Office of ResearchGuidelines and PoliciesData Management and Sharing

Data Management and Sharing

Managing and sharing research data is a key part of the research process. WSU and the Office of Research offer an array of support and resources.

Data Management

The WSU Library provides Data Management Guides to assist WSU faculty members and students who are creating strategies for storing, describing, and providing access to their research data, as well as a range of Research Exchange Guides and Open Access Publishing Agreements.

The DMP Assistant is a national, online, bilingual data management planning tool developed  to assist researchers in preparing Data Management Plans. This tool is freely available to all researchers, and develops a DMP through a series of key data management questions, supported by best-practice guidance and examples.

The DMPTool may also be useful.

Read about the DMS/DMP requirements of federal funding agencies.

For help and questions about developing Data Sharing Plans with Tribal Nations, please contact the Office of Tribal Relations.

NIH Data Management and Sharing (DMS)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has distributed a Data Management and Sharing (DMS) policy (NIH-OD-21-013), requiring researchers to plan prospectively for managing and sharing scientific data generated with NIH funds. The NIH is just one of many federal funders who will be requiring researchers to submit DMS plans with their proposals, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Defense (DOD), and the Department of Energy (DOE). To remain compliant, this policy requires a data management and sharing plan for ALL federally funded projects that result in the generation of scientific data.

The main objective of this policy is to maximize research outcomes while supporting rigor and reproducibility through leading a cultural shift that makes data sharing the norm. These policies also emphasize the importance of good data management practices and establish expectations for maximizing the appropriate sharing of scientific data generated from federally-funded research. 

WSU has access to several tools in place to help you submit a highly competitive proposal and manage your data, including OneDrive, Teams, SharePoint, our Regulated Data Environment (RDE) through ITS, REDCap services, and other sponsor approved mechanisms. Appropriate utilization of such tools will be dependent on the data classification requirements specified in the opportunity notice, proposal submission materials, and/or funding mechanism.

For more details pertaining to requirements, NIH has described the elements of a DMS plan, provided an example draft of a Data Management and Sharing Plan, and released a Budgeting for Data Management & Sharing website.  While these resources come from the NIH, they can be used as resources for helping understand the needs and requirements of a DMP for any federal funders.

Additional information:

Templates and Examples

Templates and examples of Data Management Plans (DMPs) for several major funding agencies are stored in the proposal development toolbox, maintained by the Office of Research Advancement and Partnerships (ORAP). If you are looking for example DMP plans from a specific solicitation, please contact or.orap.servicedesk@wsu.edu.

Regulated Data Environment

Learn more about setting up a regulated data environment for research, with support from the Office of Research and Information Technology Services.

Public Records Requests

The Office of Research Support and Operations (ORSO) maintains a “Faculty Resource Guide for Washington Public Records Requests” that:

  • Provides information on the Washington Public Records Act;
  • Explains what public records are, what types of records may be exempt from disclosure under the Washington Public Records Act, and how WSU faculty should respond to Washington Public Records Act requests for records; and
  • Suggest how faculty should manage their electronic records in light of the Washington Public Records Act.

For more information, see Guideline 16 of the WSU Policies & Guidelines on the ORSO website.

Applicable Policies