NSF Data Management & Sharing Plan (DMSP) Guidance

NSF Policy Update: What’s Changing for DMSPs

Effective for awards issued on or after January 22, 2026

NSF has updated its Data Sharing Policy (PAPPG 24-1 Supplement 2), and the changes affect both what you share and how you submit your plan.

 

New submission process: DMSPs are no longer a 2-page PDF uploaded with your proposal. As of April 27, 2026, NSF requires you to fill out a new Research.gov webform, organized around “Data or Research Product Categories” (up to four categories, each with its own set of questions about access, standards, archiving, and timeline). The form is directorate-specific, so what you see depends on your field.

 

Broader sharing expectations: NSF now expects you to share more than just data – this includes samples, physical collections, software, code, and curriculum materials created under your award. Where possible, use permissive licenses so others can reuse your work. If something can’t be shared (e.g., Indigenous data sovereignty concerns, national security, human subjects protections), you’ll need to select an exception category and justify it directly in the form.

At minimum: data supporting an NSF-funded publication must be shared at the time of publication.

 

Not sure which directorate guidance applies to you? NSF has directorate-specific guidance for BIO, GEO, ENG, and others – check there first if your field is listed.

 

Walk through the new Research.gov form section-by-section: NSF DMSP Guidance (2026)

*Note: the Research.gov form is still being updated, so some sections or fields may differ from what you see here.*

 

Questions? Contact the WHOI Data Library & Archives at dla@whoi.edu – we’re happy to review your plan before you submit.