Research Data Management

What is a Data Management Plan?

• A Data Management Plan (DMP) is a formal document that describes the data generated during a research project.
• A DMP also details all aspects of data management that will take place during the research lifecycle when data are collected, organized, documented, stored, preserved, and shared. 

Why Create a Data Management Plan?

• A growing number of funding agencies require researchers to submit DMPs to ensure that data will be accessible and usable after a funded project has closed.
• Researchers can use DMPs as living documents to ensure that the research data are accurate, complete, reliable, and secure; both during and after the research project.  

You may need to budget funding in your grant proposal for data curation and storage for data that you are mandated to share. The following links can help you determine a budget for when you are applying for a grant to make sure your data is in compliance. For more information you can learn more from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's "Forecasting Costs for Preserving, Archiving, and Promoting Access to Biomedical Data" study and the American Research Libraries "Making Research Data Publicly Accessible" for ideas about needs and costs.