RDM Knowledge Transfer File

Properly protecting research data and materials is a fundamental obligation, grounded in the values of stewardship, integrity, and commitments to the providers and sources of the data and reagents. Additional information about data management can be found on the Longwood Area Harvard Biomedical Research Data Management website.

1.1 Grant funding

Was your work grant funded? If so, provide grant information such as funding agency, grant title, dates, or grant number, if available.

1.2 Collaborators

List collaborators who directly contributed to datasets and materials remaining in the lab. Include name and email addresses for each collaborator.

1.3 Project status on departure

In addition to your position responsibilities, you should review your active projects in the Research Administration Portal for roles that may need to be transferred.

1. Will these or other projects remain active following your departure?
2. If so, who will continue the project and have access to the data? Indicate names and email address(es) for each individual and what data they will have access to.

If you are a proxy, primary contact, PI, or a delegate on Agreements, Data Safety, or IRB/ESTR records, who will be the new designee for these roles? This is important to ensure compliance continuity for project modifications and study team data access.

1.4 Electronic lab notebooks (ELN)

1. If ELNs were used, provide information about the ELN and who will have access to it after you leave.
2. Provide a brief overview of how your electronic files are organized.
3. On what file systems are they stored? Do file or folder names follow a specific naming convention or hierarchy?
4. If available, please include a link to documentation describing how your electronic data files are organized. File naming conventions, including abbreviations or codes, should be documented in a README file accompanying the dataset.

1.5 Paper lab notebooks

Did you utilize a paper lab notebook to document the project? If so, where will the notebook, associated notes, and hard copies of data, be stored?

1.6 Information not in electronic or paper lab notebook

Did you collect or store experimental and/or data analysis protocols outside of your ELN or lab notebook? If so, please describe in Section 2.4 for published protocols, and in Section 3.3 for unpublished protocols.

1.7 Security and intellectual property restrictions

Please list any concerns about security or intellectual property restrictions on notebooks, data, or other research materials. If applicable, include relevant data use agreement (DUA) conditions.

List locations and/or citations for datasets, protocols, and code deposited in a public repository or available via a non-profit or commercial entity.

2.1 Publications

List each publication from your time in the lab on which you are an author, including theses, and manuscripts posted on pre-print servers. Please include a full citation for each publication and a DOI, as relevant. Include where the original and analyzed data supporting each figure and table in the publication are stored, and who retains access. Annotate this information appropriately by referencing relevant ELN entries or lab notebook pages.

2.2 Datasets shared

Provide information on datasets deposited in public repositories, including where copies of the original and analyzed data are stored and who has access. Please include a full citation for the repository and DOI, as relevant.

2.3 Code shared

Describe any published software code or tools used for your work and how they might be accessed.

2.4 Experimental protocols and data analysis methods shared

Please include a full citation for the publication or repository, and a DOI, as relevant.

2.5 Laboratory reagents, cells, and model organisms shared

List the locations and/or citations for research reagents, cells, and model organisms that have been deposited in a public repository or made available via a non-profit or commercial entity.

List locations and other essential information for unpublished and proprietary resources such as datasets, protocols, and code used by lab study team members.

3.1 Datasets unpublished

Document and describe any unpublished datasets remaining in the lab. Indicate where they are stored and who will retain access. Annotate the data appropriately by referencing relevant ELN entries, lab notebook pages, or server locations of metadata/annotation files. If data are not described elsewhere, provide information about the software, tools, and version controls used. If relevant, list any data security or intellectual property restrictions on the data or materials.

3.2 Code unpublished

Describe any unpublished software or code used for your work and how they should be accessed by lab study team members.

3.3 Experimental protocols and analysis methods unpublished

Describe any internal lab protocols and operation procedures that others on the lab study team will need to perform.

3.4 Other unpublished research documents and tools

Include any additional documentation (e.g., survey instruments) relevant to the projects that will remain in the lab. Indicate where they will be stored and who will retain access.

In this section, describe any additional details related to files, electronic or analog, and data sets and documentation not covered in sections 1 through 3.

4.1 Presentations and posters

List relevant slide sets, posters, and other presentation materials staying in the lab. Indicate where they will be stored and who will retain access. Annotate the data, referencing relevant publications, theses, publicly shared datasets, ELN entries, or lab notebook pages. Include citations for published or publicly shared data and list PubMed ID, PMCID, and/or DOI as relevant.

4.2 Other documentation

List the locations and/or citations for additional files and documents staying in the lab. Indicate where they will be stored and who will retain access.

In this section, provide additional details related to lab materials like reagents, cells, and model organisms, as well as biosafety and intellectual property information.

5.1 Reagents, cells, and model organisms

How are the laboratory reagents, cells, and model organisms that will remain in the lab organized and documented? Briefly describe specific naming conventions, if any.

5.2 Biosafety and intellectual property

Describe any biosafety or IP restrictions on cells, mice, and other reagents relevant to the project you are leaving in the lab.

5.3 Materials and reagents leaving the lab

Are you taking any lab materials or reagents relevant to this project with you? If so, please describe. Include details of the cells, model organisms, and lab reagents that you will take with you.