Data sharing

MalariaGEN research involves collecting very large numbers of samples, sharing expertise and generating very large amounts of genomic and phenotypic data. Given the scale and complexity of the research enterprise, and the need to build sustainable research collaborations, it was important at an early stage to agree on policies for managing shared resources and handling genetic data.

During the inaugural meeting in July 2005, an initial proposal for managing data sharing, intellectual property and publications was presented to the network. The proposal was refined and endorsed during this meeting, and it represents the network's first consensus on these issues. The network has subsequently developed further specific guidelines, governing, for example, how samples and data are transferred among its members and how data are to be released.