Wellcome Trust policy on access to bioinformatics resources by trust-funded researchers

In March 2001 the Wellcome Trust introduced a policy on access to sequence database resources provided by Celera Genomics, the Celera Discovery System. This statement replaces the earlier policy.

Background

For the purposes of this policy statement, the term "bioinformatics resource" is intended to mean a resource comprising databases of biological data and/or analytical tools for the interpretation of such data.

Bioinformatics resources have become important tools for research, and there are a number of high quality databases in the public domain, some of which are directly supported by the Trust. In particular the Trust is a major contributor to the Human Genome Project, the international collaboration to characterize the three billion base pair human genetic sequence, results of which are freely available without restriction in the public domain.

Use of bioinformatics resources by Trust-funded researchers

The guiding principles underlying the Wellcome Trust Grant Conditions are that:

• research funded by the Trust is charitable in nature (i.e. gives adequate public benefit with only incidental private benefit) and is not constrained by commercial or other interests of the researcher; and
• discoveries, inventions and other knowledge arising from Trust-funded research are made freely available to the wider scientific community. Publication can reasonably be delayed to allow for protection of any intellectual property.

The terms of access to some bioinformatics resources can include restrictions on the use and publication of data and intellectual property that are incompatible with the Wellcome Trust Grant Conditions.

Institutions and their Trust-funded researchers should therefore ensure that when assessing the scientific need to access a bioinformatic resource:

• they consider whether there are any freely available resources in the public domain which would meet that scientific need; and
• where access to a bioinformatics resource is necessary, that they do not enter into any access agreements which impose restrictions on the use and publication of data and intellectual property that are incompatible with the Wellcome Trust Grant Conditions.

The Trust's policy on how its grant holders may access bioinformatics resources is detailed below. The Trust will keep this policy statement under review, and welcomes feedback from the community on its position.

WELLCOME TRUST POLICY ON ACCESS TO BIOINFORMATICS RESOURCES BY TRUST-FUNDED RESEARCHERS

1. The Trust considers that it is the responsibility of institutions to enter into any access agreements to bioinformatics resources on behalf of their researchers.

2. Any institution in receipt of Trust funding, which enters into an agreement to access a bioinformatics resource, must ensure that the terms of this agreement do not compromise its ability, or the ability of its Trust-funded researchers, to satisfy the Wellcome Trust Grant Conditions, in particular with respect to the use and/or publication of data and intellectual property.

3. The Trust will only consider requests for funding the costs of subscriptions to bioinformatics resources where applicants can demonstrate clearly that the scientific case for utilising these offers a clear advantage over any comparable resources in the public domain, and that the terms of their access are compatible with the Wellcome Trust Grant Conditions.

4. Where there is any uncertainty, the Trust should be consulted.

5. The Trust will keep this situation under review.