A Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP) is a document that outlines how research data will be collected, organized, documented, preserved, and shared throughout the lifecycle of a project. It establishes the standards and procedures that govern the stewardship of research data, from initial creation to long-term preservation and public dissemination. Federal agencies such as the NIH require DMSPs to ensure that data produced through sponsored research is accessible, reusable, and transparent in support of scientific rigor and reproducibility. A DMSP should not be confused with a Data Confidentiality Plan (DCP). Whereas a DCP focuses on safeguarding confidential or proprietary information, a DMSP describes how research data will be preserved and shared publicly to support transparency and reproducibility.
When is a DMSP required?
A DMSP is required whenever it is mandated by a sponsor, solicitation, or regulatory framework. Many federal agencies, including the NIH, NSF, and others, require investigators to submit a DMSP as part of the proposal process for any project that will generate scientific data. Additionally, journals, repositories, and funding partners may impose DMSP requirements to facilitate responsible sharing and long-term preservation.
DMSPs are typically drafted at the proposal stage because most federal sponsors require a plan to be submitted with the application. However, they are often revised at the time of award to ensure alignment with finalized scopes of work, data types, and sponsor expectations. Because data management obligations may evolve over the course of a project, investigators should expect to update their DMSP as needed.
Why is a DMSP important?
A DMSP is essential for ensuring that research data is handled in a manner that supports transparency, accessibility, and long-term scientific value. By establishing a DMSP, you are:
- Promoting responsible stewardship of research data throughout and beyond the project period.
- Defining how project data will be organized, documented, preserved, and shared.
- Demonstrating compliance with sponsor-required or federally mandated data-sharing policies.
- Supporting scientific transparency, reproducibility, and public access to research outcomes.
- Ensuring that sufficient documentation, metadata, and identifiers accompany data for future interpretation and reuse.
Is there a DMSP template?
Yes, most federal sponsors provide their own DMSP templates and may offer different versions tailored to specific research types. UT Dallas also provides an institutional template. Researchers should use the template required by the sponsor, or the UT Dallas template when a sponsor-specific template is not specified.
UT Dallas also offers access to the DMPTool, which can assist in drafting DMSPs. However, investigators should note that DMPTool templates may not always reflect the most current sponsor requirements. When possible, researchers should consult the latest templates and guidance directly from the sponsor’s website.
Who is responsible for the DMSP?
The Principal Investigator (PI) is responsible for preparing the Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP) and ensuring it is implemented in accordance with sponsor and institutional requirements. This includes overseeing how research data is documented, preserved, and shared, and coordinating with UT Dallas IT staff, such as departmental IT personnel or the Office of Information Technology (OIT) as needed to support appropriate data storage, access, and dissemination. See below for a breakdown of Principal Investigator and Project Personnel responsibilities.
Principal Investigator DMSP Responsibilities
- Preparing a DMSP that complies with all sponsor, regulatory, and institutional requirements.
- Ensuring data is collected, stored, documented, and shared in accordance with the plan.
- Determining what data will be publicly shared and what data must be withheld, consistent with sponsor policy, privacy considerations, or contractual restrictions.
- Ensuring metadata, documentation, and persistent identifiers accompany shared data.
- Coordinating with IT support and ORSE when necessary to ensure secure storage and appropriate access controls.
- Updating the DMSP if project scope, data types, or sharing expectations change.
- Overseeing long-term data preservation in accordance with retention and archiving requirements.
Project Personnel DMSP Responsibilities
- Follow all PI-established procedures for data creation, organization, documentation, and storage.
- Maintain data integrity and version control throughout data processing and analysis.
- Support the preparation of data, metadata, and documentation for public sharing.
- Comply with security requirements related to data access, use, and storage.
- Promptly report issues related to data quality, access, or compliance to the PI.
How can researchers get assistance with DMSPs?
Researchers may request assistance from the Office of Research Security & Ethics (ORSE) by emailing exportcontrol@utdallas.edu at any point during proposal development, at award, or while the project is underway. ORSE can review draft plans, provide recommendations, and, when appropriate, meet briefly with the PI to discuss required elements or suggest refinements. When requesting a review, investigators should provide ORSE with their drafted DMSP, the UT Dallas project ID, the project title, and the statement of work. This information enables ORSE to assess the plan in relation to sponsor requirements and the project’s scope.