Genomic Data Sharing Policy

Genomic research advances our understanding of factors that influence health and disease. To facilitate the translation of research results into applications that improve human health, NIH expects institutions and researchers to broadly and responsibly share genomic data generated by NIH funds.

About Genomic Data Sharing

Genomic research advances our understanding of factors that influence health and disease. Genomic data is a critical shared resource and valuable tool for research that benefits the scientific community. To facilitate the translation of research results into applications that improve human health, NIH expects institutions and researchers to broadly and responsibly share genomic data generated by NIH funds. Those expectations are set out in NIH’s genomic data sharing (GDS) policy [LINK]. As a steward of genomic data, NIH has an obligation to ensure compliance with its GDS policy and to promote and facilitate responsible sharing of data subject to the policy.

Developing Genomic Data Sharing Plans

Genomic Data Sharing (GDS) plans describe how the research will meet the expectations of NIH's GDS policy. Learn how to write and submit a GDS plan.

Institutional Certifications

Investigators working with large-scale human genomic data are required to submit an Institutional Certification to NIH. Learn about this important document and how to prepare it.

Submitting Genomic Data

Learn more about the genomic data submission process, from choosing an appropriate repository to submitting datasets. Generating human genomic data? Follow our step-by-step instructions for registering a study in the Database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP), which is required for human genomic datasets.