Research Data Services

Policies of Major Research Funding Agencies

In August 2022, Dr. Alondra Nelson, acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), issued a memo titled “Ensuring Free, Immediate, and Equitable Access to Federally Funded Research,” which directed federal agencies with more than $100 million in R&D expenditures/grants to update their policies to ensure that publications and data produced from funded research be freely and publicly shared without embargo. Agencies must have active updated policies by December 31, 2025, and most have recently, or are about to, announce their revised plans; note that there is sometimes a delay between when policies are announced and implemented in order to develop additional guidance and training for researchers.

The libraries maintain an entire LibGuide dedicated specifically to summarizing these policies: 

Federal Government Public Access Policies

There are a variety of official and third-party sites that are tracking the development of data sharing policies for the U.S. federal agencies. If you are ever unsure, the best source is the official website of your funder(s) and the program officer(s) administering your grant.

• science.gov provides links to current and historical policy documents for U.S. federal agencies.
• DMPTool collates individual funder policy documents, but they suggest making sure by checking the websites of the agencies.
• SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) tracks and compares U.S. federal funder requirements for sharing research articles and research data.
• Jisc Open Policy Finder (formerly Sherpa Juliet) is a searchable database and single focal point of up-to-date information concerning funders' policies and their requirements on open access, publication and data archiving.