In 2026, we’ll celebrate 10 years of DMPT!
Since its founding in 2016, the Federation for Biological Data (GFBio e.V.) has supported researchers and research groups in managing data for projects in biodiversity, ecology, and environmental science.
In 2026, not only will GFBio turn ten – so will its data management planning service and support for creating data management plans (DMPs). Over the years, this service has grown into one of the core offerings within the NFDI4Biodiversity consortium, continually evolving alongside best practices in research data management.
The Data Management Plan Tool (DMPT) – the primary gateway to crafting DMPs – has steadily improved in terms of content, visibility, and functionality. For some time now, the tool has been using RDMO as its back-end platform and currently runs on the latest version (RDMO v2.2). New features are actively being developed – and the collaboration with RDMO and other consortia of the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) promises an exciting future for data management planning.
But what exactly is a DMP – and why is it so important for researchers?
For users, nothing changes: if you want to create a DMP, DMPT offers a straightforward, intuitive interface that continues to guide you step by step through the process. Support is available both through the tool itself and via personal assistance from experienced data management experts, who review each plan and offer tailored feedback when needed.
A Data Management Plan (DMP) outlines how research data is handled throughout a project's entire lifecycle – from collection and documentation to storage and sharing, during and after the project's completion.
Several funding agencies – such as the German Research Foundation (DFG), Horizon Europe, or the Volkswagen Foundation – now require a DMP as part of the application process. This makes it an essential component of today’s research landscape.
Beyond funding requirements, a well-crafted DMP is an invaluable tool for researchers themselves:
- It brings structure and clarity, simplifies access to information, and helps ensure that nothing falls through the cracks
- It saves time – allowing researchers to focus on other tasks
- It helps prevent or address potential issues early on
- It supports proper data storage and archiving
- It increases transparency in research workflows
Our DMPT is a self-service platform with optional expert guidance. It was designed specifically to support biodiversity-related projects and addresses topics such as:
- General project information
- Data collection
- Documentation and metadata
- Ethics and legal compliance
- Data preservation and sharing
In short: whenever you need to draft a DMP or are seeking support in planning your research project – we’re here for you.
Your feedback matters!
Have you used the DMPT and would like to share your thoughts? We welcome your input via our helpdesk. Every bit of feedback helps us make the DMPT better – for everyone.