Reach out to me for assistance at piper.brown-kingsley@missouri.edu.
The NIH does not give a clear definition of a data repository, but instead lists twelve characteristics that are features of an ideal repository. They recommend that you evaluate potential repositories against these characteristics: assignment of unique persistent identifiers, long-term sustainability, metadata, curation and quality assurance, free and easy access, broad and measured reuse, clear reuse guidance, security and integrity, confidentiality, common format, providence, and clear retention policies.
The best practice is to pick a repository using these steps:
| Repository Name | Description | Cost | Submission | Access | Generates DOI | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contains data on aging, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease from NIA-funded research | One time cost per dataset that depends on the complexity of the data | Controlled access options available. Users must make a Synapse account to download data |
Yes
**Here are the directions |
Web form | ||
| Stores biospecimens, image data, and other data from NIA-funded aging studies and clinical trials | Free | Anyone | No | AgingResearchBiobank@imsweb.com | ||
| Available to NIH BRAIN Initiative researchers to store neurophysiological data | Free | Must apply to contribute data | Controlled access options available | Yes | dabi-support@loni.usc.edu | |
| Contains clinical, genetic, imaging, and other data related to Alzheimer’s disease. Funded by the Alzheimer’s Association |
Free for data partners to contribute data
**Mizzou is not a data partner |
Principle investigators control access to data | No | info@gaain.org | ||
| Stores clinical and neuroimaging data such as MRI, MRA, PET, DTI scans |
Costs vary depending on data |
Controlled access options available | No | ida@loni.usc.edu | ||
| Situated under ICPSR, this is the largest depository for electronic age-related data in the US | No cost options available | Controlled access options available | Yes | ICPSR-help@umich.edu | ||
| Provides access to neuroimaging data such as MRI, EEG, MEG, CT, PET scans, and other data pertaining to neuroscience |
Free
**This repository may charge a fee in the future |
Controlled access options available | Yes | moderator@nitrc.org | ||
|
NIA Genetics and Alzheimer’s Disease Data Storage Site (NIAGADS) |
Houses genetic data on Alzheimer’s disease. All genetic data from NIA-funded studies are expected to be deposited in this repository or another NIA-approved option | Free for datasets under 50TB | NIAGAD controls access to datasets. All researchers must apply for access | Yes | help@niagads.org | |
| OpenNeuro | Contains neuro imaging data such as MRI, PET, MEG, EEG, and iEEG | Free | Anyone can submit neuro imaging data with an OpenNeuro account. You must be able to publicly share the data, and the dataset must be accessible under a Creative Commons CC0 License. Additionally, the data cannot be subject to GDPR protections. | Anyone | Yes | Users need an OpenNeuro account to contact support. |
| Stores non-human primate data on body composition, blood chemistry, and other biological markers of primates that are in captivity and the wild | Free | Must submit an access request to get detailed data and perform queries | No | support@primatedatabase.org |
| Repository Name | Description | Cost | Submission | Access | Generates DOI | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer Imaging Archive | Makes medical image datasets available, which are organized by disease, image modality, or research type | Free | Anyone | Yes | help@cancerimagingarchive.net | |
| Cancer Research Data Commons | Stores cancer research data from NCI-funded programs | Free | Has open and controlled access options. Access is managed through dbGap for restricted access datasets |
No
**Repository has plans to generate DOIs in the future |
NCICRDC@mail.nih.gov | |
| Houses clinical, biospecimen, and molecular data from cancer programs to support precision medicine | Free | PI’s must apply through dbGap to submit data | Anyone can access the open datasets. Some datasets have controlled access that require an application through dbGap | No | support@nci-gdc.datacommons.io | |
| Stores cancer imaging data from clinical, preclinical, radiological, digital pathology, and multispectral microscopy images, and image annotations, parametric maps, measurements from images, and assessments of image findings | Free | Only accepts data from NCI-funded projects | Anyone | No | support@canceridc.dev | |
|
Stores mass spectra and process data from cancer proteomic experiments |
Free | Anyone | No | PDCHelpDesk@mail.nih.gov |
| Repository Name | Description | Cost | Submission | Access | Generates DOI | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Houses clinical study data from NIH-funded research | Free to deposit and access data | Other investigators can access the data by going through an application process | No | Web form | |
| Stores clinical research data from clinical trials |
Free to deposit data if your institution is a member and free to access data
**Mizzou is not a member |
Researchers must submit a request to access data | Yes | Web form |
| Repository Name | Description | Cost | Submission | Access | Generates DOI | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houses studies, clinical trials, research, and specimens supported by NIDDK on diabetes, digestive diseases, and kidney diseases | Free | Researchers must submit a request for each dataset they need to access |
Yes
**The DOI is generated for the study/trial and not the individual dataset |
NIDDK-CRsupport@niddk.nih.gov | ||
| Accelerating Medicines Partnership in Common Metabolic Diseases Knowledge Portal | Contains genetic, genomic, and phenotypic data on metabolic diseases | Free | Anyone | No | help@kp4cd.org |
| Repository Name | Description | Cost | Submission | Access | Generates DOI | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) | Contains next-generation sequencing, array, and high throughput functional genomics data that is MIAME and MINSEQE-compliant | Free | Submissions must be raw, unfiltered genomics datasets from the research community | Researchers can keep their data private until their manuscript is published. After publication, anyone can access and download the dataset | No, the datasets are assigned accession numbers | geo@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov |
| Repository Name | Description | Cost | Submission | Access | Generates DOI | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houses data on heart, lung, blood, and sleep research. Also includes tools, workflows, and applications to analyze data |
Free to submit and store datasets
**Charges to store computational results |
Controlled access options available, which are managed through dbGap. All users need an eRA Commons account to access data | Yes | Web form |
| Repository Name | Description | Cost | Submission | Access | Generates DOI | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ImmPort | Stores immunology data related to vaccine response, immune response, infection response, transplantation, allergies, autoimmune diseases, and other related research | Free | Investigators must create an account, submit a request to upload data, and register their study with ImmPort to upload data | Controlled access options available. Users must register with an account and sign a data use agreement to download data | Yes | ImmPort_Helpdesk@immport.org |
| Repository Name | Description | Cost | Submission | Access | Generates DOI | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provides genetic, genomic, and biological data on laboratory mice for the study of human health and diseases | Free | Anyone | No | Web form | ||
| Houses genetic, genomic, phenotypic, and disease-related data on rats, mice, humans, chinchillas, bonobos, dogs, squirrels, pigs, green monkeys, and naked mole-rats | Free | Anyone | No | Web form | ||
| Stores genetic and phenomics data on laboratory mice to learn about morphological, behavioral, and physiological-disease related characteristics and gather data on mice exposed to different environmental factors, drugs, and treatments | Free | Data contributors have the option to keep data private |
No
**The repository plans on generating DOIs in the future |
phenome@jax.org | ||
| PeptideAtlas
|
Compiles reaction monitoring (SRM and MRM) peptide data on humans, mice, yeast, and other organisms from tandem mass spectrometry proteomics experiments | Free | Most datasets are accessible to anyone | No | Web form |
| Repository Name | Description | Cost | Submission | Access | Generates DOI | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accepts engineering and STEM data | Free to publish a dataset, but $1,950 to make it accessible to others | Must pay to access data unless the data contributor pays an upfront fee to make it accessible to anyone | Yes | Web form | ||
| Houses data on small molecule organic and metal-organic crystal structures | Free |
Anyone **Data contributors can delay sharing data until article publication |
Yes | hello@ccdc.cam.ac.uk | ||
| Pangaea | Accepts georeferenced data | Free | Anyone | Yes | Web form |
| Repository Name | Description | Cost | Submission | Access | Generates DOI | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICPSR (Inter-University Consortium of Political and Social Research) | Houses social science data spanning multiple disciplines |
Free for member institutions **Mizzou is a member |
Most data are accessible after agreeing to a data use agreement. Some datasets require an application process | Yes | ICPSR-help@umich.edu | |
| DataBrary | Contains video and audio research data for behavioral science, social science, education, neural science, development science, and computer science disciplines | Will implement an institutional subscription service and data deposit fee structure in 2025 | Researchers must be authorized by both Databrary and their home institutions to submit data | Controlled access options available | Yes | contact@databrary.org |
| Repository Name | Description | Cost | Submission | Access | Generates DOI | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accepts data from all disciplines |
Requires an institutional membership to submit data **Mizzou is not a member |
Anyone | Yes | help@datadryad.org | ||
| Accepts data from all disciplines | Free | Can restrict access on files, but metadata is open to anyone | Yes | Web form | ||
| Accepts data from all disciplines | Free | Ability to set access restrictions | Yes | Click Support in the banner at the top of the homepage to fill out the web form | ||
| Accepts data from all disciplines | Free | Ability to set access restrictions | Yes | Web form | ||
| Accepts data from all disciplines | Free for datasets under 20 GB | Ability to set access restrictions | Yes | support@figshare.com | ||
| A project management tool that includes a data repository | Free | Ability to set access restrictions | Yes | Click Contact Us near the bottom of this webpage |
| Repository Name | Description | Cost | Submission | Access | Generates DOI | Contact |
| MOspace | Accepts data and other digital materials from anyone with a Mizzou affiliation | Free | Must be affiliated with Mizzou to submit data or other materials | Anyone | Yes | mospace@missouri.edu |
NIH-Supported Repositories: Allows users to find NIH-supported repositories by access type, subject area, and special features.
Re3data: A registry of research data repositories that enables users to find repositories by subject area and filter by access restrictions, dataset license terms, quality management, and other criteria.
FAIRsharing: A registry of data repositories that users can search using key terms or filter by subject, species, reuse terms, and geographic area.
Data Repositories Directory: Lists subject specific repositories alphabetically by discipline. It is maintained by Simmons University and covers repositories for STEM, the humanities, and social science subject areas.
