Dear colleagues,
I’m writing to share two policy updates from NIH that may affect your research and funding. Unlike some recent announcements from NIH, these updates are not – in the main – new, but some timelines have accelerated and some details have changed. Please review the following summary carefully, and make sure your NIH research remains in compliance with the relevant policies, below.
Beginning July 1, 2025, all Author Accepted Manuscripts for NIH-funded research must be deposited in PubMed Central (PMC) upon acceptance and made publicly available without embargo on the Official Date of Publication.
Key Points:
- The Author Accepted Manuscript is the final version post-peer review but before publisher formatting. This is the required version for submission.
- The Final Published Article is the journal’s formatted version. While submission of the Final Published Article is an option (for journals with agreements with NLM), it is not required for compliance.
- Compliance is free—researchers are not required to pay article processing charges to meet the new policy.
Impact on Researchers:
Researchers can comply in one of two ways:
- Submit the Author Accepted Manuscript to PubMed Central upon acceptance.
- Or submit the Final Published Article (if the journal has an agreement with NLM).
Resources:
The University of Rochester Libraries’ Data Services team is available for assistance. They have also created an online guide highlighting the most recent updates on funding agency public access policies.
NIH Genomic Data Sharing Policy
The NIH has announced significant updates to its Genomic Data Sharing Policy, which took effect on January 25, 2025. These changes aim to enhance the security and management of controlled-access data, highlighting the increasing significance of data protection in an evolving global research landscape.
Key Points:
- Genomic data repositories must now comply with the NIST SP 800-171 standard, which introduces stricter security requirements. The University is actively working towards this.
- Approved users of NIH controlled-access data must attest that their institution complies with NIST SP 800-171. This includes those using third-party IT systems or Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) for data analysis and storage.
Impact on researchers:
- The policy is not retroactive. Approved users under existing Data Use Agreements or similar agreements signed before January 25, 2025, can continue under those terms until renewal.
- Researchers seeking to access controlled human genomic data from genomic data repositories (e.g., dbGaP) must either attest that their systems meet NIST SP 800-171 requirements (which is coming) or have a documented plan of action on progress toward adoption (which will be available within the coming weeks).
Resources:
If approved users are seeking renewal of their Data Use Agreement or are looking to access controlled human genomic data from a repository, they should contact Amy Crosby in the Office of Research & Project Administration to ensure compliance.
The NIH also has FAQs on the Genomic Data Sharing Policy available.
As always, if you have questions on any of the above and are not sure who to reach out to, please contact the Office of the Vice President for Research.
Regards,
Steve
Stephen Dewhurst, PhD
Vice President for Research
University of Rochester