Use of the DMP Tool to Design Data Management and Sharing Plans for Undergraduate Support Programs in STEM

The data management and sharing plan is an essential component of grant-funded programs, research proposals, and evaluation projects. Even mini-grants, which require fewer application materials, often require a basic, truncated data management and sharing plan. In a previous article, a data management life cycle was presented, including valuable information on the main elements of data management and sharing plans, as well as helpful writing strategies to enable the composition of plans that withstand careful inspection by grant proposal review panels [1]. This article describes a valuable, readily accessible online tool for grant writers that helps create and format data management and sharing plans for grant proposals focused on college initiatives designed to improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) academic and professional outcomes. The DMP Tool is an online platform with many features designed to simplify the creation of the data management and sharing plan. The platform allows users to preserve their plans and share them with others. The DMP Tool website also provides helpful information on data management and sharing plan formatting guidelines from well-known funding agencies.