Blogger Prof-like Substance was surprised to learn that many genomics centers release their data as soon as it is generated, leading him to wonder whether people who do the work get a "grace period" to get a publication out. "Having my data pitched onto the internet the second I had it in my own hands would make me exceedingly nervous, even if my data were on the scale of a full genome," he says.
Mike the Mad Biologist responds that "much of the genome sequencing is not funded by R01s, but by contracts to the centers." Mike writes that the sequencing of microorganisms at the center where he works is funded by NIAID so NIAID gets to "call the shots" about data release. "NIH doesn't care about your tenure package, or your dissertation ... What they want is high-quality data that are accessible to as many researchers as possible as quickly as possible," Mike blogs.