Data Management Plans (DMP)
What is a Data Management Plan?
When it comes to research data management, the DMP is the method of choice. The DMP is a structured guide covering the entire data lifecycle. In the DMP, you set out how your research data will be stored and shared with others within the project, and how the data will be archived and published upon completion of the project. As the research process may change over the course of a project, the DMP should be viewed as a ‘living’ document that can and should be adapted.
Depending on the complexity of your project, drawing up a DMP can take several days. This time is well spent, as planning data management at an early stage (particularly when preparing a funding application) can significantly reduce costs.
Why have a data management plan?
Funding bodies, such as the FWF or Horizon Europe, make a DMP mandatory for the projects they fund. The University of Innsbruck also recommends the use of DMPs, which have positive effects for researchers, project leaders, universities and society:
- Efficient use of resources
- Planning and cost transparency
- Understanding of one’s own work processes
- Clarification of roles and responsibilities
- Legal certainty
- Increased visibility (citation) of researchers and institutions
- Continuous re-use of data (opportunity for validation, opportunities for collaboration and innovation, follow-up projects, etc.)
Furthermore, the unrestricted publication of the DMP is regarded as good scientific practice.
DMP requirements set by funding bodies
Your project proposal must set out how your research outputs are to be managed. Generally, an initial version of your data management plan must be submitted within the first six months of the project’s duration.
Only if required by the work program, the complete DMP must be submitted no later than the signing of the grant agreement.
The European Commission’s DMP and more Information
The FWF requires a Data Management Plan (DMP) for all projects approved after 1 January 2019 in accordance with the new application guidelines, and provides a dedicated template for this purpose. The DMP is a prerequisite for the project to commence.
Further information on the FWF guidelines
Documents
DMP Guide and Template – German (.docx)
DMP Guidelines and Template – English (.docx)
Other funding bodies are following suit: since 2020, the FFG has required a DMP to be submitted at the time of application. The Austrian Academy of Sciences also requires a DMP in its calls for proposals. If no template is available, please feel free to contact us.
Assistance with writing a data management plan
The "Digital Research Services" team can provide personalised advice. Using existing DMP tools (e.g. DMPonline tool, Data Stewardship Wizard) can also be helpful when creating a DMP.
You can viewthe final DMPs on the “ DMP Catalogue of the Association of European Research Libraries ” website, at at DMPOnline and on the University of Vienna’s website at PHAIDRA Repository.
Further links
Practical Guide to the International Alignment of Research Data Management from Science Europe