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Gibson D. Lewis Library Libguides

Research Data Management

NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP) Policy 2023

2023 DMS Policy

The NIH updated previous policies for grant-funded scientific research that went into effect January 25, 2023. The policy helps foster transparency and reproducibility with publicly-funded research. To do this, the NIH has implemented new stipulations for the management and sharing of scientific data.

The 2023 DMSP policy updates the 2003 Data Sharing Policy by applying to NIH funding of any amount that produces scientific research. If research falls under those two stipulations, a data management and sharing plan will need to be submitted with the application. There are sample plans online as well as templates in the DMPTool that can help you create a plan.

Submitted plans are not usually part of the peer review process, but are reviewed by NIH Program Staff who will communicate any need for revisions.

*Failure to comply with the implementation of the proposed plans could have an impact on future funding from the NIH for both the researcher and the institution.*

Three photos side by side, a person in front of a wall with graphs, the word data made on tiles, and a piggy bank on a line chart.

What's in the plan?

Data Management and Sharing Plans show that researchers have thought through the management and sharing of data. The plans include the 6 following elements:

  • Data type - Include the estimated amount, what kind will be produced, what data will be preserved or shared, and list metadata or other relevant documentation.
  • Related tools, software, code - Will other researchers need specialized software to reuse or interpret the data (i.e. SPSS)?
  • Data standards - What standards will be applied (i.e., dictionaries, identifiers, definitions)? Learn more about standards, database requirements, and data policies at FAIRsharing.org or the Digital Curation Centre (DCC).
  • Preservation & timelines - Where will you share or deposit the data, will it be findable with a unique ID, when will data be available and for how long? Deposit in the HSC Fort Worth Data Repository or find other recommended repositories using our list, the NIH, National Library of Medicine, re3data.org, or publisher recommendations.
  • Distribution & reuse - Are there any reasons that could limit the extent of sharing like informed consent, privacy/confidentiality protections, restrictions or other considerations from federal, tribal, state, or local regulations? Provide any justification for not sharing data.
  • Oversight - Who will oversee it and perform quality checks?

Element 6 - Oversight

Icon of a documentPIs can use the following language when crafting the Oversight section for their DMSP.

The contact PI for the project is [Dr. Investigator] at the [University of North Texas Health Science Center]. The PI will meet regularly with members of the research project team listed in the application [Dr. Collaborator (University of Somewhere, imaging data collection), Ms. Manager (University of Somewhere, data system manager), and Dr. Colleague (University of Elsewhere, collection of tissue sample)] to ensure that data collection, management, and submission to the repositories occur in a manner compliant with this Data Management and Sharing Plan.

The Office of Sponsored Programs and the Gibson D. Lewis Health Science Library at UNTHSC have created a data management and sharing plan compliance system using commercially available software platforms DMP, LabArchives, and Data Monitor as part of their process for submitting the annual NIH progress report. These services are available to assist investigators in the creation and monitoring of NIH compliant data manage plans. The Office of Sponsored Programs will look for the award specific data DOIs when papers are published and will include that information in the annual progress report. In addition, the OSP will meet with the PI twice a year to discuss the current state of their data management and possible changes.

Resources & Downloads

This second session focuses on the NIH changes from the Research Café webinar and includes some FAQs received from UNTHSC researchers. The webinar took place on May 10, 2023.

Learn more about the NIH changes from the following Research Café webinar entitled DMSP: What's New with the NIH and You. The webinar took place on January 18, 2023.