The answer now depends on your funder. The two largest changed their requirements in 2026.
National Science Foundation (NSF) - As of April 27th, 2026, the data management and sharing plan (DMSP) is a webform inside research.gov, not a document you upload. The form is generated from the primary directorate you select when you create the proposal, and it must be completed before you can submit unless you provide a justification. Requirements are in Policy Notice NSF 26-202 (Supplement 2 to PAPPG 24-1). Note that NSF now requires sharing of all data supporting funded publications at the time of publication, and any exception must be described and justified in the DMSP at original submission; you cannot add one later.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Applications with due dates on or after May 25th, 2026 must use the 2026 DMS Plan format page (Notice NOT-OD-26-046). Most elements are now Yes/No/Not Applicable. NIH expects you to use its own template. The underlying 2023 policy has not changed. Existing awards transition to the new format at Just-in-Time or at an upcoming progress report; see NOT-OD-26-100.
Other funders - Requirements vary. DMPTool maintains templates for many federal and private funders.
The DMPTool can still help since the Research.gov webform may not let you save a draft, so drafting your plan in DMPTool and pasting each section in is a practical approach. DMPTool also has an updated template for the new NIH format. Log in through Single Sign-On with your Pitt Passport credentials for templates customized with Pitt-specific resources.
Pitt health sciences researchers should contact Data Services at the Health Sciences Library System (HSLS).
Everyone else can contact the Digital Scholarship and Publishing team to set up a consultation with the Research Data Librarian. For NSF proposals, reach out before submission as the exception language has to be right the first time.
Reviewed August 2026. Federal requirements are changing frequently; confirm against the funder before submitting.
