Data Management Plans: Writing the Plan

The NSF's Dissemination and Sharing of Research Results site provides links to guidelines on addressing data management plans. "If guidance specific to the program is not provided, then the requirements established in Grant Proposal Guide, Chapter II.C.2.j apply."

NSF states that, "if a specific program solicitation provides guidance on preparation of data management plans, such guidance must be followed".

• Engineering Directorate (ENG)
  Directorate-wide Guidance

   

• Geological Sciences Directorate (GEO)
  Division of Earth Sciences
  Intergrated Ocean Drilling Program

   

• Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate (SBE)
  Data Archiving Policy for the Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SES)

From Grants.gov application Guide,, Jan 18, 2011 (pdf):

Important note to applicants: Each application must include a supplementary document of no more than two pages labeled "Data Management Plan" in the attachment name. This supplement should describe how the proposal will conform to NSF policy on the dissemination and sharing of research results (see AAG Chapter VI.D.4), and may include:

1. the types of data, samples, physical collections, software, curriculum materials, and other materials to be produced in the course of the project;
2. 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 or remedies); [UH ScholarSpace uses the Dublin Core metadata scheme]
3. policies for access and sharing including provisions for appropriate protection of privacy, confidentiality, security, intellectual property, or other rights or requirements;
4. policies and provisions for re-use, re-distribution, and the production of derivatives; and
5. plans for archiving data, samples, and other research products, and for preservation of access to them. [UH ScholarSpace founded on DSpace software can archive digital data]

ScholarSpace, https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/, is an institutional repository for UH Manoa research papers, videos, datasets, instructional materials.

ScholarSpace provides long-term preservation of digital files.

ScholarSpace can provide permanent access to data or act as a safe storage space until data are moved to a discipline specific data repository.

An excellent online tool developed by the California Digital Library, the National Science Foundation, the Digital Curation Centre, and several universities. This tool offers templates for NSF and NEH grant applications. Here is a sample DMP (pdf) created using the DMPTool https://dmp.cdlib.org/documents/Sample_Plan_DataOne.pdf