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Office of Research & Economic Development

Proposal Development

NSF Data Management Plan Resources

Overview

As of January 18, 2011, the National Science Foundation requires all proposals to include a data management plan as a supplementary document. This document must be no longer than two pages in length (although investigators may use a portion of the 15-page project description for a data management plan longer than two pages) and should describe how the proposed project will conform with NSF policy on the dissemination and sharing of research results.

Several NSF Divisions and Directorates have specific requirements for data management plans, including:

Be sure to carefully review program solicitations or individual NSF Division and Directorate web pages for additional information.

Data Management Plan Outline

The following outline is suggested to provide a framework for investigators to develop data management plans conforming to NSF requirements. The bulleted prompts should be used to guide the development of text for each required section. The Office of Proposal Development can provide a review of and comments on draft data management plans prior to proposal submission to help ensure the plan addresses NSF criteria and is easy for proposal reviewers to understand.

Types of Data, Samples, Physical Collections, Software, Curriculum Materials and Other Materials
  • Describe the nature of the data, samples, physical collections, software, curriculum materials and other materials that will be collected or generated during this project, including amount and content
  • Describe the types of data, samples, etc. that will be collected or generated (e.g., observational or qualitative data, model output, preserved samples and specimens, etc.)
  • Describe how these data, samples, etc. will be collected or generated
  • Describe any existing data, samples, etc. that will be used, including the source, and the relationship between existing resources and those collected or generated during the proposed project
Data and Metadata Standards
  • Detail the standards that will be used for the format and content of data and contextual details (metadata) if these standards exist, including rationale for using these standards
  • If there are no existing relevant data and metadata standards, or standards are inadequate, document this and provide potential remedies
  • Discuss the file format(s) that will be used for the project, and provide a brief rationale for the selected format(s)
  • List metadata that will be needed to make collected or generated data meaningful and describe how metadata will be collected or generated
Policies for Access and Sharing, Provisions for Protection/Privacy
  • Discuss how data will be made available, including resources needed to make data available
  • Discuss when data will be made available, including details on any periods when data will be withheld and reasons for withholding
  • Describe any processes and/or costs for outside entities to gain access to data
  • Discuss whether the original collector/creator of data and/or the PI will retain the right to use data exclusively for any period of time
  • Discuss any ethical and/or privacy issues relating to the data, and how these will be resolved (specifically, state whether data will be subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, or any other relevant regulations regarding information privacy)
  • Discuss applicable IRB protocols and how the project team will comply with these
  • Discuss the ownership of any applicable copyright and other intellectual property, and how the dataset will be licensed (including any necessary restrictions or delays on data sharing)
Policies and Provisions for Re-use, Redistribution and Production of Derivatives
  • Describe any permission restrictions that will be placed on the data, and why
  • Discuss the audience for whom the data are intended and any other individuals/organizations likely to be interested in the data
  • Discuss any reasons that data and/or its derivatives should not be shared, redistributed or re-used
Plans for Archiving and Preserving Data, Samples, and Other Research Products
  • Discuss long-term plans for archiving and storage of data, samples, etc.
  • Identify the data repository/archival center at which data will be deposited and backup procedures
  • Identify the location at which samples will be retained, including any special storage needs (e.g., refrigeration)
  • Discuss any preparation that will be necessary before data or samples may be stored (e.g., transfer of data to storage devices, preservation of samples, etc.)
  • Discuss any accompanying materials (e.g., metadata, software) that will make data re-usable once it has been archived
  • Describe other materials such as references, research papers, journal articles, the original proposal, etc. that will be archived and the location and manner of archival; also discuss any preparation of these materials for archival (e.g., scanning)
  • Identify the length of time that data and other materials will be archived/stored and what will happen to the data and other materials at the end of that period

UNL’s Centralized Data Storage Repository

Managed by UNL’s Information Services, a centralized institutional data repository (a 24-Terabyte object store data archive) has been reserved for investigators conducting extramurally-supported research who need a secure, stable, low-cost option to archive data that accrue during the course of research, scholarly and creative activity. This data archive has a meta-data interface that will allow the UNL Libraries to facilitate the management and organization of project data and help create best practices for long- and short-term data access in accordance with national archiving and preservation standards and additional funding agency requirements.

Proposers must include a line item in their project budget to execute the institutional portion of the data management plan. For budget development purposes, assume the following cost – less than $0.10/Gigabyte (GB)/month: 100GB = $500 (the minimum amount of storage that can be requested); 250GB = $1,250; 500GB $2,500; and 1,000GB (1TB) = $5,000. This one-time charge should be requested during the final year of project support (e.g., during Year 5 of a five-year project) to ensure data storage and maintenance for a minimum of five years beyond the award period, though project data likely will reside within the data store well into the future. For more information regarding the institutional data repository, contact Michael Ruhrdanz, director of communications and operations in Information Services (402.472.5236 or mruhrdanz1@unl.edu).

Additional On-Campus Resources

The Data Curation Working Group at the UNL Libraries maintains a comprehensive data management plan resource, including advice for generating a data management plan; example plans, a template and boilerplate text; links to data management plan resources at other institutions; and information regarding customized data management consultation and workshops.

Additional Off-Campus Resources

Follow the links below to access data management plan resources at other institutions: