Data Management Plans (ENG)

National Science Foundation

Investigators are expected to share with other researchers, at no more than incremental cost and within a reasonable time, the primary data, samples, physical collections and other supporting materials created or gathered in the course of work under NSF grants. Grantees are expected to encourage and facilitate such sharing. See Award & Administration Guide (AAG) Chapter VI.D.4.

Proposals must include a supplementary document of no more than two pages labeled “Data Management Plan”. This supplementary document should describe how the proposal will conform to NSF policy on the dissemination and sharing of research results. See Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) Chapter II.C.2.j for full policy implementation. "The plan must include sufficient detail for the evaluation of its appropriateness and feasibility during merit review." (https://nsf.gov/eng/general/ENG_DMP_Policy.pdf)

This resource is intended to be used for preparing College of Engineering ENG proposals. Requirements are based on NSF ENG Documentation.

For guidelines from other NSF directorates relevant to Engineering, please see:

Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO)
Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE)
Directorate for Geosciences:
-Division of Atmospheric & Geospace Sciences (GEO/AGS)
-Division of Earth Sciences (GEO/EAR)
-Division of Ocean Science (GEO/OCE)
Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS)
-Division of Chemistry (MPS/CHE)
-Division of Materials Research (MPS/DMR)
-Division of Mathematical Sciences (MPS/DMS)
-Division of Physics (MPS/PHY)

To integrate data management planning into the overall research plan, the DMP requirements will apply to all Office of Science research solicitations and invitations for new, renewal, and some supplemental funding issued on or after October 1, 2014. 

For DoE DMP guidelines, please see: http://science.energy.gov/funding-opportunities/digital-data-management/

"A Data Managment Plan (DMP) describing the scientific data expected to be created or gathered in the course of a research project must be submitted to DTIC at the start of each research effort. It is important that DoD researchers document plans for preserving data at the outset, keeping in mind the potential utility of the data for future research or to support transition to operational or other environments. Otherwise, the data is lost as researchers move on to other efforts." 

For more information on DoD DMP requirements, please see: https://discover.dtic.mil/public-access-requirements-incorporated-into-the-dod-stip/

For access to Department of Defense Instruction 3200.12, please see: https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/320012p.pdf?ver=2018-12-17-130508-423

"All proposals or project plans submitted to NASA for scientific research funding will be required to include a DMP. The DMP should describe whether and how data generated through the course of the proposed research will be shared and preserved (including timeframe), or explain why data sharing and/or preservation are not possible or scientifically appropriate. At a minimum, DMPs must describe how data sharing and preservation will enable validation of published results or how such results could be validated if data are not shared or preserved."

For more information on NASA's DMP requirements, please see: http://www.nasa.gov/open/researchaccess/data-mgmt

"The NIH policy on data sharing applies: 

• To the sharing of final research data for research purposes.
• To basic research, clinical studies, surveys, and other types of research supported by NIH. It applies to research that involves human subjects and laboratory research that does not involve human subjects. It is especially important to share unique data that cannot be readily replicated. 
• To applicants seeking $500,000 or more in direct costs in any year of the proposed project period through grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts.
• To research applications submitted beginning October 1, 2003."

"In NIH's view, all data should be considered for data sharing. Data should be made as widely and freely available as possible while safeguarding the privacy of participants, and protecting confidential and proprietary data."

For more information on NIH's DMP requirements, please see: http://www.grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/data_sharing/data_sharing_guidance.htm

"All DOT intramural researchers and extramural research awardees will be required to develop a Data Management Plan that will identify whether and how they will provide for the long-term preservation of, and access to, Digital Data Sets associated with their research activities. Data Management Plans will:

• Describe the data that will be gathered in the course of the research project, including whether the data should be preserved for long-term access;
• Outline the standards and machine-readable formats that will be used in the course of the research project;
• Discuss the access policies that will apply to the data, so as to protect against the disclosure of identities, confidential business information, national security information, etc. and whether public use files may be generated from the data;
• Discuss policies for re-use, re-distribution and derivative projects;
• ​Outline plans for archiving and preservation, specifying where research data will be deposited, and specify that data will be deposited at the time of initial publication of any related peer reviewed journal article.

Specifically, to ensure that the claims presented in peer-reviewed scholarly publications are verifiable and reproducible, Data Management Plans will include explicit requirements for depositing machine-readable data in public repositories, where appropriate and available."

For more information, on DOT's DMP requirements see: https://www.transportation.gov/mission/open/official-dot-public-access-plan-v11

NOAA programs shall strive to ensure that environmental data producted as a result of NOAA-funded grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts are made publicly accessible, in a timely fashion (typically within 2 years), free of charge or at no more than the cost of reproduction, and that any exceptions or extensions are explicitly justified on a case-by-case basis.

https://nosc.noaa.gov/EDMC/documents/Data_Sharing_Directive_v3.0.pdf