Major Policy Changes by the NIH: Impact on American and International Research Collaborations

This is significant news for researchers and academic institutions worldwide! Starting April 4, 2025, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the USA will prohibit access to its controlled data repositories for organizations from “concerned nations” such as China, Russia, and Iran. Following this, related regulations from the Department of Justice will come into effect on April 8, 2025, further restricting these nations’ access to vital sensitive data. Let’s delve into what this means! 👇

What Key Databases Are Affected?

• dbGaP: This is the Human Genotype-Phenotype Database, which contains essential global genomic and disease research data—it’s critical in many fields!
• AnVIL: A large-scale genomic data analysis cloud platform, AnVIL facilitates cross-institutional collaboration.
• SEER: One of the world’s largest cancer databases, providing key information on cancer incidence, treatment, and survival rates—crucial for cancer research worldwide.

Why Are These Databases So Important?

These databases are undeniably the cornerstone of global medical research. In areas like cancer mechanism research, genomics, and disease prognosis analysis, their importance cannot be overstated. For instance, around 75% of cancer research in China relies on American databases, with SEER data widely used for epidemiological studies and policy development.

What Are the Implications for China?

1. International Collaboration Hindered: Previously, these databases were globally accessible, facilitating smooth multinational research collaboration. With the new restrictions, projects involving human genetics from China may find it challenging to obtain necessary data, impacting publication prospects and international partnerships.
2. Increased Research Costs: Research that depended on US data for target screening will now revert to lab trials, with costs expected to increase by 2 to 3 times per project. Moreover, alternative databases like the Chinese Biobank lack representative data, making academic results more susceptible to scrutiny.
3. Pressure on Academic Output: Challenges in accessing standard gene expression profiles, such as those from the GTEx program, hinder tumor mutation research, causing acceptance rates in respected journals to plummet.

How Is China Responding?

1. Establishing Independent Databases: Calls for creating autonomous databases have been around for some time, but issues like inadequate funding and dispersed data management persist. Currently, most hospitals possess only small sample databases, and a comprehensive national sharing platform is yet to be established.
2. Adjusting Research Strategies: Some scholars believe these restrictions may inadvertently foster tighter international collaboration, possibly by employing alternative technical strategies or engaging in joint research projects.

Policy Background and Trends

The NIH’s actions are rooted in the 2024 executive order aimed at limiting access to sensitive data by concerned nations. Although the new NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy emphasizes mandatory sharing and privacy protection, its implementation appears to be shifting towards data lockdown, indicating a tightening of American research collaboration policies.

I will continue to monitor any further developments on this matter, so make sure to follow along for the latest updates! #BiomedicalResearch #LifeSciences #Research #Database #NIH

Summary

In summary, the NIH is taking significant steps that will reshape the landscape of international scientific collaboration, especially affecting countries like China. Researchers and policymakers will need to adapt to this new reality, focusing on independent data initiatives and adjusted international partnerships.