SPARC is NIH DMS Policy compliant

The scientific research community is entering into a new era of data curation, management, and access in January 2023 as codified by the NIH’s new Data Management and Sharing Policy (DMS policy). This new policy presses for solutions to problems that can hinder scientific discovery and reproducibility and calls for consistent and transparent data management and curation practices. It encourages adoption of best practices, including the use of common data elements, comprehensive documentation as well as for the new requirement that data be made open and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) in order to accelerate discoveries.

Choosing the right data repository is more important than ever before. The NIH recommends selecting a domain-specific repository that supports FAIR data sharing. FAIR includes processing datasets through rigorous curation services to ensure that metadata files are structured in context whenever possible by using unique identifiers for attribution and citation, FAIR vocabularies for annotation, and standardized protocols. It manages the provenance and chain of custody of your data and ensures free and easy access.

SPARC.science is an established data repository for multimodal data on the peripheral nervous system that is open, FAIR, and NIH-supported. The SPARC Portal provides interactive access to a growing collection of data, maps, and computational studies that focus on the role of the autonomic nervous system in controlling organ function. These resources are made available to the public with the intent of advancing bioelectronic medicine towards more precise treatment of diseases and conditions.

Beyond selecting a repository, establishing a process within the laboratory for curating data for public access is possibly one of the most daunting-yet most essential- aspects of data management for investigative science. Professional curation goes well beyond just having a place to put your data. It ensures the accuracy, safety, longevity, and usability of your datasets within the community.

For more than 5 years, the SPARC Data and Resource Center (DRC) has honed its expertise in curating data and computational studies from SPARC-funded investigator groups. In August 2022, SPARC achieved the milestone of becoming a completely open data repository, accepting multimodal peripheral nervous system (PNS) and spinal cord data from a number of species. The SPARC DRC specializes precisely in tools that standardize and simplify data submission, management and curation-using tools that automate as well as hands-on, interactive management of the process from its curation team- so that data is in full alignment with the NIH DMS policy. The curation team offers twice weekly office hours to support the quality assurance process on the path to publishing on SPARC.science.

The SPARC DRC also offers planning assistance with materials that can be used to support your grant proposal, including the DMS component and budget justification. Don’t forget that funds for data management can be requested in your budget to support the effort of a data manager in your own lab, and the costs associated with data platforms.

Whether you are an individual researcher, part of a collaborative research group or funding agency interested in including your PNS and spinal cord data on the SPARC Portal, the SPARC DRC has a number of resources and mechanisms of support to consider.

For more details and how to begin, read more here