NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy Information
Overview
NIH has issued the听听(effective January 25, 2023) to promote the sharing of scientific data. Sharing scientific data accelerates biomedical research discovery, in part, by enabling validation of research results, providing accessibility to high-value datasets, and promoting data reuse for future research studies.听All research, funded or conducted in whole or in part by NIH, that results in the generation of "scientific data" must comply with this policy; training grants, fellowships, conference grants and more are not subject to the DMS Policy. Please consult your OCG Proposal Analyst for more information. Please note that it is expected that the听PI will be听responsible for managing and sharing data in compliance with听the DMS Plan incorporated into the award terms and conditions.
Under the DMS policy, NIH expects that investigators and institutions:
- Plan and budget for the managing and sharing of data, which must be included with the proposal
- Submit a DMS Plan for review when applying for funding at proposal; DMS plan may be revised at the Just-In-Time phase
- Comply with the approved DMS Plan which will be incorporated into the award terms & conditions; NIH to ask for updates during the annual progress report (RPPR)
Individual NIH Institutes, Centers, or Offices may have additional policies and expectations (see听).鈥
What is Scientific Data?听 | What is NOT听Scientific Data?听 |
"Scientific data" is defined as:听"the recorded factual material commonly accepted in the scientific community as of sufficient quality to validate and replicate research findings, regardless of whether the data are used to support scholarly publications." Scientific data will vary depending on the project and the context. Potential examples of听scientific data听may include, but are not limited to:听
| Scientific data do听not include:
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Secondary Data:听Secondary data may need a DMS plan if it is 鈥渘ew, derived data as a result of their research鈥 with exemptions for primary data that has sharing limitations. See for more information.听
When should I share my scientific听data?听
Scientific data should be shared as soon as possible, but no later than the time of a听publication of findings听in a peer-reviewed journal OR at the听end of the award, whichever comes first. The publication date is considered to the be when the article is first available via print or electronic format.听Does a pre-print article trigger this requirement? No, this requirement is only applicable to a published, peer-reviewed article. Scientific data听that wasn't published should be shared by end of award, so then pre-print data may be required if data is听not published by end of award.
Applicability
The DMS Policy applies to all research that generates scientific data, including Research Projects, some Career Development Awards, SBIR/STTR, and Research Centers. The DMS Policy does not apply to research and other activities not generating scientific data, including Training Grants, Fellowships, Construction (C06), Conference Grants, Resource (Gs), and Research-Related Infrastructure Programs.听
Proposal Development
Please notify听your OCG Proposal Analyst听as early as possible in advance of the deadline and review the听NIH Required Documents PI Checklist听for all current proposal requirements, to ensure new DMS Policy requirements are being addressed in both the proposal and proposal budget.听
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- Data Management and Sharing Plan:听please follow CU's Center for Research Data and Digital Scholarship听(CRDDS) for guidance and use the to build your required plan. Recommended page length is 2 pages. Subrecipient sites' management/sharing of data must also be discussed in the DMS Plan.听
- Research Strategy: Must include information on DMSP in the "Approach" section as appropriate.听
- Budget and Justification: Whether modular or detailed, if your research project generates any scientific data, DMSP requirements will need to be addressed. See Budgeting for the DMSP below for further details on budget requirements. CRDDS should be consulted to determine appropriate budget costs for storing data in repositories.
- Data Type
- Related Tools, Software and/or Code
- Standards
- Data Preservation, Access, and Associated Timelines
- Access, Distribution, or Reuse Considerations
- Oversight of Data Management and Sharing - Note: It is expected that PI is responsible for oversight of DMS.听
Before exporting your DMS Plan from the , PIs must ensure that NIH formatting requirements are specified in the "Download" tab; . NIH formatting requirements include 0.5" (13mm)听margins and Arial font at size 11.听If questions exist about the completion of the DMS Plan in the DMPTool, please contact听CRDDS.
The DMS Plan will not be included in the materials sent to peer reviewers, unless data sharing is integral to the project design and specified in the Funding Opportunity Announcement. The DMS Justification included in the Budget Justification will be available to reviewers though, which includes a summary of the DMS plan.听
Budgeting for the DMSP
Please work with your OCG Proposal Analyst and utilize the NIH Cost Estimation Tool to develop your budget and to ensure DMS costs are appropriately addressed. CRDDS is available for consult to determine applicable costs, review your DMS Plan, and direct you to appropriate repositories and resources while helping you determine costs. Please reach out to CRDDS as early as possible in the proposal process听if seeking their assistance.
Allowable Costs: | Unallowable Costs: |
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DMS Requirements for R&R Detailed Budgets:
Please use the OCG听NIH Cost Estimation Tool for creating all NIH budgets for proposed research funding and the OCG听Budget Justification Template听or the OCG Additional Narrative Justification Template to develop the budget justification.听
Update for all research proposals due on/after 10/05/23 that require a DMS Plan: While 鈥Data Management and Sharing Costs鈥 are no longer required as a separate line item in the R&R budget, the total DMS cost estimate must be specified within the Budget Justification. The OCG听Budget Justification Template听should be used to develop听the detailed Budget Justification, and the "Data Management and Sharing Justification" section must be completed even if no costs are proposed. If applicable, the Justification must specify if no DMS costs will be incurred. The DMS Justification must also briefly explain any personnel effort and costs associated with general cost categories: curating data and developing supporting documentation, local data management activities, preserving and sharing data through established repositories, etc. Subrecipients should include a DMS Justification in their Budget Justification as well and provide the same DMS Justification details.听Please refer to the听Budget Justification Template听for detailed guidance on what information is needed.
DMS Requirements for Modular Budgets:
For NIH research proposals requiring a DMS Plan, NIH Modular Budgets will be used when the NIH budget is $250,000 or less in Direct Costs per year of the budget (unless the FOA requires a detailed budget or Human Fetal Tissue is proposed in the project).听For the听NIH Modular Budget, PIs may choose to use the OCG NIH Modular Budget Template or the detailed OCG NIH Cost Estimation Tool to develop their internal budget.
However, all costs must be included in the now required Additional Narrative Justification under a section titled "Data Management and Sharing Justification" with all costs detailed and a brief summary of the DMS Plan provided; full instructions are provided in the OCG听Additional Narrative Justification Template鈥檚 "Data Management and Sharing Justification" section. If no costs will be included in the听budget, then this should be clearly iterated in the DMS Justification within the Additional Narrative Justification. Any subrecipient costs specific to DMS should be discussed in the Additional Narrative Justification as well.听
Just-In-Time (JIT)
The DMS Plan will likely need to be revised during the JIT stage, prior to an award being made. NIH Program Officers (POs) will work with PIs to resolve issues and finalize the plan based on the PO's assessments. Once POs and PIs agree on the DMS Plan, it is then resubmitted as a JIT by your OCG Proposal Analyst.听
Post-Award,听Prior Approval and听Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR)
If an award is made, the approved DMS Plan will become a term and condition of the award and the PI is responsible for managing and sharing data as described in the DMS Plan and for overall compliance with the DMS Plan.听During the funding period, compliance with the Plan will be determined by the NIH Institute or Center.
If changes are needed to your DMS Plan after award,听please work with your OCG Grant Officer.听Prior approval from the NIH Program Officer along with the revised DMS Plan are required when the following changes occur to the plan:
- New Scientific Direction
- Change in Data Repository
- Timeline Revision
Compliance with the Plan, including any Plan updates, may be reviewed during regular reporting intervals (e.g. at the time of the annual RPPR).听Please contact ocgreports@colorado.edu听when submitting a NIH RPPR.听鈥
Resources
CU Boulder Resources:
- - Note: Though not CU-owned, CU encourages use of the DMPTool to develop your DMS Plan.
- CRDDS' Grant Support
- OCG's NIH checklists and templates:
- NIH Required Documents R01/R03/R21 PI Checklist听
- NIH Proposal Submission Review Checklist
- NIH Cost Estimation Tool
- NIH Modular Budget Template听-听Note: No additional DMS information on this document.
- Budget Justification Template听-听Note:听DMS Justification instructions听included under Other Direct Costs. Full template should be used for NIH Detailed R&R Budget
- Additional Narrative Justification Template听-听Note:听Template should be used for NIH Modular Budget
- 听-听Note:听Must have CU identikey credentials to view webinar on CU Stream.
NIH Resources:
- 听- CRDDS is also able to assist in selecting a data repository.听
- NIH FAQs: