Some federally-funded agencies, notably the National Institutes of Health (NIH), require that published research be made publicly available through designated repositories or platforms (in the case of the NIH, this means PubMed Central). Such repositories are referred to as "public access" repositories, since they meet the specific guidelines of those federally-funded agencies.
"Open Access" refers, more generally, to digital information that is online, free of charge, and free, in varying degrees, of most copyright and licensing restrictions. Open Access resources typically permit users to download, copy, print, display, distribute, search, index, and link to the information. Open Access resources remain the intellectual property of their creators, who have attribution rights as well as control over the integrity of their work.
Please note that while "Open Access" resources are free and open to the public, they may not meet the "Public Access" requirements of your particular funding agency. See the grant guidelines of your specific funder to determine what, if any, requirements or repositories are mandated.
Nearly all federal funding agencies require data management plans for grant proposals. Each federal agency or private sponsor of research may have other requirements related to sharing of data and other research products. Be certain to review all requirements of your grant application. Below is a list of policies for some major sponsors of research.
If there are other funding agencies that you would like to include on this page, please email datamanagement@unt.edu
SPARC also lets you view data sharing requirements by federal agency and compare them.
Note that on August 25, 2022 the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issued a new set of guidelines for providing public access to all federally-funded research products, including data. See the memo below for more details.
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Funding Agency (Alphabetical Order) |
Data Management Guidelines or Policies |
| Agency for International Development (USAID) | USAID's Open Data Policy |
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Alfred P. Sloan Foundation |
Grant Proposal Guidelines (see the "Information Products" appendix) |
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American Heart Association |
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Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation |
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |
Standards to Facilitate Data Sharing and Use of Surveillance Data for Public Health Action |
| Department of Agriculture (USDA) | Implementation Plan to Increase Public Access to Results |
| Department of Defense (DOD) | Plan to Establish Public Access |
| Department of Energy (DOE) |
Statement on Digital Data Management Note: Some Program Offices provide distinct guidance for researchers preparing DMPs; be sure to consult the guidance from the office to which you are applying. |
| Department of Transportation (DOT | |
| Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) | Plan for Public Access to Scientific Publications and Digital Data |
| Food and Drug Administration (FDA) | Plan to Increase Access to Results |
| Geological Survey (USGS) | Public Access to Results of Federally Funded Research |
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Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation |
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Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) |
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Institute of Education Sciences (IES) |
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Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) |
see specific grant guidelines for details |
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) |
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National Endowment for the Humanities/Office of Digital Humanities (NEH-ODH) |
Blog post by NEH-ODH staff on their guidelines of managing and sustaining project assets |
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National Institutes of Health (NIH)/Dept. of Health and Human Services |
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National Institute of Justice |
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) |
NOAA Data Sharing Policy for Grants and Cooperative Agreements Procedural Directive |
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National Science Foundation (NSF) |
Data Sharing Policy and Data Management Plan Requirements Guidance and Sample Data Management Plans Note: Each NSF Directorate provides distinct guidance for researchers preparing DMPs; be sure to consult the guidance from the Directorate to which you are applying. |
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Smithsonian Institution |
Plan for Increased Public Access to Results of Federally Funded Research |
