data-management-plan — Claude Code skill: what it does, how to install
Generates funder-compliant Data Management Plans for NSF, NIH, ERC, and Horizon Europe proposals. Useful when drafting grant applications or planning project data workflows.
npx skills add pedrohcgs/claude-code-my-workflow --skill data-management-plan -a claude-codeWhat data-management-plan does
The skill structures a Data Management Plan aligned with requirements from NSF, NIH 2023 DMS Policy, ERC, or Horizon Europe. It organizes six core sections covering data description, open formats, storage routines, access controls, repository preservation, and team roles.
Execution relies on the --funder flag and an optional project document supplied via --input. When specific facts are missing from the input, the skill writes [CLARIFY:] prompts instead of inventing details. For human-subjects or restricted datasets, it integrates disclosure-avoidance steps, DUA procedures, and computational environment tracking like renv.lock or requirements.txt.
This tool will not submit proposals to grant portals on its own. You must copy the text into DMPTool, NIH ASSIST, or the Horizon Europe submission portal. It does not replace an IRB protocol or formal clinical-trial sharing agreements.
What it helps with
- draft a funder-compliant DMP for NSF, NIH, ERC, or Horizon Europe grants
- document data access pathways for restricted datasets and DUA terms
- integrate reproducible environment specifications into grant data plans
- flag missing project metadata with clarification placeholders instead of hallucinations
Example prompts for the agent
- /data-management-plan --funder nih --input quality_reports/specs/grant_draft.md
- Draft an NSF data management plan using the summary in proposal.md
- /data-management-plan --funder horizon --no-verify
How to install data-management-plan
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add pedrohcgs/claude-code-my-workflow --skill data-management-plan -a claude-code2Manually: put the files in place
~/.claude/skills/data-management-plan/SKILL.mdCopy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/data-management-plan/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add pedrohcgs/claude-code-my-workflow --skill data-management-plan -a codex2Manually: put the files in place
.agents/skills/data-management-plan/SKILL.mdFor all projects use ~/.agents/skills/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add pedrohcgs/claude-code-my-workflow --skill data-management-plan -a cursor2Manually: put the files in place
.cursor/skills/data-management-plan/SKILL.mdCursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/
1GitHub CLI
gh skill install pedrohcgs/claude-code-my-workflow data-management-plan2Manually: put the files in place
.github/skills/data-management-plan/SKILL.md1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add pedrohcgs/claude-code-my-workflow --skill data-management-plan -a gemini-cli2Platform CLI
gemini skills install https://github.com/pedrohcgs/claude-code-my-workflow --path .claude/skills/data-management-planManually: put the files in place
.devin/skills/data-management-plan/SKILL.mdThe legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works
Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add pedrohcgs/claude-code-my-workflow --skill data-management-plan -a opencodeClaude.ai
Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways
Questions about data-management-plan
How do I install data-management-plan in Claude Code?
Run npx skills add pedrohcgs/claude-code-my-workflow --skill data-management-plan -a claude-code in your terminal. The skill file is placed in ~/.claude/skills/data-management-plan/SKILL.md.
Does data-management-plan submit the document to funder portals?
No, it produces draft text only. You must copy the generated plan into DMPTool, NIH ASSIST, or the Horizon Europe portal yourself.
How does the skill handle missing project details?
It avoids fabricating methodology or storage specifics. Instead, it marks missing requirements with [CLARIFY: <specific question>] tags so you can supply the required facts.
Source text
SKILL.md · MIT
---
name: data-management-plan
description: Draft a funder-compliant Data Management Plan (NSF DMP, NIH DMS Policy 2023, ERC, Horizon Europe) by composing the confidential-data and environment-capture primitives. Sections cover data description, formats/metadata, storage/backup, access/sharing, preservation/archiving, and roles. Use when user says "data management plan", "DMP", "DMSP", "NIH data sharing plan", "write the data plan for my grant", or when a grant proposal needs a data-management section. NOT a submission tool — produces a draft the user pastes into the funder portal (DMPTool, NIH ASSIST, Horizon Europe portal).
argument-hint: "[--funder nsf|nih|erc|horizon] [--input <spec-or-proposal>] [--no-verify]"
disable-model-invocation: true
allowed-tools: ["Read", "Grep", "Glob", "Write", "Agent", "Task"]
effort: medium
---
# `/data-management-plan` — Funder-Compliant DMP Generator
Produce a Data Management Plan ready to paste into a funder portal. This skill writes the prose and structure; it does **not** submit anywhere. It is a **composition** skill — it folds the disclosure-avoidance / IRB rules from [`.claude/rules/confidential-data.md`](../../rules/confidential-data.md) and the environment + replication-package plan from `/capture-environment` and `/replication-package` into a single funder-shaped document.
## When to use
- **Writing a grant proposal.** Every NSF, NIH, ERC, and Horizon Europe proposal needs a DMP (NSF), DMS Plan (NIH 2023 policy), or Data Management Plan (ERC/Horizon). `/grant-proposal` follows this skill for that section, through an Agent that reads this SKILL.md (the skill is user-invoked only, so it is followed, not invoked).
- **Before data collection on a funded project.** The plan is a commitment you make at award time and report against at renewal.
- **When restricted or human-subjects data is involved.** The access/sharing and preservation sections change materially — see Phase 2.
## When NOT to use
- For a clinical-trial data-sharing statement governed by ICMJE / ClinicalTrials.gov — use the trial sponsor's template.
- As a substitute for IRB protocol text — the DMP *references* IRB constraints; it is not the protocol itself.
## Inputs
- `$0` `--funder nsf|nih|erc|horizon` — target funder profile. If omitted, Phase 0 detects it from `--input` or asks once.
- `--input <path>` — a research spec (`/interview-me` output under `quality_reports/specs/`), a grant draft, or a `passport`-adjacent description. The skill extracts data types, sample, and identification strategy from it.
- `--no-verify` — skip the Phase 4 citation/standard post-flight (inherited from `/preregister`).
## Workflow
### Phase 0 — Detect funder + data sensitivity
1. Resolve the funder (`--funder`, else infer from `--input`, else ask once). Load its section schema:
| Funder | Plan name | Required sections (abridged) |
|---|---|---|
| **NSF** | Data Management Plan (2 pp max) | data types · standards · access/sharing · re-use/redistribution · archiving |
| **NIH** | DMS Plan (2023 policy) | data type · tools/software · standards · preservation/access/timelines · access/distribution + reuse · oversight |
| **ERC** | DMP (Horizon Europe Annex) | FAIR per dataset · data summary · making data FAIR · resource allocation · security · ethics |
| **Horizon Europe** | DMP (DMP template) | same FAIR-first structure as ERC; open by default, "as open as possible, as closed as necessary" |
2. Classify the data on three axes (drives Phases 2–3):
- **Public** (open survey, scraped public records, simulated) — minimal restrictions.
- **Restricted** (admin/tax/Census, proprietary, licensed under DUA) — access procedures dominate.
- **Human-subjects** (PII, biospecimen-linked, survey with identifiers) — IRB + disclosure avoidance dominate.
If the data is restricted *or* human-subjects, set `sensitive = true` and run Phase 2. If it is purely public, Phase 2 is a short paragraph.
### Phase 1 — Scaffold sections from the funder profile
Generate the six house sections, mapped onto the funder's required headings:
1. **Data description & types** — what data, source, volume, formats produced. Be specific: panel/admin microdata, RCT outcomes, event-study event files, replication intermediate `.rds`/`.dta`/`.parquet`.
2. **Formats & metadata standards** — open/non-proprietary formats where possible (`.csv`/`.parquet` over `.dta`; codebooks; DDI / Dublin Core / domain schema). Name the standard, don't say "appropriate metadata".
3. **Storage & backup** — during the project: encrypted institutional storage, 3-2-1 backup, version control for code (not raw restricted data in git).
4. **Access & sharing** — who can access, when, under what terms. For restricted data this is the **restricted-data access procedure** (see Phase 2).
5. **Preservation & archiving** — a named repository with a persistent identifier (see Phase 3).
6. **Roles & responsibilities** — PI as data steward, data manager, institutional support, succession plan.
For any required field the input does not supply, write `[CLARIFY: <specific question>]` rather than fabricating — same convention as `/preregister`.
### Phase 2 — Fold in disclosure-avoidance + IRB constraints (only if `sensitive = true`)
Pull the relevant rules from [`.claude/rules/confidential-data.md`](../../rules/confidential-data.md) and weave them into the **access & sharing** and **preservation** sections:
- **Restricted data → describe the access path, not the data.** State the data provider, the DUA/restricted-use agreement, and how a replicator obtains access (e.g., FSRDC application, openICPSR restricted-access tier, provider application). The data itself is *not* deposited; the *path to it* is.
- **Human-subjects → IRB + minimization.** Reference the IRB protocol number (or `[CLARIFY:]`), the consent terms governing sharing, and the de-identification plan. Shared outputs are de-identified per the consent.
- **Disclosure avoidance for any released microdata or tables.** Name the technique: suppression of small cells (n < threshold), rounding, top-coding, noise infusion, or aggregation. For tabular output, state the minimum cell-count rule. Defer the actual pre-release scan to `/disclosure-check`, and say so in the plan ("released outputs pass `/disclosure-check` before deposit").
### Phase 3 — Fold in the computational-environment + replication-package plan
The DMP should commit to *reproducibility*, not just data deposit:
- **Environment capture.** State that the computational environment will be captured (R `sessionInfo()` / `renv.lock`, Stata version + `.do` ado dependencies, Python `requirements.txt` / container). Point to `/capture-environment` as the mechanism. AEA Data Editor / DCAS standards expect this.
- **Replication package.** Commit to depositing a replication package (code + non-restricted data + a master run script + README) in a trusted repository. Point to `/replication-package` as the builder.
- **Repository choice** — match the data class:
- Economics / social science → **openICPSR** (AEA's home; DCAS-compliant) or **Harvard Dataverse**.
- Restricted data → openICPSR *restricted-access* tier or the provider's enclave (FSRDC); deposit code + metadata, not the microdata.
- Domain repos → field-specific (e.g., ICPSR proper, GenBank, Zenodo for code) where the funder or community expects them.
- State the **persistent identifier** (DOI) and the **timeline** (e.g., "at publication" or "within 12 months of project end" — NIH expects no later than publication or award end).
### Phase 4 — Post-flight (skip with `--no-verify`)
If the draft cites a funder policy or standard by name/number (e.g., "per NIH NOT-OD-21-013", "DCAS v1"), invoke `/verify-claims` via the `Agent` tool to confirm the policy citation resolves. Forked `claim-verifier` never sees the draft. Surface any FAIL/PARTIAL.
### Phase 5 — Output
Write the draft to `quality_reports/dmp/YYYY-MM-DD_<funder>_<slug>.md` and a funder checklist alongside it.
```
✓ DMP draft saved: quality_reports/dmp/<file>.md
Funder: <nsf|nih|erc|horizon> Data class: <public|restricted|human-subjects>
Sections: <count> total — <complete> complete, <clarify> with [CLARIFY:] placeholders
Disclosure/IRB folded in: <yes (Phase 2) | n/a — public data>
Repository: <openICPSR | Dataverse | domain repo> PID: <DOI planned | [CLARIFY:]>
Policy citations verified: <PASS>/<PARTIAL>/<FAIL> (or "none to verify")
Next: resolve [CLARIFY:] items, then paste into <DMPTool | NIH ASSIST | Horizon portal>
```
The **funder checklist** is a table: each required section → present? → complete / `[CLARIFY:]`, so the user sees at a glance whether the plan will pass the funder's compliance check.
## Exit behavior
- **All required sections present, zero `[CLARIFY:]`** → "DMP READY", checklist all green.
- **Any required section unresolved** → "INCOMPLETE — N MUST items unresolved", listed in the checklist. The draft is still written (so the user can fill it in), but not marked ready.
- This skill **does not block** anything — it produces a document. The gate is the funder's, not ours.
## Cross-references
- [`.claude/rules/confidential-data.md`](../../rules/confidential-data.md) — restricted-data / IRB / disclosure-avoidance rules folded in at Phase 2.
- `.claude/skills/disclosure-check/SKILL.md` — pre-release disclosure scan the plan commits released outputs to.
- `.claude/skills/capture-environment/SKILL.md` — the environment-capture mechanism Phase 3 references.
- `.claude/skills/replication-package/SKILL.md` — the replication-package builder Phase 3 commits to.
- `.claude/skills/grant-proposal/SKILL.md` — follows this skill (via an Agent that reads this SKILL.md) for the proposal's data-management section.
- [`.claude/skills/preregister/SKILL.md`](../preregister/SKILL.md) — sibling document-generator; shares the MUST/`[CLARIFY:]` + post-flight conventions.
- [`.claude/rules/replication-protocol.md`](../../rules/replication-protocol.md) — the reproducibility contract the deposited package must satisfy.
## What this skill does NOT do
- **Submit the plan.** It writes a Markdown draft; the user pastes it into DMPTool / NIH ASSIST / the Horizon portal.
- **Run the disclosure scan or build the package.** It *commits* the project to `/disclosure-check`, `/capture-environment`, and `/replication-package`, and references them — it does not execute them.
- **Write the IRB protocol.** It references the protocol number and consent terms; the protocol is authored separately.
- **Choose a repository for you when the funder mandates one.** If NIH names a domain repository for your data type, that mandate wins over the defaults in Phase 3 — the skill flags it as `[CLARIFY:]` rather than guessing.
© pedrohcgs · MIT · pedrohcgs/claude-code-my-workflow