DMP active phase

The active phase is the middle stage of the DMP lifecycle: it begins once a project starts generating or handling data and lasts through the end of the period of performance. Where the creation phase produces a DMP built largely on placeholders and estimates at proposal time, the active phase is where those placeholders are reconciled against reality — dataset entries become specific deposits with DOIs, storage estimates are checked against actual usage, and any ethical or technical change is recorded as a formal plan revision.

Why it is tracked separately from post-award administration

The active phase is scoped narrowly to one document — the Data Management Plan — not to the award as a whole. It happens to run for the same span of calendar time as the post-award phase, but the two describe different lifecycles: post-award tracks spending, compliance, and reporting for the entire award; the DMP active phase tracks whether one specific document still accurately describes what the project is doing with its data. A project’s general post-award administration can be running smoothly while its DMP sits unrevised since submission — which is exactly the gap the active-phase concept exists to flag.

What triggers a revision

Common triggers for a mid-project DMP revision include a new data type or collection method not anticipated at proposal stage, a change in the intended repository or access conditions, discovery that a dataset needs sensitive-data handling not originally planned, or a funder-mandated periodic check. Each revision is versioned, not silently overwritten, so a reviewer can see how the plan evolved against what was actually produced.

What drives revisions and what follows

Active DMPs are the principal use case for machine-actionable workflows, because automated updates from repositories, storage systems, and institutional research-information systems reduce manual maintenance burden. Funders that require a DMP (Horizon Europe, UKRI, many US agencies) generally expect at least one substantive review during this phase, often tied to a periodic report. The active phase ends, and the DMP closeout phase begins, when the project ends and the plan is reconciled one final time against what was actually delivered and archived.

Checking this against the current guidance

What specific event ends a DMP’s active phase and starts closeout depends on the funder’s own lifecycle definitions. The answer depends on which funder’s lifecycle definition you are working to,
and the page above states the general rule.

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Frequently asked questions

Does the active phase end when data collection stops or when the award ends?

It depends on the funder’s own lifecycle definition; some treat the active phase as ending with data collection, others tie it to the award period itself, which can leave a gap between the two if analysis continues after funding ends.

Can a project have more than one active phase?

Yes, on multi-phase or renewed projects a DMP can cycle back into an active phase with each funded phase or supplement, rather than moving through the lifecycle only once.

Who monitors whether a DMP is actually still in its active phase?

Typically the PI or data steward tracks this internally; most funders do not actively monitor lifecycle phase in real time and instead check DMP compliance at reporting or renewal milestones.