Data Management Plan
On August 25 2022, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy updated U.S. Policy guidance on public access and data sharing plans. Therefore many funding agencies require a Data Management Plan (DMP) or Data Sharing Plan (DSP) to be submitted with new funding applications. This page is intended to help researchers understand the data management/sharing plan, agency specific information, and locate services available on campus for data management/sharing plans.
The elements of the Data Management Plan/Sharing Plan will vary by sponsor and may have additional requirements depending on the directorate or sub-group of the sponsor. However, there are some key areas that the plans tend to have in common:
- Data, Access, Security, and Reproducibility of data
- Standards related to data formats and metadata
- Reuse and Redistribution of data
- Preservation or Archiving
The following services are available to campus and have been organized based on their primary function and features:
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Sponsor Specific Requirements
NIH - New policy on Jan 25, 2023
National Institutes of Health - Data Management & Sharing Plan
Effective January 25, 2023, the Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMS Plan NOT-OD-22-189) must be included on ALL proposal applications which will result in the generation of scientific data.
This policy applies to all NIH research, funded or conducted in whole or in part by NIH, that results in the generation of scientific data. The DMS Policy does not apply to research and other activities that do not generate scientific data, for example: research training, fellowships, infrastructure development, and non-research activities.
NIH DMP website
At time of Proposal Application
The specific changes to grant and cooperative agreement applications are included in NIH’s Forms-H version of the applications and upcoming application guide. An additional field, Other Plans, will be added to the Forms-H application packages and an optional DMS Plan format will also be made available. Recommended contents of the DMS plan is available here.
NIH recognizes that making data accessible and reusable for other researchers may incur costs. PIs may request funds toward data management and sharing in the budget and budget justification sections of their applications. More information can be found here.
After awarded
Once a grant has been awarded, the DMS Plan becomes part of the award's terms and conditions. NIH expects researchers and institutions to implement data management and sharing practices as described in their approved Plan. NIH will monitor compliance with Plans over the course of the funding period during regular reporting intervals (e.g., RPPR).
Failure to comply with DMS Plans may result in the NIH ICO adding special Terms and Conditions of Award or terminating the award. If award recipients are not compliant with Plans at the end of the award, noncompliance may be factored into future funding decisions.
To learn more about the NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing, please visit the links below.
NASA
NASA - Data Management & Sharing Plan
Each organization funded by NASA is to produce, archive and/or distribute data is required to prepare a Data Management Plan (DMP) and to maintain the DMP as a living document by reviewing it periodically and ensuring that the plan is up-to-date. (NPR 7120.5 and 7120.8).
The DMP should describe whether and how data generated through the course of the proposed research will be shared and preserved (including time frame), or explain why data sharing and/or preservation are not possible or scientifically appropriate. At a minimum, DMPs must describe how data sharing and preservation will enable validation of published results or how such results could be validated if data are not shared or preserved.
NASA DMP website
NSF
NSF - Data Management & Sharing Plan
Investigators are expected to share with other researchers, at no more than incremental cost and within a reasonable time, the primary data, samples, physical collections and other supporting materials created or gathered in the course of work under NSF grants. See Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) Chapter XI.D.4.
NSF DMP website
At time of Proposal Application
Proposals must include a supplementary document of no more than two pages labeled "Data Management Plan". This supplementary document should describe how the proposal will conform to NSF policy on the dissemination and sharing of research results. See PAPPG Chapter II.C.2.j for full policy implementation.
To learn more about the NSF Policy for Data Management and Sharing, please visit the links below.
USGS
USGS- Data Management & Sharing Plan
Effective October 1, 2016 all new USGS projects must include a Data Management Plan (DMP) (refer to SM 502.6) as part of the Project Work Plan (refer to SM 502.2) which is approved by the Science Center Director. USGS provides the checklist which outlines the minimum requirements. This ensures what must be considered in developing for a DMP at the onset of a project to satisfy USGS Fundamental Science Practices.
USGS DMP Website
To learn more about the USGS Policy for Data Management and Sharing, please visit the links below.
Dept of Transportation
Dept of Transportation - Data Management & Sharing Plan
All DOT intramural researchers and extramural research awardees will be required to develop a Data Management Plan that will identify whether and how they will provide for the long-term preservation of, and access to, Digital Data Sets associated with their research activities. Data Management Plans will:
- Describe the data that will be gathered in the course of the research project, including whether the data should be preserved for long-term access;
- Outline the standards and machine-readable formats that will be used in the course of the research project;
- Discuss the access policies that will apply to the data, so as to protect against the disclosure of identities, confidential business information, national security information, etc. and whether public use files may be generated from the data;
- Discuss policies for re-use, re-distribution and derivative projects;
- Outline plans for archiving and preservation, specifying where research data will be deposited, and specify that data will be deposited at the time of initial publication of any related peer reviewed journal article.
Specifically, to ensure that the claims presented in peer-reviewed scholarly publications are verifiable and reproducible, Data Management Plans will include explicit requirements for depositing machine-readable data in public repositories, where appropriate and available.
DOT DMP website
To learn more about the DOT Policy for Data Management and Sharing, please visit the links below.
Dept of Energy
Dept of Energy - Data Management & Sharing Plan
To integrate data management planning into the overall research plan, the DMP requirements apply to all Office of Science research solicitations and invitations for new, renewal, and some supplemental funding issued on or after October 1, 2014.
DOE DMP website
To learn more about the Department of Energy Policy for Data Management and Sharing, please visit the links below.
NOAA
NOAA - Data Management & Sharing Plan
To ensure that data are properly documented, made accessible, and preserved for future use, NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 212-15, Management of Environmental Data and Information, states that environmental data are to be managed based upon a life cycle that includes developing and following a Data Management Plan (DM Plan).
NOAA DMP Directive
To learn more about the NOAA Policy for Data Management and Sharing, please visit the links below.
NIST
NIST - Data Management & Sharing Plan
At a minimum, data management plans (DMPs) must contain a summary of activities that generate data, a summary of the data types generated by the identified activities, a plan for storage and preservation of the data, and a plan describing whether and how data generated will be reviewed and made available to the public.
NIST DMP Guidance
To learn more about the NIST Policy for Data Management and Sharing, please visit the links below.
If you have any other questions, please email askresearchadmin@umd.edu
