A System for Academic Recognition of Data Generators

Researchers may spend years running clinical trials and collecting data and currently receive no recognition for sharing that data in a way that other researchers can use. This project addresses how to ensure that those researchers receive appropriate recognition and credit for making their data available to others. We propose a new idea of ‘data authors,’ individuals who would be responsible for data quality and accuracy, for protecting the privacy of participants, and for making that anonymous data available to others. We propose to work with universities and grant funders to develop a system that recognizes the effort. Taken together, this project will help to ensure that the data—and therefore the essential contributions of clinical trial participants—will be further used for the advancement of science and medicine.