The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued its Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Policy (effective January 25, 2023) to prompt research reproducibility and transparency. All grant proposals submitted on or after January 25, 2023, should include a Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP).

We, Data Services, recommend that you write your NIH DMSP using a free online application called DMPTool. You can use DMPTool to draft your plan element by element based on your funder’s requirements. It also contains helpful guidance and sample language from both NIH and Johns Hopkins on how best to write each DMSP element. Hit the “request feedback” button within the DMPTool to get feedback from Data Services. We will review your Plan and provide our professional feedback in a timely manner. You can also use the DMPTool to write a Data Management Plan for other funders, not just NIH.

Here are some resources to get you started with writing your DMSP. For more in-depth information, check out this NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy Guide. If you have any questions about NIH DMSP or data management plans for other funding agencies, please contact us. ​

Workshops about Data Management and Sharing Plans

  • Writing an NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan workshop (one-hour recording, slides)
    • Do you plan to apply for NIH grants on/after January 25, 2023? Need to submit a Data Management and Sharing Plan to NIH along with your grant proposal but don’t know where to start? During this one-hour workshop, we will discuss what elements to include in a competitive and compliant Plan, introduce you to the DMPTool to help write your Plan, and discuss how to get feedback on your Plan.
  • Writing a Data Management with DMPTool workshop (one-hour recording, slides)
    • ​Data management plans (DMPs) are increasingly required in the grant proposal process, particularly for research funding from federal agencies. In this 1-hour workshop , learn how the free, online DMPTool (DMPTool) can help you organize your data management plan and tailor plans to your funder’s requirements. We will discuss the main components of an effective data management plan, how JHU Data Services can help with DMPs, and provide a hands-on tutorial of using DMPTool to create and share your plans. This workshop is aimed at faculty, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students from all disciplines.
  • Self-paced, interactive online training about Preparing Your Data Management Plan
  • A quick interactive guide for using DMPTool​

​Data Management and Sharing Plan Samples

Use of Johns Hopkins Research Data Repository Boilerplate in your NIH DMSP

Note: If your research has human participants and you don’t want to share data on an open access data repository, such as Johns Hopkins Research Data Repository, check out this list of NIH domain-specific repositories. Contact Data Services (dataservices@jhu.edu) if you need help identifying a data repository for your research data. 

If you decide to deposit and share your data on Johns Hopkins Research Data Repository, you can use the following language for your NIH DMSP.

“Data and documentation will be made available through the open access Johns Hopkins Research Data Repository. The Repository, managed by Johns Hopkins Data Services, uses an established repository platform (Dataverse) and has a robust preservation plan to ensure long-term access.  To facilitate data discovery and findability, all datasets are given standard data citations, persistent identifiers (DOIs) via DataCite,  and all study-level metadata is discoverable through standard web search. Deposited will be archived for a minimum of 5 years, with the possibility of renewal.”  

Select a Data Repository to Share Data

  • Elements to Look for in a Data Repository
  • NIH Guidance on Data Repositories
  • When NIH Specifies a Repository
  • When You Must Choose a Specialized Repository
  • When You Must Choose a Generalist Repository
  • When to Choose a Controlled-Access Repository

Human Participants Data Consideration

  • Consider How Participants Will Be Protected
  • Ask for Support from Johns Hopkins IRBs
  • Work with the JHU Data Trust if Using JHM Data
  • Ensure Data-Related Informed Consent
  • Responsibly Manage AI/AN Participant Data
  • Appropriately De-identify Participant Data

Budgets for Data Management and Sharing​

  • Allowable Data Management and Sharing Costs
  • Where to Include Costs in the Budget
  • Considerations when Preparing DMS Budgets
  • JHU Services and Allowable DMS Costs
  • Resources for Estimating Allowable DMS Costs

Data Management and Sharing Guide

This guide gathers overviews and resources for data management and sharing following the research workflow for data, from preparing data management and sharing plans for grant proposals, conducting research, to sharing research data.

Federal Demonstration Partnership NIH DMSP Template Pilot Program

Johns Hopkins University is participating in the Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) NIH DMSP Template Pilot, which is testing the effectiveness and usability of two DMSP templates. If you are interested in participating this pilot program, please visit this JHURA page to learn more.

Note that neither template is currently in the DMPTool. You may email drafts for review by JHU Data Services to dataservices@jhu.edu.

If you still have questions, contact Data Services via dataservices@jhu.edu for more information or to schedule a consultation.

Download, print, and distribute this NIH DMSP flyer about the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy.