A data management plan (DMP)—or more recently, data management and sharing plan (DMSP)—is typically a brief document (1-2 pages) which accompanies a project proposal and describes the project's plans for collecting, utilizing, stewarding, and disseminating research data.

Areas or topics typically covered by a DMSP include:

• The project's data type(s), format(s), and anticipated storage volume (in GB or TB)
• Personnel roles and responsibilities with regards to data
• Steps taken to ensure quality and interpretability of the data
• How the data are meant to be analyzed, i.e., methods at a high level
• Plans to protect confidentiality of data, especially of human subjects
• Plans for data sharing (including limitations)

Why write a DMSP? 

• Funder compliance
• Risk management (thinking about backups before you need them)
• Appropriate budgeting of funds, time, and other resources
• Responsible stewardship

The requirements that a data management and sharing plan (DMSP) must meet are determined by the funder. Typically a DMSP is described among the accompanying documents for a proposal. These are the guidelines for a few major funders:

• National Science Foundation: Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG)
• National Institute of Health: Final NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing
• National Endowment for the Humanities: NEH Office of Digital Humanities DMP Guidelines

More funder requirements, as well as links to DMSP templates, can be found at DMPTool's Public Templates page. 

For more about data sharing, see our Data Sharing @ Pitt subject guide.

The DMPTool is a Web-based platform for writing data management and sharing plans (DMSPs). Simply log in to SSO (Single Sign-On) using your Pitt Passport credentials, then start a new plan, and choose your funder.

DMPTool.org