National Science Foundation (NSF) Data Management & Sharing Plans (DMSPs)

Last Updated: May 11, 2026

The National Science Foundation requires data management and sharing plans as a part of all research project proposals. The University of Idaho provides the following resources to better understand the requirements and expectations of the agency, and how to develop plans with resources at the university.

As of April 27, 2026, NSF now requires DMSPs to be completed via a structured webform in Research.gov, replacing the previous two-page PDF upload. This change is part of PAPPG 24-1 Supplement 2 (NSF 26-202), effective January 22, 2026. The webform is tailored by directorate, so the specific questions you see will depend on which directorate you are submitting to.

General Information

• PAPPG 24-1 Supplement 2 (NSF 26-202) - the main policy document describing the new DMSP requirements and the transition to the Research.gov webform.

• PAPPG Chapter II Proposal Preparation Instructions - detailed guidance on proposal preparation, including DMSP expectations.

• NSF “Preparing Your DMSP” Guidance - NSF’s own guidance page for developing your data management and sharing plan.

• Research.gov DMSP Webform - information about the new webform tool where you will complete your DMSP.

Key Requirements

The DMSP webform includes 8 sections covering: data categories, access policies, data standards and metadata, provenance, public archiving, timeline for accessibility, data availability and retention, and accountability.

Key points to be aware of:

• Data supporting publications must be shared publicly at the time of publication; exceptions require justification.
• NSF encourages depositing datasets in repositories that assign persistent identifiers (PIDs), such as DOIs.
• For collaborative proposals, only one combined DMSP is needed and should be included with the lead proposal.
• Data management costs are allowable as direct costs (budget Line G.2).
• The DMSP must not be used to circumvent the 15-page Project Description limit.
• The Research.gov DMSP webform requires justification if data is available for less than 2 years after project completion before being deleted or made inaccessible.

Directorate-Specific Guidance

Different NSF directorates may have additional DMSP requirements, and the Research.gov webform is tailored by directorate. Check your directorate’s guidance before starting your plan. Examples include:

• Engineering (ENG) - directorate-specific data management plan guidance for engineering proposals.
• Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) - data management guidance for SBE proposals.
• Biological Sciences - data management guidance for BIO proposals.
• STEM Education - data management guidance for STEM education proposals.
• Geosciences - data management guidance for the geosciences.

Other Resources

• DMPTool - a free online tool for collaboratively drafting data management plans before entering them into Research.gov. Use your @uidaho email address when logging in. DMPTool plans to implement a matching version of the Research.gov webform.

Questions?

For assistance, contact either:

• Jeremy Kenyon, Library jkenyon@uidaho.edu, or
• Norm Lee, Library normanlee@uidaho.edu, or
• Andrew Child, RCDS awchild@uidaho.edu for assistance.