NIH/NHLBI Policy on Sharing of Model Organisms for Biomedical Research

February 2005

As of October 1, 2004, all NIH applications that plan to produce new, genetically modified variants of model organisms and related resources are expected to include a sharing plan or to state why such sharing is restricted or not possible. This policy includes grants, contracts, and SBIR and STTR grants. A brief overview of the implications of this policy change is presented below:

The adequacy of plans for sharing model organisms will be considered by reviewers when a competing application is evaluated. Reviewers will be asked to describe their assessment of the sharing plan in an administrative note and, normally, will not include their assessment in the overall priority score. For some special initiatives, such as Request for Applications and Request for Proposals specifically directed to the development of model organisms, reviewers may be asked to integrate their evaluation of the plan for sharing with other review criteria and factor their assessment into the overall evaluation of scientific merit.

Please note that a sharing plan must be in place before an award is made.

For more information, please see the following Web pages:

Please Note: the following links will take you to the NIH Web site. These links will not open new windows

Please address any questions about the linked documents to the NIH Web staff.

NIH Model Organism Sharing Policy page (includes FAQs and other links, two are listed below)

NIH Model Organisms for Biomedical Research Site

NIH Guide Notice: - (05/07/2004) - announcing the NIH Policy on Sharing of Model Organisms For Biomedical Research