UW Research

December 15, 2025

Dept. of Energy Updates: Common Forms, Data Management & Sharing Plans

This message was sent to all active PIs and MRAM.

We want to call your attention to some recent guidance from the Dept. of Energy released earlier this month to DOE program officers. Two new DOE Financial Assistance Letters detail requirements for:

Common Forms for Biosketch & Current and Pending (Other) Support

As of 12/03/2025, all covered individuals listed on Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) applications and financial assistance agreements are required to prepare Common Forms electronically via SciENcv with few exceptions.

Please note:

  • The Common Form for the Biosketch replaces DOE’s Resume requirement.
  • NOFOs may specify additional instructions for completing Common Forms for the Biosketch and/or Current and Pending Support.
  • This may include requiring a Persistent Identifier like an ORCID iD with the Common Forms.

Review more information:

  • DOE: Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support Common Form Usage Requirements in Financial Assistance
  • ORCID iDs: An Overview for Researchers
  • UW’s Health Sciences Library ORCID Overview: Details ORCID iD benefits and links to institutions and publishers using ORCID iDs

Data Management and Sharing Plans (DMSP)

All DOE NOFOs and awards that support and fund R&D activities that produce scientific data will include requirements for Data Management & Sharing Plans (DMSPs). DMSPs must be provided for proposed research following DOE and DOE sponsoring office guidelines.

If applicable, proposals may include the cost of implementing the DMSP in the proposed budget.

All DOE-funded R&D awards are subject to a DOE-approved DMSP. The DMSP will address validation and replication of results, timely and fair access, data repository selection, data management resources, and data sharing limitations. A DMSP may include, but is not limited to, what data will be publicly shared, the data or metadata standards that will be used, any related tools, software, or code, how data will be shared and preserved, and any necessary data protections.

Acceptable DMSPs will address:

  1. Validation of results
  2. Timely and fair access
  3. Data repository selection
  4. Data management and sharing resources
  5. Data sharing limitations

DOE requires a DMSP for awards not later than 90 days after an award’s effective date if they have not already received one. Any updates to the DMSP must be provided to DOE for review and approval. Note: Post-award changes like these must come through OSP on a OSP/GCA MOD in SAGE as a request for Other Changes.

Review more from DOE on Data Management & Sharing Plan requirements.