NSF Public Access Initiative | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation

NSF Public Access Initiative | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation
NSF Public Access Initiative
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The U.S. National Science Foundation's Public Access Initiative ensures the outputs of NSF-funded scientific research are made publicly available to the greatest extent, with the fewest constraints possible and consistent with law.
This page highlights the efforts of NSF's Public Access Initiative, which include:
Maintaining the
NSF Public Access Repository,
where NSF-supported publications and other research products are openly available to the public.
Funding projects that advance the understanding of, provide resources for, and/or encourage practices toward enhancing public access.
Coordinating agency activities regarding public access.
On this page
NSF's public access policy
Public access requirements
NSF policy ensures that research outputs from NSF awards are publicly accessible. NSF awardees can find NSF's public access requirements in the
Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide
in the sections on Copyright and Publication/Dissemination of Grant Materials. For additional context regarding public access at NSF, please see the
Public Access Plan published in March 2015
and
NSF Public Access Plan 2.0: Ensuring Open, Immediate and Equitable Access to National Science Foundation Funded Research
FAQ: NSF's public access policies
Data management and sharing plan
Data management and sharing plans are an integral part of project proposals. Researchers are required to include
data management plans
in their proposals to NSF. Data management requirements and plans specific to directorates, offices, divisions, programs or other NSF units are found in program solicitations or in the links below.
Directorate and division guidance
Biological Sciences (BIO)
Engineering (ENG)
Geosciences (GEO)
Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS):
Division of Astronomical Sciences (AST)
Division of Chemistry (CHE)
Division of Materials Research (DMR)
Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS)
Division of Physics (PHY)
Office of Polar Programs (OPP)
Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE)
STEM Education (EDU)
Program-specific guidance:
Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF)
Questions concerning NSF policies should be directed to the
NSF Policy Office
NSF Public Access Repository
NSF maintains a publicly available repository of peer-reviewed publications: the NSF Public Access Repository. NSF awardees must deposit all peer-reviewed publications and juried conference papers into the
NSF Public Access Repository
from awards resulting from proposals submitted, or due, on or after January 25, 2016.
Learn more about the NSF Public Access Repository
The repository continues to grow year by year and will continue to be enhanced with new features in future versions.
The current pilot allows researchers to add dataset metadata
(in addition to peer-reviewed papers and conference papers) as a research product type, following deposition of that dataset in a disciplinary or generalist data repository. At this time, researchers are not required to submit datasets to NSF's Public Access Repository.
NSF funding for public access projects
Public Access and Open Science funding opportunities
Program
Cyberinfrastructure for Public Access and Open Science (CI PAOS)
Posted
April 8, 2024
Program
Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems (POSE)
Posted
September 13, 2024
Program
Campus Cyberinfrastructure (CC*)
Posted
January 23, 2024
Program
Advanced Computing Systems & Services: Adapting to the Rapid Evolution of Science and Engineering Research 2.0
Posted
June 18, 2024
Dear Colleague Letter
Leveraging Cyberinfrastructure for Research Data Management (RDM)
Next Required Due Date: See letter for details
Posted
May 1, 2024
Dear Colleague Letter
U.S.-UK Research Collaboration under the NSF-UKRI/Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Lead Agency Opportunity
Next Required Due Date: See letter for details
Posted
July 7, 2023
Find funding opportunities in open science
To propose a public access project, email
publicaccess@nsf.gov
for more information.
Projects funded by NSF's Public Access Initiative
FAIROS RCN
NSF is funding a cohort of 10, three-year, multi-institutional projects to start in 2023 to build and enhance national coordination among researchers and other stakeholders to advance findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable, or FAIR, data principles and open-science practices. These are the inaugural awards of NSF's
FAIROS RCN
(Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable, Open-Science Research Coordination Networks) open-science program and represent a pooled investment of over $12.5 million in open science from all NSF directorates, supporting 28 NSF awards.
Big Data Innovation Hubs
NSF's Public Access Initiative has also been the home for the
NSF Big Data Innovation Hubs, or BD Hubs
, program — a national program to foster best practices in using big data for research.
See a list of all BD Hubs awards
All awarded projects
The NSF Public Access Initiative funds research projects that advance the understanding of public access and open science.
See a list of what the Public Access Initiative has funded
Webinars about public access implementation
No upcoming webinars at this time.
Past webinars
Listen and Learn for Engineering and Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering communities
June 29, 2023
Listen and Learn for Geosciences and Biological Sciences communities
June 16, 2023
Listen and Learn for Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences and STEM Education communities
June 2, 2023
Listen and Learn for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, and Technology, Innovation and Partnerships communities
May 5, 2023
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