Data Management Plan Requirements: NSF, NIH, UKRI, Tri-Agency
What the major funders require in a data management plan: NSF's two pages, NIH's 2026 format, UKRI's new policy from April 2027, and Canada's Tri-Agency policy. A side-by-side table, the overlap, and how to write one plan you can adapt.
Data management plan requirements differ by funder, but they ask the same questions: what data you will produce, how you will describe and store it, who can use it and when, and where it will end up. NSF wants a document of no more than two pages. NIH has used a structured format since 25 May 2026. UKRI's new research data policy applies to opportunities launched from 1 April 2027. Canada's Tri-Agency policy requires plans for certain funding opportunities and deposit of the data behind publications.
This guide compares four funders using their own pages, read on 5 November 2026, and shows how to build one plan you can adapt. Policies change, and individual programs add their own rules, so always read the current call. Funders in other countries, such as Australia, are not covered here.
The four at a glance
| NSF (US) | NIH (US) | UKRI (UK) | Tri-Agency (Canada) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Data Management and Sharing Plan | Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan | Data management plan, within a research data policy | Data management plan |
| When | With the proposal | With the application | Outline at application; a full plan in place within six months of the award start | At application, for certain funding opportunities |
| Length | No more than two pages | Structured format, with 300 and 100 word limits on two elements | Not stated as a page limit | Set by each call |
| Sharing | Describe access and sharing, with privacy and IP protections | Elements set out in the template | Share validating data by publication; reusable data within two years of funding ending | Deposit data behind publications by time of publication |
| Status | PAPPG 24-1 | Format applies to applications due on or after 25 May 2026 | New policy from 1 April 2027; existing council policies before | Policy in force, deposit requirement being phased in |
NSF
Chapter II.D.2.i of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG 24-1) requires a Data Management and Sharing Plan of no more than two pages, uploaded under that name in the supplementary documentation section of Research.gov. It should describe how the proposal will conform to NSF's policy on dissemination and sharing of research results. It may cover the types of data, samples, software and other materials produced, data and metadata standards, access and sharing policies including privacy, confidentiality and intellectual property protections, re-use and derivative policies, and archiving and long-term access.
Two details matter. Directorates, divisions or programs can have their own requirements, posted on NSF's website, and the general rule applies where there are none. And if the plan will not fit in two pages, you may use part of the 15-page Project Description for extra data management information, but the plan cannot be used to get around that limit. If no data, samples or software will be produced, the plan can be a statement saying so, with a clear justification.
NIH
Since 25 May 2026, NIH uses a structured DMS Plan format of seven elements, most answered Yes, No or Not Applicable, with a 300-word justification and a 100-word table of data types and repositories. We have a full walk-through of each element, the answers that are usually right and the budgeting, in our NIH data management and sharing plan guide. After the award, NIH's annual progress report asks about data generated and shared, so keep identifiers in one place as you go (see the RPPR checklist).
UKRI
UKRI published a new research data policy on 14 October 2026, approved on 2 October 2026. It applies to in-scope funding opportunities launched on or after 1 April 2027. Before that date, UKRI's existing common principles and individual council policies apply, and awards from research councils normally follow that council's policy.
What the new policy asks:
- At application, applicants normally outline how they will manage and share data. For some data-intensive opportunities a full plan may be required and assessed.
- After the award, a full data management plan must be in place within six months of the award start. For training grants the same deadline runs from the start of each studentship project. The plan is kept under review, and UKRI may ask for a copy.
- Publications must include a data access statement that cites the persistent identifier of the data or metadata record.
- Sharing. Data needed to validate published findings should be shared with as few restrictions as possible, no later than publication. Data with long-term reuse value that is not published should be shared no later than two years from the end of UKRI funding. Shared data needs a persistent identifier and a clear usage licence, with CC0 and CC-BY suggested. Use a domain-specific repository where one exists, otherwise an institutional one, then a generalist one.
- Restricted data still needs a metadata record shared by publication, explaining the restriction and how to ask for access.
- Retention. Data underpinning published findings should normally be kept for at least 10 years after publication.
UKRI also says that all costs associated with research data management are eligible under its funding, subject to conditions such as being incurred before the grant ends. Put them in the budget.
Canada's Tri-Agency policy
The Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy, from CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC, has three parts, according to the page we read (modified 19 December 2025).
- Institutional strategies. Eligible institutions had to post a research data management strategy online by 1 March 2023.
- Data management plans. For certain funding opportunities the agencies require a plan at application, as set out in each call. The agencies identified an initial set in spring 2022 and are adding more. The plan is a living document covering how data will be handled, whether and how they will be shared, and where they will be deposited.
- Data deposit. Grant recipients must deposit digital research data, metadata and code that directly support the conclusions of journal publications and preprints into a repository, by the time of publication. Recipients are not required to share the data, though the agencies expect appropriate access where permitted. The broader requirement is being phased in, with no date given on the page, and CIHR recipients have been subject to a narrower requirement since 2008.
What every plan has in common
Read across the four and the same eight questions recur. Answer them once, in a working document, and adapt for each funder.
- What data will exist? Types, volume, formats, and any software or samples.
- How will they be described? Metadata, standards, documentation, file naming.
- Where will they be stored and backed up while you work?
- Who owns them, and who can see them? Privacy, confidentiality, consent and intellectual property.
- What will be shared, with whom, and when? The date is where funders differ most: at publication, within two years of the end of funding, or at the time of publication for deposit.
- Where will they end up? A named repository, with a persistent identifier.
- For how long? UKRI's 10 years after publication is a useful default to quote.
- Who is responsible, and what does it cost? Name a person, and budget for it.
Reusing one plan across funders
The practical trap is writing a plan for one funder, then finding that the next wants a different shape. Three habits help.
- Keep a master plan in plain prose with the eight answers. Each funder's format is then a re-cut of the same facts.
- Keep a data register per project: dataset, owner, location, format, repository, identifier, date shared. It is what you copy from when the progress report, the data access statement or the new call arrives.
- Make the plan a living document. The Tri-Agency page calls it that, and UKRI keeps the plan under review after the award. Add a yearly review to the lab's calendar.
Our lab notebook policy covers the record-keeping side, and the lab expectations document is where "where data lives" belongs in writing. LetRelay can hold the review as a recurring task with an owner, and link to the data register in your repository or drive. It does not store research data or write the plan; the lab management software comparison is explicit that files stay in your own tools.
FAQ
How long can an NSF data management plan be?
No more than two pages. If it will not fit, the PAPPG lets you use part of the 15-page Project Description for extra data management information, but the plan cannot be used to get around that limit. If no data, samples or software will be produced, a statement saying so with a clear justification can be the whole plan.
When does the new UKRI research data policy start?
It applies to in-scope funding opportunities launched on or after 1 April 2027. Before then, UKRI's existing common principles and council policies apply to the opportunities and the awards that come from them.
When must a UKRI data management plan be finished?
Under the new policy, a full plan must be in place within six months of the award start, and for training grants within six months of the start of each studentship project. Applicants normally outline their approach in the application, and some data-intensive calls may require a full plan to be assessed.
Does Canada require a data management plan?
For certain funding opportunities, yes. The Tri-Agency policy says the agencies will require a plan at application for those opportunities, as each call sets out, and it is considered during adjudication. Check the call you are applying to, because not every opportunity is covered.
Do I have to share my data under the Tri-Agency policy?
Recipients must deposit the data, metadata and code that directly support the conclusions of publications and preprints into a repository by the time of publication. They are not required to share the data, although the agencies expect appropriate access where permitted.
How long should we keep data?
UKRI's policy says data underpinning published findings should normally be retained for at least 10 years after publication. Other funders and institutions have their own periods, so check yours.
Can I use the same plan for NSF and NIH?
Not as a document. NSF has a free-form two-page plan, while NIH uses a structured seven-element format. You can use the same underlying facts for both, which is the reason to keep a master plan in plain prose.
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