EBP Data Sharing Policy

June 2026

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This policy describes the data sharing principles for the Earth BioGenome Project (EBP).  It is intended to align with the EBP Intellectual Property principles (IP Principles). In case of any perceived conflict between the two, the IP Principles should take precedence.

Background

The EBP aims to generate a reference genome sequence for all eukaryotic life, by sequencing, cataloguing, and characterizing the genomes of all of Earth’s eukaryotic biodiversity, through coordination of a globally distributed group of affiliated projects. 

Here we propose a Data Sharing Policy for EBP, as required by section 7.2 of the EBP Governance document.

7. EBP Policy and Guidance: The Executive Council may propose policies and guidance for EBP, usually after they have been considered by one or more standing or ad hoc committees. The policies or guidance will become effective if adopted by the Membership Council. These may state that they are, in whole or part, either binding on Affiliates or are recommendations to them. In particular, the EBP will maintain policies or guidance—existing, amended, or new— on the specific issues set out below.

7.2 Data Sharing and Management: EBP is committed to open access and sharing of biological and especially genomic data to enable all nations and peoples to progress and equitably share the benefits of global biodiversity. 

In May 2022, a group chaired by Ann McCartney created a Data Management Best Practices document, which addresses data sharing and some related issues, which we have drawn on below.  

Proposed EBP Data Sharing Policy

  1. The goal of the EBP is that all eukaryotic species have a reference genome sequence deposited in the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC) or other EBP-approved database (hereafter collectively referred to simply as INSDC). The sequence and the biological samples used to generate it must have been obtained ethically and legally, including adherence to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its Nagoya Protocol, the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Treaty on Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge, and other laws or treaties that apply to the genetic resource in both the jurisdiction of origin of the sample and where sample processing and sequencing are carried out.

  2. All assemblies must come with metadata that minimally:

    a) Provide locations of origin of all samples involved.  We suggest GPS precision wherever possible (30 m), and minimum precision of 1 km. Blurring of the location beyond 1 km is permitted when needed to protect the conservation status of sensitive species or populations, or if requested or required by a relevant government authority, or by an Indigenous Peoples or Local Community to protect their cultural heritage.

    b) Identify the name(s) of the sample’s actual collector(s), the sample collectors’ affiliation or associated community(ies), when appropriate, and the generators of the sequence, with their consent, wherever possible providing contact information.

    c) Identify national, Indigenous Peoples or local community rights and interests that have been expressed in the genetic resources, resulting sequence data and/or associated traditional knowledge. Wherever possible, this should be done by providing a link or attaching a Local Contexts Notice or Label or other relevant cultural protocol-tracking. Where there is traditional knowledge and/or rights associated with the genetic resource that was used for the sequence, the EBP submitter must have the prior and informed consent;  free, prior and informed consent; or approval and involvement, per the Mo’otz Kuxtal Voluntary Guidelines of the CBD, of the respective knowledge custodians and/or rights holders to deposit the sequence in INSDC.

    d) Include a sampling permit identifier, for example, in the INSDC BioSample description and in any publications.

  1. Progress of EBP will be measured by counting genomes in INSDC that meet EBP standards, both technically and in regard to ethical and legal obligations. 

  2. Teams that produce genome sequences that do not meet the technical standards, and those for which open data release may be prohibited or delayed—due to national laws or regulations, legal agreements, or biocultural protocols or practices of Indigenous peoples or local communities—can nonetheless be EBP-affiliated projects. In such cases, data should be shared using the FAIR and CARE principles and stored in an internationally recognized and stably funded data repository that follows the TRUST principles.

  3. EBP encourages member projects to promote data sharing practices that balance transparency with stewardship, risk assessment, and respect for rights and sovereignty and reuse of data prior to first publication and supports rapid formal publication of EBP reference genomes, where credit is fairly attributed to all contributors. However, EBP respects that some affiliated projects may wish to safeguard the interests of their members to the rights of first publication through a pre-publication embargo period. In such cases, the sequences should be uploaded to an EBP approved database and marked as subject to an embargo. The embargo period should be for no more than one year from the first release in public databases, and affiliated projects should clearly state in the BioSample description any restrictions on use during the embargo period.