National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

NINDS Preclinical CDEs/Data Standards: The NIH Perspective on Common Data Elements

The webinar hosted by NINDS introduced NIH’s evolving stance on common data elements (CDEs) for preclinical neuroscience, emphasizing their role in building a national, reusable biomedical data resource. Speakers argued that CDEs must be integrated from study design, follow FAIR principles, and be harmonized with clinical CDEs to enable cross‑study comparability. NIH offers metadata schemes such as GREI and the ODSS completeness tool, and maintains repositories like FITBIR, ODC‑TBI, and ODC‑SCI for storing standardized data. “Data aren’t a by‑product of research; they are a national resource,” noted Dr. Bellgowan, highlighting the cost of post‑hoc harmonization and the benefit of aligning outcome measures (e.g., using common water‑maze protocols). He cited the TOP‑NT program as proof that preclinical CDEs can foster collaboration. Adoption of preclinical CDEs promises greater rigor, reproducibility, and faster translation, while satisfying taxpayer expectations for impact. Embedding standards in grant budgets, leveraging peer‑review incentives, and training the next generation are presented as the levers for a cultural shift toward systematic data sharing.