As a public sponsor of biomedical research, NIH is committed to supporting national and international efforts that encourage the sharing and dissemination of important research resources. NIH is also cognizant of the need to support reasonable incentive structures that facilitate commercial development or translation of basic research findings. Restricted availability of unique research resources, upon which further studies are dependent, can impede the advancement of research. Conversely, sharing biomaterials, reagents and data in a timely manner has been an essential element in the rapid progress that has been made in research on many model organisms for biomedical research. The NIH is interested in continuing to ensure that the research resources developed with NIH funding are made readily available in a timely fashion to the research community for further research, development, and application, in the expectation that this will further the research enterprise and accelerate the development of products and knowledge of benefit to the public. At the same time, NIH recognizes the rights of grantees and contractors to elect and retain title to subject inventions developed with federal funding pursuant to the Bayh-Dole Act.

The NIH POLICY ON SHARING OF MODEL ORGANISMS FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH was published in the NIH Guide on May 7, 2004. This is an extension of NIH policy on sharing research resources, and reaffirms NIH support for the concept of sharing. The new policy becomes effective with the October 1, 2004 receipt date for applications or proposals to NIH.

• NIH Guide Notice: - https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-04-042.html" (05/07/2004) - NIH Policy on Sharing of Model Organisms For Biomedical Research
•  Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (10/20/2004) - Sharing of Model Organisms and Related Resources - Listing of Frequently Asked Questions that will be updated as new questions are received. Please check back periodically for new questions and answers.
• Examples of Plans for Sharing of Model Organisms and Related Resources (09/08/2004) - The precise content and level of detail to be included in a sharing plan depends on several factors, such as the status of the development of a model organism, the method of sharing and the potential impact of intellectual property rights on the available of the animal model. T hree sample plans have been developed to assist the applicant community in responding to this policy:
• A simple plan (MS Word - 25 KB) that may be appropriate for a project, which has the goal of producing a model organism but has not produced one (Organism Sharing Simple).
• A plan for sharing mice (MS Word - 27 KB) (Organism Sharing Mouse)
• An example of a complex plan (MS Word - 24 KB) for sharing mice with IP held by various parties (Organism Sharing Complex).
• NIH Policy on the Sharing of Model Organisms for Biomedical Research (PDF - 443 KB) 09/09/2004 – Printable brochure that summarizes main elements of the NIH Model Organism Sharing Policy.
• NIH Model Organisms for Biomedical Research - web site providing information about national and international activities and major resources that are being developed to facilitate biomedical research using the animal models.

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