DOE Announces Updated Order on Scientific and Technical Information Management

On October 28, 2024, Department of Energy (DOE) Deputy Secretary David Turk signed and approved DOE Order 241.1C, Scientific and Technical Information Management.

DOE O 241.1 ensures that scientific and technical information (STI) emanating from DOE-funded work is managed, preserved, and made accessible as appropriate to advance science and technological innovation. The DOE Office of Science (SC) provides overall leadership and policy direction for DOE STI management as required by Federal laws, regulations, and Executive orders; and within SC, the Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) has Departmental STI management responsibilities.

The Order was updated to implement aspects of the 2023 DOE Public Access Plan as well as other requirements. This directive applies to all those within DOE who conduct or support DOE-funded research activities generating STI. The Order also establishes requirements for contractors in a Contractor Requirements Document (CRD), included as Attachment 1.

New requirements included in the Order from the 2023 DOE Public Access Plan relate to three areas: scholarly publications, persistent identifiers (PIDs), and data management. DOE-funded peer-reviewed scholarly publications must be reported to DOE OSTI so they can be made available without embargo or delay after publication in DOE’s designated repository, DOE PAGES. The Order includes requirements related to PIDs for STI and individuals conducting R&D. Existing requirements for data management plans and requirements for data management and sharing plans effective in FY26 are also included.

To ensure the requirements for STI management are understood and followed, training is now required. According to the Order, “All DOE federal and contractor employees who author, create, manage, or otherwise directly contribute to the production or review of STI, must complete training on appropriate STI management procedures and requirements within twelve months after the STI training becomes available and once every two years thereafter.” New employees must complete training upon initial employment if the training has become available and once every two years thereafter.  

Accompanying the DOE O 241.1C, FAQs are available on the DOE Directives page. Additional guidance is also available at U.S. Department of Energy Scientific and Technical Information Program (STIP), including more details about the required STI Training. 

Science and technological progress is a cornerstone of DOE’s mission, and according to the purpose stated in DOE O 241.1C, “This Order is critical to ensuring that DOE fulfills its STI management responsibilities for identifying, collecting, reviewing, controlling, preserving, and disseminating its STI.” 

OSTI also coordinates the STI Program (STIP), a complex-wide collaboration across DOE programs, field offices, national laboratories, and contractors to disseminate and preserve the Department's STI. The DOE Order 241.1C was revised through a cooperative process with Headquarters and STIP representatives from across the DOE complex. OSTI will be working with the various DOE communities to guide them through implementation of the new requirements.

To read the Order in its entirety, visit the DOE Directives Program page. 

For more information, please contact Drew Huitt, OSTI, at (240) 220-1123 or HuittJ@osti.gov, or visit https://www.osti.gov/stip.