Many issues that directly and indirectly affect the acquisition, ownership, management, and sharing of data are regulated by the federal government. Regulations may apply to all research, regardless of sponsorship, and may be issued at an agency or government-wide level.

Each federal agency publishes detailed guidelines for conducting research supported by that agency. For example, the National Science Foundation General Grant Conditions (NSF GC-1), covers 39 topics ranging from publications and patents to seatbelt usage. These guidelines may be supplemented by additional conditions specific to particular NSF programs. National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Education, and other federal agencies that sponsor research have similar guidelines. Agency guidelines are often codified in the Code of Federal Regulations.

In addition to agency-level conditions, the federal government has government-wide regulations and policies that apply to all research, and not just research supported by the federal government. These policies include:

These policies contain provisions that apply to the conditions under which data is acquired, managed, and shared when humans or invertebrate animals are involved in research.