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Chapters:

3.7 Property Standards

Data Produced Under A Federal Award

With respect to data produced under a Federal award, the grant-making component has the right to do the following:

  • Obtain, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the data produced under an award; and
  • Authorize others to receive, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use such data for Federal purposes.

Freedom of Information Act. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Federal awarding agency may be required to publicly release certain research data related to published research findings produced under a Federal award that were publicly and officially cited by a Federal agency in support of an agency action that has the force and effect of law (e.g., a Federal regulation). In such cases, the Federal awarding agency must request, and the non-Federal entity must provide to the Federal awarding agency, within a reasonable time, the research data requested.??

Research data means the recorded factual material commonly accepted in the scientific community as necessary to validate research findings, but not any of the following: Preliminary analyses, drafts of scientific papers, plans for future research, peer reviews, communications with colleagues; trade secrets, commercial information, materials necessary to be held confidential by a researcher until they are published, or similar information which is protected under law; and personal and medical information and similar information the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, such as information that could be used to identify a particular person in a research study. This “recorded” material excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples).

Research data confidentiality provisions. DOJ regulations at 28 C.F.R. Part 22 set out data privacy and confidentiality requirements, and there may be other protections for research and statistical data in authorizing statutes for your specific program (e.g., 42 U.S.C. ?? 10604(d)) for funds authorized under the Victims of Crime Act of 1984).