Prepare for NIH Data Management and Sharing Plans Using the DMPTool

By — September 15, 2021

The DMPTool has been updated — please read the updated version of this post for current information.

Beginning with the January 25, 2023 grant cycle, the NIH will enact a policy requiring all NIH grant submissions to include a two-page Data Management and Sharing plan (hereafter referred to as the plan). The plan outlines how the investigator will store, protect, and ultimately share research data generated from NIH funds.

You can easily begin preparing for the plan using the DMPTool at dmptool.org. The DMPTool provides templates and guidance for many data management and sharing plans from several funding bodies, including the forthcoming NIH plan. To prepare for the NIH plan using the DMPTool:

  1. Navigate to dmptool.org and choose to Sign in with Your Institution.
  1. Search for Washington University and sign in with your WUSTL Key and password.
  1. On My Dashboard select Create Plan.
DMPTool Create Plan
  1. Enter some basic project information which can be generic if you are not creating a plan. You also can click the checkbox next to “mock project for testing, practice, or educational purposes” if not creating a real plan.
  2. Select NIH as your Funder and NIH-GEN DMSP (Forthcoming 2023) in the Which DMP template would you like to use? dropdown menu.  Click Create Plan.
DMPTool Create a new plan
  1. Click the Write Plan tab to view each section title of the NIH plan.
NIH Grant Write Plan
  1. Click the Data Type section header to reveal a description of the section and a text box to enter the information for your project. You can also receive guidance from up to six institutions while you have the Write Plan tab open.
NIH Grant Data Type

By reading each section, you can begin planning a framework for your current or future projects. The NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing does not go into effect until the January 25, 2023 grant cycle, but now is the perfect time to begin preparing. If you have questions about the forthcoming NIH Data Management and Sharing policy or any features of the DMPTool, contact Chris Sorensen at sorensenc@wustl.edu. 

Becker Library will begin educational webinars in preparation for the NIH Data Management and Sharing policy beginning with this workshop during Open October 2021.