From March 1, 2026, institutions no longer need to submit templates for data management plans (DMPs) for approval to NWO and ZonMw. Both organizations still require a DMP for funded projects, and all DMPs must comply with the Science Europe Core Requirements for Data Management Plans.
NWO and ZonMw require in their policy for research data management that project leaders submit a DMP before the start of a project. A DMP is a document in which the project leader records how they will handle the data, from collection to publication. It ensures that the project leader has considered how to make the data findable, reusable, and compliant with laws and regulations. Approval of this DMP by NWO or ZonMw remains a condition to start the project.
The process so far
To support researchers, both funders offer their own DMP templates. These are based on the Science Europe core requirements and ensure that all essential components are covered. Additionally, NWO and ZonMw offer research institutions the opportunity to develop their own institutional DMP templates, so researchers receive targeted information about institutional support and tools. Until now, these institutional templates had to be submitted for approval to NWO and ZonMw. After approval, researchers from those institutions could use the institutional template instead of the NWO or ZonMw template.
Over the years, NWO and ZonMw have collaborated on reviewing and approving more than 30 institutional DMP templates. Since the original goal of ensuring high-quality templates has been achieved, NWO and ZonMw will no longer review or approve institutional DMP templates.
What changes in practice?
From March 1, 2026, research institutions no longer need to submit their DMP templates for approval. Institutional templates must still:
- comply with the Science Europe Core Requirements for Data Management Plans.
- include the name of the data steward who reviewed the DMP and the date of that consultation.
The difference is that compliance with these requirements will no longer be checked at the template level by NWO or ZonMw, but will be the responsibility of the institution.
NWO and ZonMw will continue to require that a DMP be submitted and approved by their staff before the start of a project. If a DMP does not meet the required components during review, it can be rejected.
More information about our policy and guidelines.
For questions, you can contact: