NSF Data Sharing Plan - How to Create
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      NSF Data Management Plan Overview and Requirements

      A guide to what to include in a data sharing plan submitted with a funding application to the NSF (National Science Foundation).

      Background 

      The National Science Foundation (NSF) has required grant applicants to submit a data management plan (DMP) since January 18, 2011. 

      NSF Data Sharing Policy

      NSF-funded investigators are expected to share with other researchers, at no more than incremental cost and within a reasonable time, the primary data, samples, physical collections, and other supporting materials created or gathered in the course of work under NSF awards.

      A significant difference from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Data Management and Sharing Policy is that NSF DMPs must include samples and physical collections.

      NSF DMPs are evaluated by peer reviewers as part of the application, considered under Intellectual Merit or Broader Impacts or both. Peer reviewers can give feedback on the DMP.

      What Is Required?

      1. Researchers must submit a two-page data management plan or data sharing plan with their grant proposal. If applicants need to use more than two pages for their DMP, they are permitted to use space from their 15-page project description.
      2. Datasets supporting funded research should be deposited in an appropriate data repository as described in the data management plan.

      Required Elements

      The required elements of the NSF DMP can vary by directorate or division. However, the general requirements are:

      • The types of data, samples, physical collections, software, curriculum materials, and other materials to be produced in the course of the project.
      • The standards to be used for data and metadata format and content. In cases where existing standards are absent or deemed inadequate, this should be documented along with any proposed solutions or remedies.
      • Policies for data access and sharing, including provisions for appropriate protection of privacy, confidentiality, security, intellectual property, or other rights or requirements.
      • Policies and provisions for data reuse, redistribution, and the production of derivatives.
      • Plans for archiving data, samples, and other research products and for preserving access to them.

      Requirements May Vary

      Under the NSF data sharing policy, requirements for data management plans vary by directorate or division. For example, here are the requirements from the Biological Sciences (BIO) directorate. BIO requires some additional elements, including describing data

      types or formats that will be used for making data available.

      Here are some resources for finding the requirements for specific directorates or divisions:

        • NSF maintains a list of these requirements.
        • The DART rubric, an analytic rubric for assessing the content and quality of a DMP, lists elements specific to certain directorates/divisions. The rubric can also be used by researchers to assess the compliance and quality of their DMP before submission.

      Specific calls for proposals (CFPs) or grants can also vary in their DMP requirements – for example, by requiring researchers to deposit their data in a specific repository. Make sure to check your CFP for any specific directions on the DMP.

      Templates: DMPTool

      While a number of templates exist for creating an NSF DMP, we suggest using the DMPTool to write your NSF DMP.

      The DMPTool is a service, run by the California Digital Library, for creating a DMP. It includes a click-through wizard with templates to guide researchers through the process of creating a DMP to be submitted with a grant application. Find out more about how to use the DMPTool here.

      The DMPTool includes specific templates for most directorates. These directorate-specific templates help researchers make sure they have complied with all requirements.

      Additional Resources

        Sample Plans

      • From UCSD Libraries: Examples from University of California San Diego researchers across multiple directorates.
      • Example DMS Plan Directory: Directory of publicly available data management plans.
      • DMPTool Public Plans: Public plans made by users of DMPTool. You can sort by funder using the menu on the left-hand side. We suggest you look at the “featured” plans. Non-featured plans are not curated and may not be compliant.

      Sources

      Longwood Research Data Management. “NSF Data Management Plan.” Accessed April 12, 2024. https://datamanagement.hms.harvard.edu/plan-design/data-management-plans/nsf-data-management-plan

      National Science Foundation. “Preparing Your Data Management Plan.” Funding at NSF. Accessed April 12, 2024. https://new.nsf.gov/funding/data-management-plan