UCF Research Guides: Data Management: Data Management Plans

Data Management Plan Templates

DMPTool - Guidance and resources for your Data Management Plan

A number of U.S. funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health require researchers to supply detailed, cost-effective plans for managing research data, called Data Management Plans.

Several universities and organizations are developing the DMPTool to help researchers meet these new requirements. In specific, the DMPTool will help researchers:

Create ready-to-use data management plans for specific funding agencies
Meet requirements for data management plans
Get step-by-step instructions and guidance for data management plan
Learn about resources and services available at your institution to fulfill the data management requirements of their grants

Get Started with the DMPTool now

Funding agency requirements

In order to promote open access to research data, many funding agencies require that research data produced as part of a funded project be made publicly available and/or have instituted requirements for formal data management plans, including:

Funding Agency and Data Management Guidelines
A detailed list of U.S. funding agencies’ data dissemination guidelines from the Funding Agency and Data Management Guidelines (University of Minnesota Libraries)
National Institutes of Health: Data Sharing Policy
Supports the sharing of research data and expects researchers funded at $500,000 or more to include a data sharing plan in their grant proposals.
National Science Foundation (NSF): Dissemination and Sharing of Research Results
Beginning January 18, 2011, NSF will require grant proposals to include a supplementary data management plan of no more than 2 pages. This requirement is a new implementation of the long-standing NSF Data Sharing Policy. See Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) Chapter II.C.2.j for more details.
NSF Directorates, Programs, and Division requirements

Researchers can comply with these requirements by depositing their data into one of the many available data repositories.

NSF Data Management Plans

The US National Science Foundation (NSF) began requiring formal data management plans as part of the peer-reviewed funding proposal process effective January 18, 2011.

NSF Data Management Plan Requirement Overview

Proposals submitted after January 18, 2011 must include a Data Management Plan (DMP)
DMP should be a supplementary document of no more than two pages
DMP must describe how the researcher will adhere to the NSF policy on sharing of results
For full DMP policy implementation, see Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) Chapter II.C.2.j
Certain directorates and divisions have issued specific guidelines for the DMP and/or for the implementation of the data sharing policy – make sure to look at your main directorate and/or division or program solicitation website to see if any additional policies apply.