Create a Data Management Plan (NSF & More)

A data management plan will help you manage your data, meet funder requirements, and help others use your data if shared.

Many funding agencies, like NIH have specific requirements for data management plans. See also: writing an NIH data management plan.

Like wise the National Science Foundation (NSF), has specific requirements for data management plans. See also: writing an NSF data management plan.

Recommended components

• Project description: What is the purpose of the research?
• Description of data: What is the data? How and in what format was the data collected?
• Standards to be applied for formats, metadata, etc.
• Short-term storage and security plans: What are your local storage and back up procedures? Will this data require secure storage?
• Confidentiality and intellectual property issues with the data
• Future access plans: How will you make it available to others? Are there any access restrictions needed?
• Long-term archiving and preservation plans: Will the data be preserved in a data archive?
• Data management responsibilities: Who is responsible for managing the data? How will this plan be carried out?

For more information, check out the data planning checklist.

Resources for creating plans

• DMPTool: Web-based tool to build and edit a customized plan according to select funder requirements (including the NSF).
• Guidelines for Effective Data Management Plans and Data Management Plan Resources and Examples (ICPSR): Framework for creating a plan and links to examples of data management plans in various scientific disciplines
• Example Plans (University of Minnesota)

See also: Guides to data management.

Resources for reviewing plans

Are you a grant reviewer being asked to evaluate a researcher’s data management plan? Get guidance from the Johns Hopkins Grant Reviewer's Guide.

For more help

Need help creating your data management plan? Email us at: RITO Data Management, UNMC.