Proposals submitted to the National Science Foundation must include a two-page data management plan that describes:

1. the types of data, samples, physical collections, software, curriculum materials, and other materials to be produced in the course of the project;
2. the standards to be used for data and metadata format and content (where existing standards are absent or deemed inadequate, this should be documented along with any proposed solutions or remedies);
3. policies for access and sharing including provisions for appropriate protection of privacy, confidentiality, security, intellectual property, or other rights or requirements;
4. policies and provisions for re-use, re-distribution, and the production of derivatives; and
5. plans for archiving data, samples, and other research products, and for preservation of access to them.

To assist campuses in their support of faculty proposal submission, we have assembled a collection of resources that may be helpful in creating solid data management plans.

NCSU Sponsored Programs and Research Compliance Services - http://www.ncsu.edu/sparcs/proposal/dmp.php

UNC University Libraries - http://www.lib.unc.edu/blogs/news/index.php/2010/12/data-management-toolkit/

The University of Oregon Libraries: Data Centers and Repositories - http://libweb.uoregon.edu/datamanagement/repositories.html

Contact Sarah Smith at 919-962-4557 or smsmith@northcarolina.edu if you have any questions.