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
Guidelines for handling research data
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
Word template for DMPs
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
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
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.
Research Data Management Organiser (RDMO)
The Research Data Management Organizer (RDMO) provides all researchers at the University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr) with a suitable tool for collaboratively creating data management plans. This way, necessary steps such as data reuse or data archiving can be taken into account even before a project begins. RDMO makes it possible to update data management plans throughout the entire project.
TU Dortmund, Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Duisburg-Essen have been operating a joint RDMO instance since 2018. We are happy to advise you on the use of the tool.
RDMO Association
In late 2024, the RDMO Association was founded in Berlin to further develop the software in a sustainable, coordinated manner and to relieve the burden of maintenance and care on the institutions using it. The three UA Ruhr universities are founding members of the association.