NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan Policy

NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan Policy

NIH requires applicants to submit a Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP) with direct costs for applications due on and after January 25, 2023. The DMSP should describe how researchers will manage scientific data generated from NIH-funded or conducted research, with justified limitations or exceptions. 

Key Details

• Data management and sharing plans are recommended to be two pages or less in length. NIH has provided a draft Data Management and Sharing Plan format page (note: clicking link initiates a Word document download). 

• NIH provides information on a number of recommended elements for a DMSP. Click the recommended element tab to view the recommended details to include.

  • Select Elements -->
  • Tools/Software/Code
  • Standards
  • Data Preservation & Access
  • Access/Distribution/Reuse
  • Oversight

   

  Related Tools, Software and/or Code

  Indicate whether specialized tools are needed to access or manipulate shared scientific data to support replication or reuse, and name(s) of the needed tool(s) and software. If applicable, specify how needed tools can be accessed.

  Standards

  Describe what standards, if any, will be applied to the scientific data and associated metadata (i.e., data formats, data dictionaries, data identifiers, definitions, unique identifiers, and other data documentation).

  Data Preservation, Access and Associated Timelines
  
  Give plans and timelines for data preservation and access, including:

  • The name of the repository(ies) where scientific data and metadata arising from the project will be archived.
  • How the scientific data will be findable and identifiable, i.e., via a persistent unique identifier or other standard indexing tools.
  • When the scientific data will be made available to other users and for how long. Identify any differences in timelines for different subsets of scientific data to be shared.

  Access, Distribution or Reuse Considerations
  
  Describe any applicable factors affecting subsequent access, distribution, or reuse of scientific data related to:

  • Informed consent
  • Privacy and confidentiality protections consistent with applicable federal, Tribal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies
  • Whether access to scientific data derived from humans will be controlled
  • Any restrictions imposed by federal, Tribal, or state laws, regulations, or policies, or existing or anticipated agreements
  • Any other considerations that may limit the extent of data sharing.
     

  Oversight of Data Management and Sharing
  
  Indicate how compliance with the DMS plan will be monitored and managed. 

   

• NIH recognizes that making data accessible and reusable for other researchers may incur costs, and will now allow investigators to request direct costs toward data management and sharing in the budget and budget justification sections of their applications. All requested direct costs to support the activities proposed in the DMSP must be indicated as “Data Management and Sharing Costs” as follows (see NOT-OD-22-189). To request direct costs toward the DMSP costs, investigators should include details using the budget format applicable to their application for submission. Click the budget tabs to view important details for each category.

  • Select Elements -->
  • Detailed Budget
  • Modular Budget
  • NIH Allowable Costs
  • NIH Unallowable Costs

   

  Detailed Budget

  • R&R Budget Section F. Other Direct Costs: enter costs in the field Data Management and Sharing Costs
  • R&R Budget Section L. Budget Justification: enter a brief summary of the DMSP and description of the requested DMSP costs. 

  Modular Budget

  • PHS 398 Modular Budget Form: single line item in section F. Other Direct Costs
    • DMS costs should be included in the requested module amount.
  • PHS 398 Modular Budget Form: enter a brief summary of the DMS Plan and description of DMS requested costs in the Additional Narrative Justification

  NIH Allowable Costs

  Reasonable, allowable costs may be included for:

  • Formatting data according to accepted community standards, or for transmission to and storage at a selected repository for long-term preservation and access
  • Preparing metadata to foster discoverability, interpretation, and reuse
  • Preserving and sharing data through established repositories, such as data deposit fees
  • Curating data
  • Developing supporting documentation
  • De-identifying data
  • Local data considerations, such as unique and specialized information infrastructure necessary to provide local management and preservation
  • If the DMSP proposes deposition to multiple repositories, costs associated with each proposed repository should be included
  • NIH DMSP evaluation 

  NIH Unallowable Costs

  Budget requests must NOT include:

  • Infrastructure costs that are included in institutional overhead (for instance, F&A costs known as Facilities and Administrative costs)
  • Costs associated with the routine conduct of research, including costs associated with collecting or gaining access to research data
  • Costs that are double charged or inconsistently charged as both direct and indirect costs

   

• As you develop your DMSP, make sure you do not include hypertext (e.g., hyperlinks and URLs) in the DMSP attachment. The NIH hyperlink policy applies to DMSPs as well, and NIH may withdraw your application from consideration if hypertext is included.
• Program staff at the proposed NIH Institute or Center will assess DMSPs to ensure the elements of a DMSP have been adequately addressed in addition to reasonableness of responses. Applications selected for funding will only be funded if the DMSP is complete and acceptable according to NIH’s review.
• Peer reviewers will not be asked to comment on the DMSP, and they will not factor it into the overall impact score unless it is integral to the project design and specified in the funding opportunity announcement (see NOT-OD-22-189).
• If data sharing is integral to the project and tied to a scored review criterion in the funding opportunity announcement, program staff will assess adequacy of the DMSP per standard procedure. Peer reviewers will also be able to view the DMSP attachment and may factor that information into scores as outlined in the evaluation criteria.

Resources

• DMP Tool (GW users can access this tool with the single sign on credentials)
• Himmelfarb Library NIH DMSP Guide
• NIH Budgeting for Data Management and Sharing
• NIH Sample Data Management and Sharing Plan
• NIH Selecting a Data Repository
• NIH Writing a Data Management and Sharing Plan

Support

• GW Libraries: libdatagwu [dot] edu (libdata[at]gwu[dot]edu)
  • General inquires about DMSPs
  • Information on developing a DMSP
  • Repository information
  • Information on Standards of metadata for repositories
• GW Office of Research Integrity: resinteggwu [dot] edu (resinteg[at]gwu[dot]edu)
  • Data Use Agreements (DUAs)
• GW IT Research Technology Services: rtshelpgwu [dot] edu (rtshelp[at]gwu[dot]edu)
  • Strategies for sharing data appropriately
  • High performance computing (HPC) for statistical data analysis
  • Data protection in multi-cloud environments
  • Security by cloud service providers
  • Data storage options
• GW Office of Sponsored Projects: OSP Helpdesk (choose pre-award when submitting a help desk query for DMSPs)
  • NIH DMSP policy and application requirement guidance