Data management plan
What is a data management plan (DMP)?
A data management plan (DMP) is an important tool for structuring the handling of research data. DMPs can serve both as a checklist and as a basis for continuous documentation: from data collection to long-term storage or publication. An increasing number of research sponsors, e.g. the EU or the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, are now require DMPs to be included in funding applications.
Advantages of DMPs:
- Facilitate the exchange of data
- Easier documentation for obligatory reports
- Facilitate data reuse
- Reduce the risk of data loss
Data management and funding proposals
More and more funders expect detailed information on data handling and/or a structured data management plan as part of funding applications
German Research Foundation (DFG)
With the revised guidelines for proposal submission, the DFG has set out rules for the handling of data for individual and collaborative projects.
Completion aid for the DFG checklist
The DFG offers a checklist (structured as a set of questions) that provides an overview of the information on research data management that should be considered when submitting a proposal.
The Research Data Services have created a fill-in guide (download for Word or LaTeX) for this checklist, which provides more detailed information and examples for each section. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Guidelines for handling research data
The DFG provides subject-specific recommendations on the handling of research data developed in cooperation with DFG committees.
European Commission (Horizon Europe)
All funding applications in the Horizon Europe program require statements on data management at the time of submission. A data management plan must be submitted within six months of approval.
Program Guide Horizon Europe
See the Program Guide Horizon Europe for further information on data management in the individual funding programs.
Word template for DMPs
A Word template for DMPs containing a chapter structure and guiding questions for the content can be found under Horizon Europe / Templates & forms / Project reporting templates / Data Management Plan (HE) in the reference documents on the European Commission's Funding & Tenders Portal
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
The BMBF stipulates in each individual funding call whether RDM information must be provided, and if so, to what extent. The ministry has set out its general science policy objectives in its Research Data Action Plan.
VolkswagenStiftung
Read more
In its Open Science Policy [in German], the Volkswagen Foundation states: “When applying for funding for data-generating or data-using projects in disciplines without a clear workflow, the submission of a digital concept with a data management plan (DMP) is required.”
Funding for data management can be requested through through the Data Reuse grant scheme.
VolkswagenStiftung DMP template
The foundation provides a template for a basic data management plan as a Word document that can be downloaded, completed and attached to the application.
Further information
The Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (ZBW) has published the informative overview “What research funders require in terms of research data management” [in German]in its Open Science journal.
Leibniz University Hannover provides a helpful overview of information on handling research data in third-party funding applications in the research data management section of its website.
Structured data management
Online tools can help you answer the most important questions related to responsibilities, legal rights and obligations, as well as the FAIR handling of data and matters of storage and archiving.
RDMO
RDMO (Research Data Management Organiser) allows researchers to easily create a DMP online. The Research Data Services offer a joint instance for the University Alliance Ruhr. We are happy to advise you on the use of the tool.