment to the PHS 398 Research Plan form. They do not count toward the Research Strategy page limit.

To find out what to do, read the information below, which summarizes the main points from NIH Sharing Policies and Related Guidance on NIH-Funded Research Resources.

Model Organism Sharing

If you plan to create a new model organism, you need to submit a sharing plan.

First, review Model Organisms for Biomedical Research for a list of organisms that require a plan. Include a justification if you plan to develop one of these organisms but are not providing a plan. Add information to other sections of the application as appropriate.

For sample plans, see the following:

• Complex Model Organism Sharing Plan
• Model Organism Sharing Plan for Mice
• Simple Model Organism Sharing Plan

Data Sharing

A data sharing plan is required only for applications requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs for any year unless otherwise specified in the funding opportunity announcement. You may request funds in your budget to prepare, document, and archive data.

Include a justification if you are requesting that amount and are not providing a plan. (You will also need NIAID approval to submit an investigator-initiated application requesting that level of funding and document the approval in your cover letter. For details, see the Big Grants SOP.)

Your plan should state how you will share the final data set, without identifiers, through your institution no later than the time the main findings are accepted for publication. For a sample plan, go to our Sample Data Sharing Plan.

Add information to other sections of the application as appropriate. NIH Data Sharing Policy and Implementation Guidance tells you how a data sharing plan may affect other parts of the application.

Genomic Data Sharing

When you propose research that will generate large-scale human or nonhuman genomic data, you must include a plan to address genomic data sharing. This policy applies to all NIH-funded grants or contracts at any funding level.

"Large-scale" is a key qualifier; not every project that generates genomic data falls within the scope of the GDS policy. As examples, large-scale data include the following:

• Genome-wide association studies (GWAS)
• Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays
• Genome sequence, transcriptomic, epigenomic, and gene expression data

Learn more about NIH Genomic Data Sharing policy:

• Supplemental Information. Get examples of genomic research projects that are subject to the policy and the timeline for submitting and sharing data.
• Researchers. Learn how to register your studies once you're funded, access data, and more.
  • Guidance for Investigators Developing Genomic Data Sharing Plans. Follow a list of elements in a standard genomic data sharing plan, then see example plans.
  • Guidance for Institutions Submitting Applications and Contract Proposals Under the GDS Policy. Find details on investigator and institution responsibilities, including informed consent, data submission, and data access.

Finishing Up

Look over the sharing plans you’ve written and imagine where a critical reviewer might identify potential questions or weak spots.

Enlist others to do that too—they can look at your application with a fresh eye. Include people who aren't familiar with your research to make sure you can get your point across to someone outside your field.