What is a data management plan?

A data management plan (DMP) is a formal document describing how research data will be collected, organized, stored, shared, and preserved throughout a project's lifecycle. In a machine-actionable DMP (maDMP), this information is captured as structured, exportable data following the RDA DMP Common Standard rather than free text, so tools like DMP Tool, DMP Online, Argos, and the Data Stewardship Wizard can read and validate it. Funders including NIH, NSF, UKRI, ERC, and Horizon Europe each maintain their own DMP or DMSP template, and this working group focuses on making one maDMP satisfy all of them.

How do you write a data management plan?

Writing a DMP means addressing standard elements such as what data will be generated, how it will be organized and documented, storage and security measures, retention schedules, access conditions, and repository deposit plans, following a funder-specific template such as NIH's DMSP requirements or NSF's DMP guidance. Machine-actionable DMP tools such as DMP Tool, DMP Online, Argos, and DSW can guide authors through these elements and output the plan in a structured format aligned with the RDA DMP Common Standard. This working group extends that standard and its funder profiles so machine-actionable cost lines, retention schedules, and access conditions can populate multiple funder templates from a single plan.

What's the difference between a resource sharing plan and a data management plan at NIH?

NIH's Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP) describes how scientific data from a study will be managed and shared, while a resource sharing plan addresses sharing of specific research resources, such as model organisms, and is a separate requirement in NIH applications. This working group maintains NIH's DMSP as one of several funder-specific DMP profiles alongside NSF, UKRI, ERC, and Horizon Europe, so that a single maDMP can generate the structured, machine-readable data each funder's template requires.

What does this working group do?

The Machine-actionable data management plans working group is the community body that drafts, reviews and ratifies dictionary entries for the Machine-actionable data management plans domain. It maintains scope, cross-walks to adjacent standards and the cadence of public review. The first scope area is: RDA DMP Common Standard adoption and extension.

Who can apply to join?

Working-group membership is open to qualified practitioners — researchers, research-office staff, librarians, publishers, repository managers, integrity officers, CRIS administrators, regulators and funders. Institutional membership is not required. The qualification test is competence and time, not affiliation. Apply via /about/working-groups/apply.

What is the time commitment?

Cadence: Quarterly virtual sessions; two release windows per year (March and September).. Time commitment averages four hours per quarter for an active member, more for a chair. Asynchronous review happens between meetings via email. Chairs are recognised on the editorial masthead and serve a two-year term, renewable once.

Can my institution sponsor a seat?

Institutional sponsorship is welcome but is not a route to a guaranteed seat. Sponsors support meeting infrastructure, public-comment publication and contributor honoraria; they receive named acknowledgement on the working-group page and in release notes. Sponsorship enquiries go to working-groups@casrai.org. Seat selection remains on merit.

Working group Track C

Machine-actionable data management plans

The Machine-actionable data management plans working group implements and extends the RDA DMP Common Standard, the ecosystem of maDMP tools (DMP Tool, DMP Online, Argos, Data Stewardship Wizard) and the funder profiles that drive adoption. It coordinates with RDA, the maDMP common standard maintainers and funder DMP teams so that a single maDMP can satisfy NIH, NSF, UKRI, ERC and Horizon Europe templates with structured, exportable, machine-readable data rather than free text.

Apply to join →Browse domain terms →

Community seats

Plus chair and co-chair

Open

Applications

Candidates under review

Forming

Cadence

Quarterly virtual sessions; two release windows per year (March and September).

2026

Formed

2026 charter round

Charter and scope

What this working group covers

RDA DMP Common Standard adoption and extension
Funder-specific DMP profiles (NIH DMSP, NSF DMP, UKRI, ERC, HE)
maDMP tool interoperability (DMP Tool, DMP Online, Argos, DSW)
maDMP lifecycle: planning, active, closed, archived stages
Integration of DMPs with CRIS and repository deposit workflows
Machine-actionable cost lines, retention schedules and access conditions
DMP evaluation and reviewer-facing tooling

Composition

Current composition

Chair

Applications under review

Candidates are being assessed for the 2026 forming round. Two-year term, renewable once.

Submit your candidacy →

Co-chair

Accepting candidates

Optional second chair, prioritised for regional or sector balance.

Submit your candidacy →

Community seats

Accepting candidates for 12 seats

Seats are allocated against a published rubric covering domain expertise, institutional diversity, regional balance, and an explicit slot for early-career researchers.

Apply for a community seat →

Deliverables

Planned and delivered deliverables

Funder-profile library (NIH, NSF, UKRI, ERC, HE) for the RDA standard
maDMP interchange test suite across the major tools
DMP-to-repository deposit handoff specification
Reviewer guidance for maDMP evaluation
Implementer notes for institutions adopting maDMPs

Recent activity

Working-group cadence and milestones

Illustrative working-group cadence for the 2026 forming round. Substantive deliverables and meeting minutes will be linked here as the group convenes.

2026-05-15 · Milestone
Working group forming — call for chair candidates
Open call for chair and co-chair of the Machine-actionable data management plans working group. Candidates are under review.
2026-04-22 · Release
Domain scope confirmed for v2026.2
Scope of the Machine-actionable data management plans domain confirmed against the v2026.2 dictionary release plan.
2026-03-10 · Added
Forming round announced
CASRAI announced the 2026 forming round for all 24 working groups, with seat allocations and review rubric published.

Open consultations

Currently in public comment

Currently none open. Subscribe via /get-involved/comment for future calls.

External bodies

Standards and organisations we work with

Going deeper on CASRAI

Related CASRAI guidance

Adjacent working groups

Related working groups

Track C

Reproducibility and computational research

Track C

AI and ML research outputs

Track A

Generative AI use and disclosure

How to join

Apply to a seat on this working group

This working group is receiving candidates for the 2026 forming round. The application is short — name, institution, ORCID iD (optional), the seat you are applying for, and a paragraph on why this domain. Decisions are returned within four weeks of the close of the open-call window.

Apply now →See all 24 working groups

FAQ

Frequently asked

What is a data management plan?: A data management plan (DMP) is a formal document describing how research data will be collected, organized, stored, shared, and preserved throughout a project's lifecycle. In a machine-actionable DMP (maDMP), this information is captured as structured, exportable data following the RDA DMP Common Standard rather than free text, so tools like DMP Tool, DMP Online, Argos, and the Data Stewardship Wizard can read and validate it. Funders including NIH, NSF, UKRI, ERC, and Horizon Europe each maintain their own DMP or DMSP template, and this working group focuses on making one maDMP satisfy all of them.
How do you write a data management plan?: Writing a DMP means addressing standard elements such as what data will be generated, how it will be organized and documented, storage and security measures, retention schedules, access conditions, and repository deposit plans, following a funder-specific template such as NIH's DMSP requirements or NSF's DMP guidance. Machine-actionable DMP tools such as DMP Tool, DMP Online, Argos, and DSW can guide authors through these elements and output the plan in a structured format aligned with the RDA DMP Common Standard. This working group extends that standard and its funder profiles so machine-actionable cost lines, retention schedules, and access conditions can populate multiple funder templates from a single plan.
What's the difference between a resource sharing plan and a data management plan at NIH?: NIH's Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP) describes how scientific data from a study will be managed and shared, while a resource sharing plan addresses sharing of specific research resources, such as model organisms, and is a separate requirement in NIH applications. This working group maintains NIH's DMSP as one of several funder-specific DMP profiles alongside NSF, UKRI, ERC, and Horizon Europe, so that a single maDMP can generate the structured, machine-readable data each funder's template requires.
What does this working group do?: The Machine-actionable data management plans working group is the community body that drafts, reviews and ratifies dictionary entries for the Machine-actionable data management plans domain. It maintains scope, cross-walks to adjacent standards and the cadence of public review. Its remit is summarised on this page; the canonical terms it stewards live at /dictionary/domain/machine-actionable-dmps.
Who can apply to join?: Working-group membership is open to qualified practitioners — researchers, research-office staff, librarians, publishers, repository managers, integrity officers, CRIS administrators, regulators and funders. Institutional membership is not required. The qualification test is competence and time, not affiliation. Apply via the working-group application form.
What is the time commitment?: Cadence: Quarterly virtual sessions; two release windows per year (March and September).. Time commitment averages four hours per quarter for an active member, more for a chair. Asynchronous review happens between meetings via email. Chairs are recognised on the editorial masthead and serve a two-year term, renewable once.
How are seats allocated?: Each working group has 12 community seats plus a chair and (optionally) a co-chair. Seats are filled by an open call reviewed against a published rubric: domain expertise, institutional diversity, regional balance, and an explicit slot for early-career researchers. Applications for the 2026 forming round are open and candidates are currently under review — see how to apply.
Can my institution sponsor a seat?: Institutional sponsorship is welcome but is not a route to a guaranteed seat. Sponsors support meeting infrastructure, public-comment publication and contributor honoraria; they receive named acknowledgement on the working-group page and in release notes. Sponsorship enquiries go to [email protected]. Seat selection remains on merit.

All working groups

Other domains in the CASRAI Dictionary

Generative AI use and disclosure →CRediT extensions and adjacent contribution vocabularies →Mentorship, training, and career stages →Research outputs (expanded) →Scholarly publishing →The persistent identifier ecosystem →Research-information systems and integration →Research data infrastructure →Reproducibility and computational research →AI and ML research outputs →Research integrity and misconduct →Compliance and regulatory →Research security →Indigenous data governance — CARE principles →Clinical research and clinical trials →Consent, privacy, and regulatory disclosure →Responsible research assessment →Knowledge equity, diversity, global-south inclusion →Engagement, impact, and SDG alignment →Sustainable research and laboratory operations →Funding lifecycle and financial vocabulary →Grants management and sponsor compliance →Research lifecycle stages and project metadata →Technology transfer and commercialization →Life sciences and biology →Earth, environmental, and marine sciences →Space and planetary sciences →Physical sciences and materials →