Data Management & Sharing for NSF Grants
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 grants. Grantees are expected to encourage and facilitate such sharing. NSF proposals must include a two-page data management and sharing plan uploaded under “Data Management and Sharing Plan” in the supplementary documentation section. This supplementary document should describe how the proposal will follow NSF policy on managing, disseminating and sharing research results.
NSF DMSPs 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 DMSP.
Full requirements for NSF grants, listed by directorate,can be found found here:
NSF DMS Plan Resources
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NSF Data Management & Sharing FAQFrequently Asked Questions from NSF
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Example DMS PlansThe example DMP directory was compiled from researchers, institutions, libraries and workgroups who shared their data management plans online from 2012-2022.
This directory is intended to help researchers comply with the new NIH policy and will not be updated after publishing. These plans cover NIH grants and those from other funding bodies. -
Templates in the DMPToolWe suggest using the DMPTool to write your NSF DMP. The DMPTool includes specific templates for most directorates. These directorate-specific templates help researchers make sure they have complied with all requirements.
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DART RubricAn analytic rubric for assessing the content and quality of a NSF DMSP.
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FAIR Principles‘FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship’ provide guidelines to improve the Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse of digital assets.