May 9, 2016

Dear Colleagues:

This document replaces OPP 99-1, OPP Guidelines and Award Conditions for Scientific Data, December 3, 1998.

All proposals must include a Data Management Plan that describes how the project will provide open and rapid access to quality-controlled and fully documented data and information during and after the project. This plan must be included as a Supplementary Document and be consistent with NSF's policy on dissemination and sharing of research results (https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/dmp.jsp) and also NSF's Grant Proposal Guide. The Data Management Plan must specifically discuss how the investigators will achieve the following data archiving and reporting requirements.

DATA ARCHIVING REQUIREMENTS

The Office of Polar Programs policy requires that metadata files, full data sets, and derived data products, must be deposited in a long-lived and publicly accessible archive. Information regarding appropriate data centers can be found on the Office of Polar Programs web-site or through contact with the cognizant Program Officer. Except as noted below, all data and derived data products must be provided to a data center within two years of collection or by the end of the award, whichever comes first. Any limitation on access to the information beyond these dates that is anticipated at proposal submission must be based on compelling justification and documented in the Data Management Plan. Any such limitation on access that arises following award is subject to Program Officer approval with documentation in NSF record systems.

SPECIAL DATA ARCHIVING REQUIREMENTS FOR ARCTIC SCIENCES

Metadata for all Arctic supported data sets must be submitted to the NSF Arctic Data Center (https://arcticdata.io).

Arctic Observing Network (AON) data are public and not subject to any embargo period. All AON data must be quality controlled and must be deposited in a long-lived and publicly accessible archive within 6 months of collection. All AON data sets and derived data products must be accompanied by a metadata profile and full documentation.

Arctic Social Science Program (ASSP) research data must be deposited in a long-lived and publicly accessible archive within 5 years of the award date.

Exceptions to the above data reporting requirements may be granted for social science and indigenous knowledge data, where privacy or intellectual property rights might take precedence. Such requested exceptions must be documented in the Data Management Plan.

SPECIAL DATA ARCHIVING REQUIREMENTS FOR ANTARCTIC SCIENCES

Metadata for all Antarctic supported data sets and derived data products must be submitted to the Antarctic Master Directory, via the USAP Data Coordination Center (http://www.usap-data.org/) in the form of a Directory Interchange Format (DIF) entry. Information on DIF generation can be found on the Global Change Master Directory website (http://gcmd.gsfc.nasa.gov/). This metadata submittal is a requirement of U.S. Antarctic Program obligations under the Antarctic Treaty; proof of submission must be included in the Final Project Report to NSF in the form of a link to the metadata and data archive.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Principal Investigators are required to provide updates on the status of metadata and data archival in annual project reports. Compliance with the project Data Management Plan must be documented in the final project report. URL's for archived metadata and data should be included in these reports in the section entitled "Products-Websites."