Funder Data Requirements

Overview

Research funders increasingly require that the results (publications, data and other products) of the research they fund be made publicly accessible. In 2013, the White House Office of Science Technology and Policy (OSTP) issued a memo (PDF) directing all federal agencies with more than $100 million in R&D expenditures to develop plans to ensure public access to research data and publications. In 2022, the OSTP updated its guidance (PDF) for making federally funded research freely available. The 2022 memo recommends that federal agencies update their policies as soon as possible (but no later than the end of 2025) to eliminate 12-month embargoes on publications and supporting data from federally funded research. 

Requirements related to data can involve submission of a data management plan with grant proposals, and/or the public sharing of data resulting from funded research. Support is available for Cornell researchers in meeting these requirements, both for research data (this site) and publications (via SPARC’s article sharing requirements tool).

Public access policies of top Cornell University funders

The list below includes the top funders of research at Cornell University. Cornell Data Services is available to help all researchers address public access requirements for data, regardless of their source of funding.

Note: requirements vary within departments/directorates, and prospective PIs should always review the specific RFP/RFA/PA they’re responding to when preparing a proposal.