2 An Overview of Data Management Planning

2.1 The NIH Data Management and Sharing Template

The NIH has recently revised the format for its Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan. Previously, researchers were required to submit a standalone document (~2 pages) describing their plans for collecting, organizing, storing, and eventually disseminating the data which underlies published research findings. The new format aims to streamline the process for submitting a DMS Plan as part of an NIH grant proposal, and consists of an embedded online form that applicants will be prompted to complete in the course of submitting their proposals. It is important to emphasize that the NIH’s broader Policy for Data Management and Sharing has not changed; what has changed is the format for the DMS Plan that is required by this policy.

You can familiarize yourself with the new plan template on the NIH’s dedicated DMS Plan page, where you can download and review the template. For convenience, this template is also available for download here. We also reproduce the questions from the template below. Note that many of the questions simply require a “yes/no” response.

  1. Will there be maximum appropriate sharing of scientific data underlying peer-reviewed publications and other findings resulting from the work supported by this award (including preprints, refereed papers reported at conferences, and other findings)? Y/N

  2. Will the scientific data underlying peer-reviewed publications be shared by the time of publication, or for other findings, by the end of the period of performance, which includes no-cost extensions? Y/N

  3. Will shared scientific data be made available for at least as long as required by applicable data repository policies and/or journal policies? Y/N

  4. If you answered “no” to elements 1, 2, or 3, or if you anticipate that sharing will be limited in some other way, please describe these limitations and the ethical, legal, or technical factors for them. Your response should specify a particular reason(s) for limiting sharing. [300 words maximum]

  5. If scientific data derived from human research participants will be shared, will privacy, rights, and confidentiality of participants be protected as outlined in NOT-OD-22-213? Y/N

  6. In the table below, please list [100 words maximum]

    1. Key types of scientific data anticipated to be generated during the project, including the species and modality, if known (e.g., “human genomic data,” “rat functional magnetic resonance imaging data”). NIH recognizes that not all data types expected to be generated in the study will meet the definition of scientific data or can be anticipated in advance. If a data type does not appear on the list, it does not imply that that data type will not be shared if it is generated in the study.

    2. The repository or an example of a repository where the scientific data may be managed and shared, if the scientific data is known at time of application. NIH expects the use of established repositories for preserving and sharing scientific data when they are available.

    Expected Data Type Established Repository or Example
    6a 6b

  7. For studies subject to the NIH Genomic Data Sharing Policy (GDS) (e.g., using NIH funds to generate large-scale human genomic data):

    1. Will you share all large-scale human genomic and associated data in a NIH-designated repository according to the accelerated timelines expected in the GDS Policy? Yes/No/Not Applicable

    2. Do you anticipate that when sharing you will be able to meet the expectations of the Institutional Certification in the GDS Policy? Yes/No/Not Applicable; if “no”, address in element 4

It is important to emphasize that when NIH refers to “sharing scientific data”, the expectation is that data will be published in a dedicated third-party data repository; it is generally not acceptable to self-host data, or indicate that it will be shared upon request. For additional general information about data repositories, please see Section 4. For information about repository services at CU Boulder, including CU Scholar (the campus’s institutional repository, which can be used to publish your data in accordance with the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy), please see Section 5 below.

If you would like advice on completing any aspect of the NIH DMS Plan, we encourage CU researchers to reach out to us at the Center for Research Data and Digital Scholarship. To set up an appointment with a data management specialist at CRDDS, please send an email to crdds@colorado.edu.