NSF to require data management plans from researchers

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Part of administration efforts to open the products of federally-funded research to the public

The US National Science Foundation announced this week that it is significantly changing what it requires of researchers who receive funding from the institution

NSF logoDuring the May 5th meeting of the National Science Board, National Science Foundation (NSF) officials announced a change in the implementation of the existing policy on sharing research data. In particular, on or around October, 2010, NSF is planning to require that all proposals include a data management plan in the form of a two-page supplementary document. The research community will be informed of the specifics of the anticipated changes and the agency’s expectations for the data management plans.

…[Ed Seidel, acting assistant director for NSF’s Mathematical and Physical Sciences directorate] acknowledged that each discipline has its own culture about data-sharing, and said that NSF wants to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach to the issue. But for all disciplines, the data management plans will be subject to peer review, and the new approach will allow flexibility at the directorate and division levels to tailor implementation as appropriate.