Sharing Data on the Sage Data Platform

Sage Bionetworks (Sage) is a non-profit research organization that develops and applies innovative technologies to improve human health. We are a leader in the field of data sharing and have a proven track record of helping researchers manage and share data in a responsible and ethical manner. Sage’s data platform (Synapse) is a generalist repository that enables users to share data, track analyses, and collaborate.  To date, the platform shares over 2PB of data from 20,000+ projects with more than 100,000 user accounts. Synapse adheres to the F.A.I.R principles for scientific data management and stewardship, ensuring that data is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. 

What is the 2023 NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy?

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Data Management and Sharing Policy (DMSP) went into effect on January 25, 2023.  This new policy applies to all research funded or conducted in whole or in part by NIH. The goal of the policy is to promote the sharing of scientific data, which can accelerate biomedical research discovery, enable validation of research results, and provide accessibility to high-value datasets.

Under the policy, NIH expects that investigators and institutions will:

• Plan and budget for the managing and sharing of data.

• Submit a Data Management and Sharing (DMS) plan.

• Comply with the approved DMS plan and annually report on its implementation.

The DMSP provides guidance on how to manage and share data in a responsible and ethical manner to help accelerate biomedical research discovery and improve human health.  

How can Sage help?

In most cases you must address the NIH DMSP when submitting your grant/funding proposal.  Sage can help you with the following:

• Develop a data management and sharing plan that meets the requirements of the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy.

• Develop an appropriate budget for your data management and sharing plan that meets the F.A.I.R principles.

• Provide guidance on how to store and secure your data at a level appropriate for its sensitivity.

• Promote the sharing of your data with the scientific community for scientific, education, and research purposes only.

What are Sage’s Data Platform Offerings?

Sage offers the following service plans to the scientific community: (1) a free Basic Hosting Plan, (2) a paid-for Self-Managed Plan, and (3) a paid-for customized Data Coordination Plan. The Sage Terms and Conditions of Use apply to each of these plans unless otherwise noted. Additional governance terms may apply.

Basic Hosting Plan

The Basic Hosting Plan is intended for individual researchers wanting to share small datasets (<100GB) for publication (including creating DOIs) and scientific, educational, and research collaborations. This plan includes self-service project set-up and data hosting with no direct support from Sage Staff. Sage does not guarantee data longevity in the Basic Hosting Plan. Due to content size limits, data longevity guarantees, and the absence of consulting help, we do not recommend this as a response to the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. 

Self-Managed Plan

The Self-Managed Plan expands our Basic Hosting Plan offering by including data longevity guarantees, consultation services for setting up and sharing data according to the F.A.I.R principles, access to consulting hours with our experienced governance team, and tools for managing data access requests.  This is our recommended plan for compliance with the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. 

Data Coordination Plan

The Data Coordination Plan offers customized, end-to-end management of data supporting collaborative, multi-institutional research consortia. This plan supplements the services in the Self-Managed Plan with additional personalized consulting services, data curation, harmonization, and validation services. It also includes work to localize data policies and governance controls to your particular country’s requirements, as applicable. Finally, we provide services to create a tailored and feature-rich data exploration portal for your coordination center that includes links to sophisticated computational environments. 

Because data coordination projects are typically customized to meet the needs of a particular proposal, they are subject to additional contractual documentation. Please contact us to learn more about how we can help!

What are the payment terms?

Basic Hosting Plan: Access to the Service is provided free of charge. Sage reserves the right to implement fees for the Service, or portions thereof, at any time by providing you 30 days prior written notice on Synapse or otherwise. Before you become obligated to pay such fees, you will have the opportunity to terminate your account. The fees will only apply to users who have logged in or engaged in active use of the Service.

Self-Managed and Data Coordination Plans: These plans and certain features of these plans require you to pay fees. All fees are in U.S. Dollars and are non-refundable, unless specified in the Sage Terms of Service or separate agreements.

How to get started?

Sage’s expertise makes it easy to create an NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan and budget. To support you, we provide budgeting information in the form of a quote, as well as sample text you can directly use in your plan. More questions? See our FAQ

Get started by contacting us now!