Awards and Award Management: Policies

Data Ownership Guidelines

1. The Wake Forest University School of Medicine (WFUSM) is the owner of research data developed by the faculty, fellows, students and employees of WFUSM in the course and scope of their employment at WFUSM unless specifically modified by contract with WFUSM. Research data collected under usual and customary laboratory practices include recorded information, regardless of the form or the media on which it may be recorded, as well as unique research resources developed at WFUSM. This right of ownership applies to all research activities of WFUSM regardless of the sources of funding that supported those activities.
2. The principal investigator (PI) of a project has the right to freely use the data generated by that project in accordance with other applicable policies or contracts of WFUSM. The PI is the primary steward of his/her research data. For the purposes of this policy, the PI is defined as the WFUSM faculty member under whose direction or authority the research data were collected. Collaborating investigators, fellows, students, or other trainees will have the right to reasonable access to the research data they have produced while at WFUSM, subject to other applicable policies of WFUSM.
3. It is the responsibility of the PI to preserve, where feasible, all research data generated at WFUSM for a minimum period of five (5) years from the date of the last publication or the date of the final report issued upon completion of the project, whichever is later. Where questions have been raised about the research data, such as questions regarding the validity of the published results, investigators must preserve the research data beyond the required period if necessary to resolve such questions to the satisfaction of the WFUSM and other involved parties. A decision to preserve the data elsewhere or destroy the data prior to the required time period must be reviewed and approved by the Department Chair of the PI.
4. When a PI for a research project retires or otherwise leaves the employment of WFUSM, and the research project will no longer be conducted at WFUSM, the PI shall, under usual circumstances, be permitted to take possession of his/her research data, including unique research resources and related documentary material. An agreement on disposition of research data must be negotiated by the PI and his/her department chair concerning possession of research data, notebooks, other data retention materials and unique research resources to be transferred to the departing investigator. To fulfill obligations to funding sources and others, such agreements may provide for WFUSM to retain copies of the research data, where feasible, and will ensure future access by WFUSM to the transferred research data for purposes of review.
5. In the event that research data must remain at WFUSM, as mandated by the WFUSM or by law or by requirements of the funding agency or other applicable policies, the PI will have the right to access and, where practical, to copy such research data produced by him/her. In the case of the departure of collaborating investigators, fellows, students or other trainees, those individuals will have the right to reasonable access to research data they have produced while at WFUSM.
6. Upon the death of a PI, the Department Chair shall appoint a person to assume stewardship of the research data.
7. In those cases where there may be a question concerning the stewardship, disposition, removal, or destruction of research data, decisions regarding actions to be taken will be made by the Dean's designee with the opportunity to appeal to the Dean of WFUSM whose decisions will be final.
8. Data Ownership Guidelines will be applied in accordance with other established policies and procedures of WFUSM.