Data Management

A DMP might include discussion of the source, type, and volume of data; the methods for documenting data; the methods of storing and securing data; the policies for re-use of data; the procedures for providing access to the data; the methods for preserving data; and/or the resources or staff members necessary to manage the data.

Data are formally defined as “the recorded factual material commonly accepted in the scientific community as necessary to validate research findings” by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (1999). Digital data to be archived and made available includes analyzed data and the metadata that define how these data were generated. These are data that are or that should be published in print or electronic publication formats, including dissertations and theses. The Office of Management and Budget statement (1999) specifies that this definition does not include “preliminary analyses, drafts of scientific papers, plans for future research, peer reviews, or communications with colleagues.” Raw data fall into this category as “preliminary analyses.”

The following wording is suggested with respect to the institutional commitment to long-term data management, if required:

National Science Foundation (NSF)

The National Science Foundation requires that all proposals include plans for data management and sharing of the products of research. A valid Data Management Plan may include only the statement that no detailed plan is needed, as long as the statement is accompanied by a clear justification.

The Data Management Plan will be reviewed as part of the intellectual merit or broader impacts of the proposal, or both, as appropriate. Please review the Data Management section of NSF’s Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG).

Principal investigators (PIs) should check for data management requirements and plans specific to the Directorate, Office, Division, Program, or other NSF unit. If guidance specific to the program is not available, then the PI should follow requirements described in the PAPPG. Collaborative proposals of a single, unified project should include only one combined Data Management Plan, regardless of the number of non-lead collaborative proposals included.

The Data Management Plan is submitted as a supplementary document on the proposal. It must be no more than two pages and labeled “Data Management Plan.” It should describe how the proposal will conform to NSF policy on the dissemination and sharing of research results. The plan may include:

• name(s) of the person(s) responsible for data management within your research project
• the types of data, samples, physical collections, software, curriculum materials, and other materials to be produced in the course of the project;
• the standards to be used for data and metadata format and content (where existing standards are absent or deemed inadequate, this should be documented along with any proposed solutions);
• policies for access and sharing including provisions for appropriate protection of privacy, confidentiality, security, intellectual property, or other rights or requirements;
• policies and provisions for re-use, re-distribution, and the production of derivatives;
• plans for archiving data, samples, and other research products, and for preservation of access to them;
• period of data retention

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The National Institutes of Health requires a Data Management & Sharing Plan (DMS Plan) for all NIH-funded projects. The NIH policy emphasizes the importance of good data management practices and establishes the expectation for maximizing the appropriate sharing of specific data generated from NIH-funded or conducted research, with justified limitations or exceptions.

Under the DMS Policy, NIH requires researchers to prospectively plan for how scientific data will be preserved and shared through submission of a DMS Plan. Upon NIH approval of the plan, NIH expects researchers and institutions to implement the data management and sharing practices as described.

Researchers planning to generate scientific data are required to submit a Plan to the funding NIH ICO as part of the Budget Justification section of the application for extramural awards, as part of the technical evaluation for contracts, as determined by the Intramural Research Program for Intramural Research Projects consistent with the objectives of this Policy, or prior to release of funds for other funding agreements. Plans should explain how scientific data generated by research projects will be managed and which of these scientific data and accompanying metadata will be shared. If Plan revisions are necessary (e.g., new scientific direction, a different data repository, or a timeline revision), Plans should be updated by researchers and reviewed by the NIH ICO during regular reporting intervals or sooner. Plans from NIH-funded or conducted research may be made publicly available and should not include proprietary or private information.