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June 27, 2024
3 min read time

Guest Blog: Tips for Writing NIH Data Management and Sharing Plans

In a blog post for Bernard Becker Medical Library at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Senior Support Scientist Seonyoung Kim shares practical tips for writing a strong Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP).

The advice is based on reviewing more than 100 DMS plans using all three NIH DMSP templates submitted to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by WashU principal investigators (PIs) and public feedback from four NIH institutes.


By Seonyoung Kim
June 18, 2024

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) requires a Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP) in all competing applications that generate scientific data. A DMSP should cover six key elements as outlined in NOT-OD-21-014.  While not required, using a DMSP template helps researchers address all six elements and sub-elements required by the NIH DMS policy. The most widely used DMSP template is the optional DMSP format page (Fig 1).  However, two updated pilot templates, Alpha (Fig 2) and Bravo (Fig 3) were released in 2023 with the opportunity to provide feedback to the NIH (NIH Extramural Nexus announcement on November 30, 2023).  This blog will provide practical tips for writing a strong DMSP based on more than 100 submitted DMSPs and public feedback from four NIH Institutes (NICHD, NCI, NIMH, and NIBIB). I’ll provide general tips as well as element-specific guidance to help you write successful DMSPs for your NIH applications. 

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