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DigitalCommons@TMC Get Started Guide

Digital Commons @ TMC is an online repository sponsored by The TMC Library and dedicated to serving as a scholarly resource for member institutions of the
Texas Medical Center..

NIH Scientific Data Sharing

NIH Data Management & Sharing (DMS) Policy, effective January 25, 2023, applies to all research, funded or conducted in whole or in part by NIH, that results in the generation of scientific data.

This includes all NIH-supported research regardless of funding level, including: extramural grants, extramural contracts, intramural research projects, and other funding agreements.

Scientific Data is defined as data commonly accepted in the scientific community as of sufficient quality to validate and replicate research findings, regardless of whether the data are used to support scholarly publications.

  • Scientific data includes any data needed to validate and replicate research findings.
  • Scientific data does not include laboratory notebooks, preliminary analyses, completed case report forms, drafts of scientific papers, plans for future research, peer reviews, communications with colleagues, or physical objects such as laboratory specimens.
The DMS Policy applies to all research that generates scientific data, including: The DMS Policy does not apply to research and other activities that do not generate scientific data, including:
  • Research Projects
  • Some Career Development Awards
  • Small Business SBIR/STTR 
  • Research Centers
  • Training
  • Fellowships
  • Construction
  • Conference Grants
  • Resource
  • Research-Related Infrastructure Programs

The effective date for the DMS Policy is January 25, 2023. Specifically, the policy applies to:

  • Competing grant applications that are submitted to NIH for January 25, 2023 and subsequent receipt dates.
  • Proposals for contracts that are submitted to NIH on or after January 25, 2023.
  • NIH Intramural Research Projects conducted on or after January 25, 2023.
  • Other funding agreements (e.g., Other Transactions) that are executed on or after January 25, 2023, unless otherwise stipulated by NIH.

Other policies and expectations may apply (see NIH Institute and Center Data Sharing Policies).

For more information, check out NIH Data Management and Sharing libguide.

Submit Your Data

Did you know that with the new Data Management and Sharing Policy in place, you can already submit data to the Digital Commons@TMC website? 

Currently, Baylor College of Medicine already has an area for you to submit your research data, BCM Research Data as shown in the example below.

BCM Research Data

Submitting your research data is similar to submitting your thesis/dissertation, follow the instructions on Submit Your Research page on this guide. Please make sure that when you want to submit your data, you are at a secure internet connection, as your data set is generally quite large. Don't see your institution and still have questions? Contact us!

Here are some examples with other different types of scientific data representation layout: