Who owns the samples submitted to the repository? Does the Institution submitting the samples maintain ownership or are they owned by NIDDK once they have been submitted?
A. The NIDDK Repository does not address its sample holdings in terms of “ownership”, it is more a matter of control of the samples. The Repository is the custodian of samples from designated studies. While studies are ongoing and during an agreed-upon proprietary period, the study group submitting the samples controls their distribution. Once the proprietary period ends, the Repository and the NIDDK Data Access Committee assume responsibility for distributing the samples in accordance with applicable NIH policies and procedures.
