Data Management and Sharing Plan
If your proposed research is subject to the NIH Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Policy and/or Genomic Data Sharing (GDS) Policy, NIH requires the submission of a single DMS Plan. You will attach the plan as a PDF to the Other Plans field of the PHS 398 Research Plan Form or PHS 398 Career Development Supplemental Form. This does not count toward your Research Strategy page limit.
The DMS Plan should describe in detail what data will be shared as well as where, when, and how the data will be shared. NIAID expects scientific data to be shared as soon as possible into publicly accessible repositories – minimally, no later than the time of an associated publication or end of the performance period, whichever comes first.
NIH offers extensive guidance on the Data Management and Sharing Policy section of NIH’s Scientific Data Sharing website, including:
- Writing a DMS Plan
- Sample DMS Plans
- DMS Plan Format
- Budgeting for Data Management and Sharing
- Frequently Asked Questions on DMS
For expectations related to the NIH GDS Policy, check Does the GDS Policy Apply to My Research and Genomic Data Sharing Expectations by NIH Institute & Center.
Additional requirements or expectations for DMS Plans may be required by the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) and/or NIAID. These requirements can be found:
- In the NOFO under Section IV, Other Plan(s).
- In the NIH Institute and Center Data Sharing Policies table. Select NIAID from the pulldown menu on the upper left of the table to find NIAID-specific DMS policies, guiding principles, and repositories.
- On the NIAID Data Policy and Guidance page.
Finishing Up
Look over the plan you’ve written and imagine where a critical reviewer might identify potential questions or weak spots.
Enlist others to do that too—they can look at your application with a fresh eye. Include people who aren't familiar with your research to make sure you can get your point across to someone outside your field.