NCI's Office of Data Sharing Annual Symposium (Abstract Submission): Submission #593

Abstract Summary Secondary use of shared data can spur new discoveries, maximize data utilization, aid in tool development and testing, and foster a culture of reproducibility and innovation. This value was recently underscored during the COVID-19 pandemic, when new diagnostic tests, preventive and treatment solutions were rapidly developed through open exchange of data and knowledge. As stewards of public funds, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a responsibility to maximize the value of publicly funded research through data sharing. Reflecting this, the 2023 NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy requires all NIH-funded research to follow comprehensive data sharing standards and broadens NIH commitment to sharing publicly funded scientific data. While data sharing can be costly and time consuming, incentives, such as awards and prizes, coupled with policies, can reinforce and validate the significant investment researchers make in data sharing practices. In 2025, the National Cancer Institute's Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) established the Paul Fearn Award for Excellence in Data Sharing to foster a culture that recognizes, celebrates, and promotes data sharing. This annual award recognizes DCCPS-funded Principal Investigators and teams that have demonstrated a commitment to data sharing and have created data resources that accelerate cancer research. Named posthumously for Dr. Paul Fearn, a leader who championed data sharing as Branch Chief in the Surveillance Research Program, the award aims to honor past achievements and inspire continued efforts in open data sharing within the cancer research community. In this inaugural year of the award, we are acknowledging the efforts of many years of extramural work funded by DCCPS and have selected multiple recipients from four projects for their exemplary efforts.