A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine-appointed ad hoc committee will develop and demonstrate a framework for forecasting long-term costs for preserving, archiving, and accessing various types of biomedical data and estimating potential future benefits to research. In so doing, the committee will examine and evaluate the following considerations:

• Economic factors to be considered when examining the life-cycle cost for data sets (e.g., data acquisition, preservation, and dissemination);
• Cost consequences for various practices in accessioning and de-accessioning data sets;
• Economic factors to be considered in designating data sets as high value;
• Assumptions built in to the data collection and/or modeling processes;
• Anticipated technological disruptors and future developments in data science in a 5- to 10-year horizon; and
• Critical factors for successful adoption of data forecasting approaches by research and program management staff.

The committee will provide two case studies illustrating application of the framework to different biomedical contexts relevant to the National Library of Medicine’s data resources. Relevant life-cycle costs will be delineated, as well as the assumptions underlying the models. To the extent practicable, the committee will identify strategies to communicate results and gain acceptance of the applicability of these models.
As part of its information gathering, the committee will plan and organize a 2-day workshop to gather input on the following topics:

• Tools and practices that the National Library of Medicine could use to help researchers and funders better integrate risk management practices and considerations into data preservation, archiving, and accessing decisions;
• Methods to encourage National Institutes of Health-funded researchers to consider, update, and track lifetime data costs (e.g., through data management plans and project renewals, or other interactions with the National Institutes of Health); and
• Burdens on the academic researchers and industry staff to implement these tools, methods, and practices.