NIH Requests Comment on Genomic Data Sharing Policy Draft
By Nicolle Strand,
The Blog of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues
| 10. 23. 2013
Last month, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published a draft version of its new
genomic data sharing policy, along with a
request for public comment. The draft policy parallels some of the concepts and recommendations discussed in the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues’ (Bioethics Commission) 2012 report:
Privacy and Progress in Whole Genome Sequencing. The Bioethics Commission is pleased to note that several of its recommendations and core ethical principles are shared by NIH and
other law and policymakers.
The Bioethics Commission’s recommends in
Privacy and Progress (Recommendation 1.1) that “Funders of whole genome sequencing research… should maintain or establish clear policies defining acceptable access to and permissible uses of whole genome sequence data.” The NIH draft policy does just that: it defines the requirements for access to and use of genomic data, and sets forth the guiding ethical principles for the responsible use of such data.
The NIH draft policy states its purpose as encouraging broad sharing of genomic data, in order to facilitate important advancements in medicine, while also ensuring...
Related Articles
By Teddy Rosenbluth, The New York Times | 02.09.2026
Dr. Mehmet Oz has urged Americans to get vaccinated against measles, one of the strongest endorsements of the vaccine yet from a top health official in the Trump administration, which has repeatedly undermined confidence in vaccine safety.
Dr. Oz, the...
By Ava Kofman, The New Yorker | 02.09.2026
1. The Surrogates
In the delicate jargon of the fertility industry, a woman who carries a child for someone else is said to be going on a “journey.” Kayla Elliott began hers in February, 2024, not long after she posted...
By Alex Polyakov, The Conversation | 02.09.2026
Prospective parents are being marketed genetic tests that claim to predict which IVF embryo will grow into the tallest, smartest or healthiest child.
But these tests cannot deliver what they promise. The benefits are likely minimal, while the risks to...
By Lauren Hammer Breslow and Vanessa Smith, Bill of Health | 01.28.2026
On Jan. 24, 2026, the New York Times reported that DNA sequences contributed by children and families to support a federal effort to understand adolescent brain development were later co-opted by other researchers and used to publish “race science”...