Spring brings important updates to data management and sharing plan requirements from both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Below is a summary of what’s changing and when it takes effect.
New NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan Format Now Available
On February 25, 2026, NIH released NOT-OD-26-046 announcing a new, abbreviated Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP) format. The 2026 Pilot DMS Plan format is available for immediate use and will be required for all applications with due dates on or after May 25, 2026.
The updated structure is intended to reduce administrative burden and promote more consistent, reviewable plans. While the format is shorter and more structured, the 2023 Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Policy remains unchanged—researchers must still maximize appropriate data sharing while accounting for ethical, legal, and technical considerations.
The current two page narrative will be replaced by a standardized format that includes:
- Three yes/no questions addressing whether the scientific data will be shared, whether it will be shared by required timelines, and whether it will remain available for as long as repository or journal policies require.
- A brief explanation (up to 300 words) if data sharing is limited for ethical, legal, or technical reasons.
- A yes/no/not applicable question on protections for human participant data, including the use of access controls, consistent with NOT-OD-22-213 (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-22-213.html).
- A short table (100 words maximum) listing anticipated data types and the repositories (or example repositories) where data may be shared.
- Two additional yes/no items for projects subject to the NIH Genomic Data Sharing (GDS) Policy.
NSF Policy Updates: New DMP Webform Coming in 2026
NSF is also revising its data management requirements. Beginning April 27, 2026, NSF will replace the traditional Data Management Plan PDF with a structured webform integrated directly into Research.gov, as outlined in NSF PAPPG 24-1, Supplement 2.
Key points:
• Starting April 27, 2026, the DMP must be completed using the Research.gov webform.
• The webform will be tailored to the proposal’s primary Directorate.
• Proposals submitted before April 27 may continue to use the PDF format.
Helpful Resources
• NIH’s updated Writing a Data Management and Sharing Plan web page guidance
• Becker Library’s overview of the new NIH DMP format: https://becker.wustl.edu/news/nih-dms-plan-format-updates-2026/
• DMPTool now includes the new NIH template. For NSF, DMPTool will add a corresponding template once the final Research.gov version is released, allowing researchers to draft content for later copy and paste into the webform.
• For additional assistance, contact medical-librarians@duke.edu or datamanagement@duke.edu.