Proposals must include a Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP) created using the tool implemented on Research.gov. This document should describe how the proposal will conform to U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) policy on the dissemination and sharing of research results.
Some NSF Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) solicitations may have specific requirements in addition to NSF guidance. Please be sure to check solicitations and direct questions to the solicitation email.
General guidelines for data management and sharing plans are explained in PAPPG II.D.2(ii) and Policy Notice NSF 26-202. A new Research.gov tool for creating a DMSP will be released on April 27, 2026. Proposals submitted before that date should continue preparing the DSMP as a PDF upload.