NIH to insist foreign partners share lab notebooks and data

The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced that it will implement a policy that requires grant holders to monitor the lab notebooks, raw data and all documentation underpinning research carried out by collaborators based outside the US. The policy is slated to take effect from 1 January, 2024, despite researchers’ concerns that it may represent overreach by the NIH and could significantly disrupt US research collaborations abroad.

The controversial policy was proposed in May, and received extensive feedback during a public consultation in June. Although the NIH acknowledged concerns that had been expressed, it notes that the policy follows recommendations from both the Department of Health and Human Services and the congressional Government Accountability Office for enhanced monitoring and reporting requirements for grantees with foreign subrecipients.