Chapter 8 Overview of the DMS Plan

The NIH has provided an outline for what components of the Data Sharing and Management Plan are required. We’ll introduce these sections and then discuss in more detail some of the important considerations you’ll need to include in your specific plan.

As of May 2026, there is a new Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan format (more information can be found on this NIH webpage). While the information in this section may still be useful for preparing a DMS Plan, many of the components described are no longer included in the DMS Plan. Please see the new format before proceeding with your DMS Plan. This course will be updated based on the new DMS Plan format shortly.

   

The following are the major sections of the NIH DMS plan:

1. Data type - describe what data (amount and type) will be generated over the course of funding and what data will or will not be shared
2. Tools, software, and code - describe what tools (and versions) you intend to use to manage and analyze the data (note code is not required to be shared)
3. Standards - describe any standards that you might need to use for your data and metadata to make them usable by others or be contributed to a repository
4. Data preservation, access, timelines - describe where the data will be made available and when
5. Access, distribution, reuse considerations - describe how you have carefully considered any reasons that might limit sharing
6. Oversight - describe who will manage compliance of the DMS plan

We will cover specific requirements for each of these sections later. However, before starting to write your plan, it may be helpful to consider the data types and size you plan to generate, the repositories available, and the corresponding budgetary implications prior.

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