NIH Data Management & Sharing Plan Policy
The 2023 NIH Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Policy applies to all research, funded or conducted in whole or in part by the NIH, that results in the generation of scientific data. The policy details expectations and requirements regarding data management and sharing of scientific data generated out of NIH funded projects as well as budgeting for the costs to do so. The policy is effective January 25th 2023, and applies to all awards with receipt dates on or after that date.
The NIH Data management and Sharing Policy Webpage contains detail on the policy and related information.
Elements to Include in a Data Management and Sharing Plan
As outlined in NIH Guide Notice Supplemental Policy Information: Elements of an NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan, DMS Plans should address the following recommended elements and are recommended to be two pages, but longer plans are allowed. As described in the Application Guide, the DMS Plan should be attached to the application as a PDF file. See NIH’s Format Attachments page.
NIH RECOMMENDED ELEMENTS |
DETAILS TO INCLUDE |
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DATA TYPE |
Briefly describe the scientific data to be managed and shared:
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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:
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ACCESS, DISTRIBUTION, OR REUSE CONSIDERATIONS |
Describe any applicable factors affecting subsequent access, distribution, or reuse of scientific data related to:
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OVERSIGHT OF DATA MANAGEMENT AND SHARING | Indicate how compliance with the DMS Plan will be monitored and managed, the frequency of oversight, and by whom (e.g., title, roles). This element refers to oversight by the funded institution, rather than by NIH. The DMS Policy does not create any expectations about who will be responsible for Plan oversight at the institution. |
Budgeting for Data Management and Sharing
Inclusion of DMS costs demonstrates to NIH that an Investigator has given thought to how much time is needed to achieve all aspects of the proposed research, including those aspects related to data management and sharing.
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COST CONSIDERATIONS |
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ALLOWABLE COSTS |
Reasonable, allowable costs may be included in NIH budget requests for:
Note that all allowable costs submitted in budget requests must be incurred during the performance period, even for scientific data and metadata preserved and shared beyond the award period. For instance, if a DMS plan proposes preserving and sharing scientific data for 10 years in an established repository with a deposition fee, the cost for the entire 10-year period must be paid before the end of the period of performance. |
UNALLOWABLE COSTS |
Budget requests must NOT include:
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REQUESTING & JUSTIFYING COSTS FOR DMS |
Costs to support the activities described in the Data Management and Sharing Plan must be requested in the appropriate cost category(ies), e.g., personnel, equipment, supplies, and other expenses. Investigators must also include a justification of the activities proposed in the DMS Plan that will incur costs. This justification must be labeled as "Data Management and Sharing Justification" within the budget justification attachment, followed by the estimated dollar amount. The justification should include a brief summary of type and amount of scientific data to be preserved and shared, and the name of the established repository(ies) to be used. It should also indicate general cost categories (such as curating data and developing supporting documentation, local data management activities, preserving and sharing data through established repositories, etc.); each category should include an amount and a brief explanation. The recommended length of the justification should be no more than half a page and should be included as follows:
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EXTERNAL TOOLS & RESOURCES TO HELP UNDERSTAND DMSP COSTS |
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SBU Resources
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DMP TOOL |
We encourage the use of the DMPTool, a University-wide Resource for Creating Data Management Plans (DMP).The DMPTool is a free, open-source, online application that helps researchers create data management plans. It is highly recommended that Investigators utilize the DMPTool to develop and write their Data Management and Sharing Plans (DMSPs). The DMPTool provides a click-through wizard for creating a DMP that complies with funder requirements. It also has direct links to funder websites, help text for answering questions, and data management best practices resources.
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University Libraries |
SBU Libraries provide various resources and assistance with managing research data, including the following:
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Research Computing, Informatics, & Innovation (RCI2) |
The Research Computing, Informatics, & Innovation (RCI2) team supports the research mission of the university by meeting the computing and informatics resource needs of researchers, and enabling the proficient and appropriate use of these resources. The (RCI2) team is pleased to offer consultation and project review services. To request consultation, email SBMIT_Research_Services@stonybrookmedicine.edu. |
Office of Research Compliance |
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NIH Institutes/Centers Guidelines & Resources
- NIH Institute and Center Data Sharing Policies - Be certain to check the main website of the Institute/Center for the most recent changes/updates.
- NIDDK Data Management & Sharing Resource Page
- NIDDK Repository Selection Considerations Tool
- NIGMS recently issued a feedback loop blog post
- NCI developed guidance for their grantees
- NIA released data sharing resources for their researchers and NIA data sharing guidelines
- NICHD’s Office of Data Science and Sharing compiled a list of DMS Policy resources for their staff and researchers,
- NIDCR answered DMS Policy FAQs
- NINDS researcher guidance.
- NIH-Supported Data Sharing Resources: To help researchers locate an appropriate repository for sharing or accessing data, the Trans-NIH BioMedical Informatics Coordinating Committee (BMIC), maintains lists of data sharing repositories. Domain-specific repositories are typically limited to data of a certain type or related to a certain discipline. Generalist repositories accept data regardless of data type, format, content, or disciplinary focus.
Additional Tips & Resources
- NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy Immersion Workshop hosted by NNLM National Center for Data Services, February 17, 2023, View the PowerPoint Slides
- 1-page flyer
- 2-part webinar series on understanding the DMS Policy and digging deeper into what’s required
- Multiple sample DMS Plans and an optional format page
- Use this decision tool to determine what sharing policies apply to your research
- 6 elements recommended for a robust DMS Plan
- 10 activities that generally do and do not generate scientific data, including a complete list of activity codes generally subject to the DMS Policy
Selecting a Data Repository
NIH recommends the use of well-established data repositories to share your data. In general, NIH does not endorse or require sharing data in any particular repository, although some initiatives and funding opportunities will have individual requirements. For a list of NIH-supported repositories, visit Repositories for Sharing Scientific Data. Overall, NIH encourages researchers to select the repository that is most appropriate for their data type and discipline. See Selecting a Data Repository.
Stony Brook has an institutional data repository, called Dryad. This resource is freely available to SBU researchers. It requires an ORCiD ID in order to create an account and login. There is another repository available for publications and smaller datasets, called Academic Commons.