Data Management Service Plans

Under NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing (DMS Policy), NIH requires the submission of a Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP) with funding applications that generate scientific data, outlining the plan for managing, preserving, and sharing project data. Moreover, recipients of awarded applications must comply with the DMSP and report progress and any necessary updates in accordance with current NIH requirements.

DMSP Resources

Please find the following resources to assist with your DMSP needs:

• DMSP Researcher Guide
• NIH Guide to Writing a DMSP
• DMS Tool – Build your Data Management Plan
• NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy FAQ
• Budgeting for Data Management and Sharing
• Quantitative Sciences Data Services Core
  • For additional assistance with DMSP preparations, please complete a Quantitative Science Service Request.

DMSP Revisions

Whenever significant changes occur that may impact how scientific data will be managed or shared (e.g., new scientific direction, a different data repository, a timeline revision), NIH recipients must update their DMSP and report changes in accordance with current NIH’s reporting requirements.
 
Effective October 1, 2026, NIH recipients are no longer required to obtain prior approval to modify an approved DMSP. Instead, investigators must update their DMSP and report any substantive modifications through the NIH Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) process.

Requests and revised DMS Plans depend on where you are in the grant award cycle:

• Pre-Award: Just-in-Time

  • Before the award is made, applicants must use the “Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP) Revision” section of the Just in Time (JIT) Screen in eRA Commons, to submit a revised DMSP.

• Post-Award: At Time of RPPR

  • At the time of the RPPR, recipients must use RPPR Section C.5.c. to report progress on data sharing activities and communicate changes to approved DMSPs, including changes to scientific direction, repositories, or data sharing timelines, in accordance with current NIH guidance.

For more on DMSPs:

• NOT-OD-26-046: Updated Elements of an NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan
• NOT-OD-26-100: Implementation Update: NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan Requirements