Someone writing a data management plan

Data management plan

Requirements and objectives of a data management plan
Someone writing a data management plan
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A data management plan (DMP) describes various strategies and measures for handling research data during and after the end of the project. The aim is to deal with and define the technical, organisational and legal framework conditions for handling research data at an early stage. The preparation of a data management plan is therefore part of project planning and is increasingly expected by research funding organisations (e.g. DFG, EU Horizon Europe) when applying for funding.

Aspects of a data management plan

The following topics should be considered in a data management plan:

  • Project description
  • Existing data types
  • Data generated in the project
  • Data organisation
  • Administrative and legal aspects
  • Archiving, data exchange and data publication
  • Responsibilities and duties
  • Costs and resources

Requirements of the funding bodies (last update 09/2025)

German Research Foundation (DFG)

The guidelines for submitting project proposalsExternal link states that project proposals submitted to the DFG must include a section on research data management. This section should provide information on the type, scope, and documentation of the data, as well as planned data storage and possibilities for reuse. It is currently not necessary to update the information during the course of the project.

European Commission - Horizon Europe

The European Commission requires a data management plan for Horizon Europe projects, but only after the project has been funded. Only one section with considerations on research data management is required for the initial application for project funding. An update of the DMP is required in the event of significant changes and at the end of the project.

European Commission - Horizon 2020

European Commission - ERC

The European Commission/ERC (European Research Council) has published information on the data management plan for all ERC projects. The data management plan must be submitted within the first 6 months of the project.

Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR)

The BMFTR requires a data management plan for some funding programmes. If a DMP is required, it must be submitted directly with the full proposal. The content of the DMP and whether it needs to be updated depends on the respective funding programme.

Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Regional Identity (BMELH)

The BMELH also aims to contribute, through its funding measures, to the preservation and reusability of research data and expects funded research projects to implement research data management in accordance with the FAIR Data principlesExternal link. To this end, the project management agency, the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food BLE (PT BLE) , has issued an information sheetExternal linkintended for applicants submitting project outlines, full proposals, and grant recipients. It includes key questions to be considered in the design and implementation of a data management plan (DMP) and describes the reporting and documentation requirements towards the BMELH.

Volkswagen Foundation

The Volkswagen Foundation expects a data management plan (DMP) for large amounts of data. The DMP of the target repository is to be used. The aim is to prepare the research data for public and non-commercial data reuse. It is recommended that you seek expert help in creating the DMP and selecting the repository. For an overview of existing repositories, the Volkswagen Foundation also provides links to the directory of research data repositories re3dataExternal link and the DFG portal for research infrastructures RIsourcesExternal link. If you do not yet know in which repository you want to store the data generated in the project, you can use the Foundation's basic data management planExternal link.

Carl Zeiss Foundation

The Carl Zeiss Foundation (CZS) requires a research data concept for some of its funding programmesExternal link(e.g. CZS Transfer, CZS Endowed Professorships or CZS Breakthroughs). The preparation and quality of this concept are important criteria in the assessment of project applications. A concept is expected that provides information on the planned handling of research data with regard to data protection, open source, open access, shared databases and reproducibility.