Funder Expectations
Data management is a key element of the research process. This is why your funder expects you to think about data management very early in your research planning stage.
Planning is Essential
Most major research funders now require some form of documentation at the application stage, to explain how the applicant plans to manage any research data they will create. The extent and detail of these policies can vary, and they are summarised on this page.
Even if no planning is required from a funder, Lancaster University requires that you complete a DMP, and advice on this, the concept of DMPs in general and support available can be found here: Lancaster University Data Management Planning
Data expectations of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
“Preparation of a DMP should normally be integral to the planning of a project that is wholly or partially funded by any of the Research Councils, whether or not it is required as part of the formal research grant application. Not all Research Councils require a DMP to be submitted with a grant application; some require an outline plan with the application which is then converted to a full plan in the event that a grant is awarded. Where a full or outline DMP is required by a Research Council as part of a research grant application it will be subject to review.”
Source: UKRI – Open Research (includes data policies)
There is a new UKRI Open Access policy which will come into effect on 1st April 2022 and this has implications for data expectations.
All articles must include a data access statement even where there are no data associated with the article or the data are inaccessible. Please note that a direction for interested parties to contact the author is not normally sufficient for a data access statement . This new policy replaces a previous strong encouragement for a data access statement with a requirement.
Please select your Research Council below to see a summary of the relevant data expectations, and get further links for help and guidance.
Accordion
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AHRC (Arts & Humanities Research Council)
Context
Since 29th March 2018, AHRC have required a data management plan (DMP). This replaced the requirement for a technical plan (although it is still referred to as this on the submission system).
Submission requirements
It is mandatory to include for all Leadership Fellows, Research Grants and Follow on Funding applications but is not required for Research Networking.
Length
The data management plan can be up to a maximum of two pages long and can include diagrams, but these must be within the 2 page limits.
Formatting
Arial or Times New Roman font at size 11 with normal 2cm margins.
Template
Costing
Costs related to long term storage will be permitted providing these are fully justified and relate to the project Full justification must be provided in Justification of Resources (JoR).
Repository
Research Council guidelines indicate data arising from a research grant should be deposited and/or made accessible via a subject-specific data repository directly supported by one or more Research Councils. (UKRI)
Retention period
The Research Councils expect data that underpins findings in publications should be accessible for at least ten years after publication. Data related to potential future legal liabilities may need to be stored for substantially longer. (UKRI)
Metadata and Documentation
You should record and make metadata available and discoverable to other researchers in a way that helps them to understand the research and re-use potential of the data. (UKRI)
Data Access
Published results should always include information about how to access the supporting data. (UKRI)
Versions
We expect the Data Management Plan will be revisited each year during the award and as long as is required following the award to take into account any potential changes in (for instance) technology/IP/institutional data management policy/copyright to ensure legal compliance.
Assessment
The data management plan will be assessed by reviewers from our Academic College.
Policy
AHRC Data Management Plan Guide
AHRC Data Management Plan About
AHRC supports the following UKRI policies:
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BBSRC (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council)
Context
The Data Management Plan should include concise plans for data management and sharing as part of research grant proposal or provide explicit reasons why data sharing is not possible or appropriate. Applicants must not utilise this space allocation for any other purpose - as this will result in rejection of the proposal.
Submission requirements
Included in applications as a separate mandatory attachment.
Length
1 page.
Template
BBSRC Data Management Plan Template
Costing
Data sharing should be driven by scientific benefit and should also be cost effective. There may be areas where there is unlikely to be value in sharing data, where… the costs of making data available for sharing are high. Funding to support the management and sharing of research data (for example staffing, physical resources such as storage and networking capability) can be requested as part of the full economic cost of a research project.
Repository
BBSRC recognises that different approaches to data sharing will be required in different situations and considers that it is most appropriate for researchers to determine their own strategies for data sharing and outline these within their research grant proposal(s). Applicants should consider where, how, and to whom their data should be made available.
It is expected that data sharing strategies will fall into the two broad categories: sharing via a 3rd party or direct from originator to others.
Retention period
Researchers are expected to ensure that data are maintained for a period of 10 years after the completion of the research project.
Metadata and Documentation
Data should, wherever appropriate and possible, be accompanied by contextual information or documentation (metadata) to provide a secondary user with any necessary details on the origin or manipulation of the data in order to prevent any misuse, misinterpretation or confusion.
Data Access
BBSRC expects that all data (with accompanying metadata) should be shared in a timely fashion as soon as it is verified. It is expected that timely release would generally be no later than the release through publication of the main findings and should be in-line with established best practice in the field. Where best practices does not exist release within three years of generation of the dataset is suggested as a guide. The timescale for release for the data may differ for several reasons, depending on the nature of the data.
Assessment
An application’s Data Management Plan will be assessed by reviewers and BBSRC responsive mode Research Committees or assessment Panels. The plan will be considered separately from the scientific excellence of the proposed research; however, an application’s credibility will suffer if peer review agrees the statement is inappropriate.
Policy
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EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council)
Check the short overview below or consult our extensive EPSRC guidance webpage which includes frequently asked questions.
Context
EPSRC has the strictest policy on research data sharing. There are 9 expectations that have detailed clarifications available in the policy links below. The framework was implemented from 01 May 2011.
Submission requirements
EPSRC does not require DMPs with research grant applications, but our research data principles include that ‘…project specific data management policies and plans should be in accordance with relevant standards and community best practice and should exist for all data.’
Costing
Provided two simple rules are adhered to, all costs associated with research data management are eligible expenditure of research grant funds. The rules are:
1. no expenditure can be ‘double funded’ (a service that is centrally supported by the indirect costs paid on all research grants cannot then also be included as a direct cost on a grant)
2. all directly incurred expenditure of a grant must be incurred before the end date of the grant. RCUK has already clarified that all elements of research data management are eligible for research grant funding.
It is suggested that research offices ensure appropriate provision for research data management is included in a research proposal before it is submitted to EPSRC.
Retention period
Research organisations will ensure that EPSRC‐funded research data is securely preserved for a minimum of 10‐years from the date that any researcher ‘privileged access’ period expires or, if others have accessed the data, from last date on which access to the data was requested by a third party.
Data that has not attracted any interest for more than 10 years is not expected to be retained.
Metadata and Documentation
Research organisations will ensure that appropriately structured metadata describing the research data they hold is published (normally within 12 months of the data being generated) and made freely accessible on the internet; in each case the metadata must be sufficient to allow others to understand what research data exists, why, when and how it was generated, and how to access it.
It may be reasonable for research organisations to require persons requesting access to specific research datasets to do any of the following before granting access: register; create an account; prove identity; accept terms and conditions of use of the data.
Where the research data referred to in the metadata is a digital object it is expected that the metadata will include use of a robust digital object identifier.
The cited data/supporting documentation is expected to be accessible online no later than the date of first online publication of the article.
Data Access
Published research papers should include a short statement describing how and on what terms any supporting research data may be accessed.
We acknowledge that not all research papers are supported by research data, and will therefore rely on researchers making informed judgements about when it is appropriate to include such a statement.
If compelling legal or ethical reasons exist to protect access to the data these should be noted in the statement included in the published research paper. A simple direction to interested parties to ‘contact the author’ would not normally be considered sufficient.
A delay in the publication of research findings and access to supporting research data is acceptable if necessary to protect intellectual property that would otherwise be compromised.
We also do not expect requests for access to research data to be rejected on the basis that it is physically too awkward to share.
Policy
EPSRC Research Data Principles
EPSRC Research Data Expectations
EPSRC Research Data Expectations Clarifications
Example
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ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council)
Context
This policy has applied from May 2018.
Submission requirements
ESRC applicants who plan to generate data from their research must submit a data management plan as part of their Je-S application. We encourage all research grants generating data to introduce a robust data management plan, if one is not already in place.
Whilst not compulsory, ESRC-funded students are strongly encouraged to offer copies of data created or repurposed during their PhD for deposit at the UK Data Service as it is considered good research practice.
Length
3 pages.
Template
Costing
ESRC will provide appropriate funding for data management where costs of implementation have been included in the data management plan.
Repository
To make research data available in a timely manner means for the ESRC that research data resulting from ESRC grants are expected to be deposited with a responsible repository within 3 months of the grant ending.
A responsible digital repository is a digital data repository that takes responsibility for data assets according to the FAIR data principles: findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable.
Retention period
Not mentioned. As a guide, 10 years can be thought of as a standard period of retention.
Metadata and Documentation
To ensure that research data can be effectively re-used by others, sufficient metadata must be recorded and published openly to ensure that research data are both discoverable and can be independently understood without recourse to the creator.
When depositing data with a responsible repository, a standardized, structured metadata record should be provided or created, according to the standards of that entity and following a metadata standard such as Data Documentation Initiative (DDI), SDMX, or INSPIRE, explaining the purpose, origin, time references, geographic location, creator(s), access conditions and terms of use of the data. (Sometimes multiple metadata standards are required.)
Data Access
All publications based on data resulting from an ESRC grant will specifically include information on where and how the data can be accessed, ideally via a formal citation.
Address access restrictions to data in the data management and sharing plan, before commencing research. The access category should be selected to minimise the risk of disclosing personal information.
Assessment
A grant proposal will first and foremost be assessed on grounds of its scientific merit, but an assessment of the adequacy of the data management and sharing plan will be included in the general review of the proposal.
Policy
Example
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MRC (Medical Research Council)
Context
Every year, the MRC invests around £850m of public money in research , the primary output of which is data. We want to maximise the research opportunities that such a diversity, richness and quantity of data provides. One of the best ways of achieving this is to ensure that data are properly preserved for sharing and informed use beyond the originating research teams.
Submission requirements
All applicants submitting funding proposals to the MRC are required to include a Data Management Plan (DMP) as an integral part of the application. This includes applications for the renewal of existing funding.
Length
Keep your data management plan concise. The detail should be proportionate to the complexity of the study, the types of data being managed, their anticipated long-term value, and the anticipated data security requirements.
For population cohorts, genetic, omics and imaging data, biobanks, and other collections that are potentially a rich resource for the wider research community, a DMP may be up to 3 pages of A4.
Longitudinal studies, involving a series of data collections, may exceed this limit if needed.
Otherwise, DMPs may be as short as a quarter of a page, where the scale, complexity and costs of data management and sharing are less substantial.
Formatting
All attachments must be completed in a sans-serif typeface (Arial or equivalent, not Arial Narrow) and font size of 11pt, excluding text on diagrams and the use of mathematical symbols. A minimum of single line spacing and standard character spacing must be used. Margins must not be less than 2cm.
Template
Costing
Where the costs of managing legacy data and sharing are substantial, your proposal should differentiate in broad terms between the resources and funding for: collecting and “cleaning” new data, own research on newly-acquired and legacy data, ongoing data curation and preservation, providing access and data sharing.
Repository
If no restrictions apply, deposit primary/raw data and related material in an appropriate repository and/or publication should be considered.
Publication of any research data, including in Masters/Doctoral theses or in an accessible data repository, does not negate the need to retain primary/raw data.
Retention period
Research data and related material should be retained for a minimum of 10 years after the study has been completed.
The retention period for primary/raw data and related material from population health or clinical studies will be informed by the relevant regulatory framework, the legal requirements outlined in guidance from the MHRA and any additional requirements identified by ethics committees or professional codes.
For clinical research undertaken in MRC research units and institutes, the MRC expects research data relating to such studies to be retained for 20 years after the study has been completed to allow an appropriate follow-up period.
Studies which propose retention periods beyond 20 years must include valid justification, for example, research data relating to longitudinal studies will often be retained indefinitely and archived and managed accordingly.
Metadata and Documentation
Data arising from MRC-funded research must be properly curated throughout its life-cycle and released with the appropriate high-quality metadata.
Data Access
Access policies and practices for new and existing MRC-funded data collections must be transparent, equitable, practicable, and provide clear decisions consistent with MRC data sharing policy.
Versions
All appropriate licences and permissions must be in place before the research starts and updated as necessary if plans change.
Assessment
The DMP will be reviewed as integral part of the grant or fellowship application, or institute/unit Quinquennial Review proposals. Reviewers will have guidance on how to evaluate a DMP.
Policy
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NERC (Natural Environment Research Council)
Context
Central to the policy is that NERC-funded scientists must make their data openly available within two years of collection and deposit it in a NERC data centre for long term preservation. The aim is that all NERC-funded data are managed and made available for the long-term for anybody to use without any restrictions.
NERC supports a network of five environmental data centres that provide expertise in the collection, management and dissemination of environmental data.
Submission requirements
All applications for NERC funding must include an outline Data Management Plan. All successful applications will be required to produce a detailed data management plan in conjunction with the appropriate NERC Data Centre (within 3-6 months of the start of the grant).
Length
The outline template is 1 page long and the full is 3 pages.
Formatting
The template is highly formatted and consists of boxes to type into.
Template
Costing
Applications must identify all resources needed to implement the data management plan.
Repository
NERC requires that all environmental data of long-term value generated through NERC-funded activities must be submitted to NERC for long-term management and dissemination.
Retention period
NERC uses the phrase ‘long term’, a recommended long term period is at least 10 years.
Metadata and Documentation
Metadata is determined by the NERC data centre that is worked with.
Data Access
NERC will supply the environmental data it holds for free, apart from a few special cases as detailed in the policy.
To protect the research process NERC will allow those who undertake NERC-funded work a period to work exclusively on, and publish the results of, the data they have collected. This period will normally be a maximum of two years from the end of data collection.
All research publications arising from NERC funding must include a statement on how the supporting data and any other relevant research materials can be accessed.
Versions
Outline on application
Full on successful application, within three to six months of the start date of the grant.
Assessment
The outline data management plan will be evaluated as part of the standard NERC grant assessment process.
Policy
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STFC (Science and Technology Facilities Council)
Context
STFC, through the facilities it operates and subscribes to and the grants it funds, is one of the main UK producers of scientific data. This data is one of the major outputs of STFC and a major source of its economic impact. STFC, as a publicly funded organisation, has a responsibility to ensure that this data is carefully managed and optimally exploited, both in the short and the long term.
Submission requirements
The data management plan attachment is mandatory against most STFC schemes (not Public Engagement). If it is felt that a DMP is not relevant to a proposal then an attachment explaining this should be uploaded to pass validation.
Data management may not be within the sole control of the applicant or the applicant’s institute. In such cases, where a suitable project wide data management plan exists, this may be referred to.
Length
No longer than two pages of A4
Formatting
STFC does not stipulate a specific format for data management plans and applicants may structure them in the way most appropriate to the project.
Template
Applicants are encouraged to consult the guidance provided by the Digital Curation Centre.
Costing
Any costs associated with it [RDM] will be considered and assessed.
Repository
STFC expects data to be managed through an established repository, chosen to maximise the scientific value from aggregation of related data. This may be at the grant holder's institution or elsewhere.
Retention period
Where possible, STFC expects the original data, from which other related data can in principle be derived, to be retained for a minimum of 10 years from the end of the project. For data that by their nature cannot be re-measured, efforts should be made to retain them indefinitely.
Metadata and Documentation
The data management plan should specify the software and metadata that will be retained to enable the data to be read and interpreted.
Data Access
The length of any proprietary period should be specified in the data management plan and justified, for example, by the reasonable needs of the research team to have a first opportunity to exploit the results of their research, including any IP arising.
‘Published’ data should generally be made available within six months of the date of the relevant publication.
Assessment
Considered and approved within the normal assessment procedure.
Policy
Data expectations from other Funding Bodies
See below for data expectations from other important funders. Please get in touch with rdm@lancaster.ac.uk if your funder is not listed or you have any other questions regarding Research Data Management requirements.
Accordion
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AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality)
Data management plans
Researchers are required to submit a data management plan (DMP). The DMP should include:
- A plan for protecting confidentiality and personal privacy; and
- A description of how scientific data in digital format will be shared, including a plan for long-term preservation and access to the data and the associated costs, or explanation of why data sharing is not possible.
Data sharing and preservation
"In order to ensure long-term preservation and full access to the public, AHRQ will contract with a commercial repository to accept and manage data submitted by extramural, intramural, and contract researchers." (AHRQ Public Access to Federally Funded Research)
Links
More information is available on the AHRQ page in section 8. on "Digital Data".
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Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Data management plans
A ‘Data Access Plan’ must be prepared for grant proposal submissions over $500,000. The Gates Foundation states that implementation of Data Access Plans may be taken into account when making future funding decisions.
Data sharing and preservation
When possible, data should be deposited into public-access repositories. When relevant public access repositories are not available for a given dataset, prospective grantees should propose alternatives for access, with consideration given to ease of discovery of Last edited April 2011 Page 3 the existence of the data set and maintenance of long-term access.
Links
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British Academy
Data management plans
Currently not required. British Academy makes no stipulations regarding mandatory archiving for grant holders or mention a requirement to produce a data management plan (DMP).
However, writing a DMP is required for all projects by Lancaster University, so you are expected to write one even when not required by your funder, and you can find out more about these requirements here:
Lancaster University Data Management Planning
Lancaster University Research Data Management Policy (Word doc)
Data sharing and preservation
The British Academy does not currently have a formal policy on data sharing.
We recommend sharing your data by depositing it with Lancaster University's data repository, and the instructions for doing that are available here:
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Cancer Research UK (CRUK)
Data management plans
All applicants are required to submit a data management and sharing plan. The following should be considered when developing a data sharing plan:
- The volume, type, content and format of the final dataset
- The standards that will be utilised for data collection and management
- The metadata, documentation or other supporting material that should accompany the data for it to be interpreted correctly
- The method used to share data
- The timescale for public release of data
- The long-term preservation plan for the dataset Whether a data sharing agreement will be required
- Any reasons why there may be restrictions on data sharing, for example;
- Development arrangements with our Commercial Partnerships team including intellectual property protection and commercialisation
- Proprietary data – restrictions due to collaborations with for profit organisations International policies governing the sharing of data collected outside of the UK
- Confidentiality, ethical or consent issues that may arise with the use of data involving human subjects.
Data sharing and preservation
Data should be considered for sharing and made as widely and freely accessible as possible whilst safeguarding intellectual property, the privacy of patients and confidential data.
In most instances, data sharing should be possible without compromising the confidentiality of participants. If data need to be restricted, this should be fully addressed in the data management and sharing plan.
CRUK expects data to be released no later than the acceptance for publication of the main findings. A limited period of exclusive use of data for primary research is reasonable.
Links
You can use DMPonline to create a CRUK DMP.
Practical guidance for researchers on writing data sharing plans is provided by CRUK.
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UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
Data management plans
The DHSC does not require a data management plan.
However, writing a DMP is required for all projects by Lancaster University, so you are expected to write one even when not required by your funder, and you can find out more about these requirements here:
Lancaster University Data Management Planning
Lancaster University Research Data Management Policy (Word doc)
Data sharing and preservation
Health records will be retained in compliance with government legislation. Documentation should be created that describes the data's provenance and enable its content to be understood. Data should be published in a timely manner, subject to ethical & legal requirements.
We recommend sharing your data by depositing it with Lancaster University's data repository, and the instructions for doing that are available here:
Lancaster University Depositing a Dataset via Pure
Links
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Department for International Development (DFID)
Data management plans
An Access and Data Management Plan is required for all applications that possess a data component. A template is available as an appendix on the policy link below.
Data sharing and preservation
Data should be retained with free access to raw datasets for aminimum of five years after project completion. Project websites should be permanently archived on closure. Data should be deposited in an appropriate subject/institutional repository within 12 months of final data collection.
Links
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US Department of Defense (DoD)
Data management plans
A Data Management Plan (DMP) describing the scientific data expected to be created or gathered in the course of a research project must be submitted at the start of each research effort.
Data sharing and preservation
Deposit of dataset(s) supporting published research results, in a public data repository, made available at the time of initial publication
We recommend sharing your data by depositing it with Lancaster University's data repository, and the instructions for doing that are available:
Lancaster University Depositing a Dataset via Pure
Links
Public Access Requirements Incorporated into the DoD STIP
DoD Scientific and Technical Information Program (STIP) (pdf)
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European Research Council (ERC)
Data management plans
The European Research Council has provided a DMP template for grant applications. It is based on the FAIR principles of Horizon 2020: see 'Guidelines on FAIR Data Management in H2020'(pdf). Researchers who benefit from ERC funding under the Horizon Europe programme will now be required to submit a data management plan within the first six months of their project implementation.
Data sharing and preservation
The European Research Council supports the basic principle of Open Access to research data, and recommends to all its funded researchers that they retain all research data they have used during the course of their work and that they be prepared to share this data with other researchers wherever possible.
We recommend sharing your data by depositing it with Lancaster University's data repository, and the instructions for doing that are available here:
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Horizon 2020
Data management plans
Since 1 January 2017, a data management plan (DMP) is applicable by default for all projects participating in Horizon 2020 as part of the expanded coverage of the Open Research Data Pilot.
The European Commission offers several opt-out possibilities to keep some or all research data generated closed. This will not affect the evaluation of your project.
Three versions of a DMP are expected: An initial version of the DMP is expected within the first six months of the project. The Commission expect "more elaborated versions" of the DMP by the mid-term and final review "fine-tuned" to data generated.
Changes to your DMP are expected "whenever significant changes arise", such as new data, policies or composition of consortium.
Data sharing and preservation
Data must be deposited in an appropriate repository. Make sure third parties can freely access, mine, exploit, reproduce and disseminate your data.
Include what tools will be needed to use the raw data to validate research results, or provide the tools themselves.
Horizon 2020 places emphasis on projects producing FAIR data (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Re-usable).
The EU supports the data repository Zenodo. You can also deposit with Lancaster University: Lancaster University Depositing a Dataset via Pure
Links
Guidelines on Open Access to Scientific Publications and Research Data in Horizon 2020(pdf)
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Leverhulme Trust
Data management plans
The Leverhulme Trust makes no stipulations regarding mandatory archiving for grant holders or mention a requirement to produce a data management plan (DMP).
However, writing a DMP is required for all projects by Lancaster University, so you are expected to write one even when not required by your funder, and you can find out more about these requirements here:
Lancaster University Data Management Planning
Lancaster University Research Data Management Policy (Word doc)
Data sharing nd preservation
The Leverhulme Trust does not currently have a formal policy on data sharing.
We recommend sharing your data by depositing it with Lancaster University's data repository, and the instructions for doing that are available here:
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US National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Data management plans
NIH has issued a new Final NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing, which will require NIH funded researchers to prospectively submit a plan outlining how scientific data from their research will be managed and shared. On January 25, 2023, the new policy will come into effect and replace the 2003 NIH Data Sharing Policy currently in effect. The current NIH Data Sharing policy, in effect since 2003, remains in effect until January 25, 2023.
Investigators seeking $500,000 or more in direct costs in any year should include a description of how final research data will be shared, or explain why data sharing is not possible. It is expected that the data sharing discussion will be provided primarily in the form of a brief paragraph immediately following the Research Plan Section of the PHS 398 application form.
Data sharing and preservation
The NIH expects data to be retained for 3 years following the end of a grant or contract agreement. The NIH expects the timely release and sharing of data no later than the acceptance for publication of the main findings from the final dataset.
Links
NIH Data Sharing Policy and Implementation Guidance
Elements of an NIH Data Management and Sharing Plan
Allowable Costs for Data Management and Sharing
Selecting a Repository for Data Resulting from NIH-Supported Research
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National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
Data management plans
All NIHR researchers are required to prepare and submit a data management plan on how underlying research materials, such as data, samples or models, can be accessed.
Data sharing and preservation
Although the NIHR expects researchers to consider and plan for data access, the policy does not require that data must be made open, nor does it specify how long data must be retained for. The Lancaster University Research Data Management Policy (doc) requires data to be preserved for at least ten years. You will need to create a data access statement about the availability of the data in the research publication.
Links
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Royal Society
Data management plans
Most Royal Society funding schemes require an outline data management and data sharing plan as part of the application process, if the research will generate data of significant value to the research community.
The plan should be maximum 1500 characters(including spaces).
Data sharing and preservation
As part of our open data policy, we ask that data and code are hosted in a public, recognised repository, with an open license (CC0 or CC-BY) clearly visible on the landing page of your dataset. Where possible, deposit should be made prior to publication under embargo until publication of the article.
Exceptions to the sharing of data, code and materials may be granted at the discretion of the editor, especially for sensitive information such as human subject data or the location of endangered species.
All manuscripts which report primary data (usually research articles) must include a data accessibility section which states where the article's supporting data can be accessed.
Links
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Wellcome Trust
Data management plans
In cases where data, software or materials that will hold value as a resource for others in academia or industry will be generated, applicants will need to include an outputs management plan explaining their planned approach. This plan will be reviewed when making the funding decision.
An outputs management plan should cover the following:
- datasets generated by your research
- original software created in the course of your research
- new materials you create – like antibodies, cell lines and reagents
- intellectual property (IP) such as patents, copyright, design rights and confidential know-how.
An outputs management plan is not usually required for studies that only generate small-scale or limited datasets that are unlikely to be of clear value to other users, and no other significant software, materials or intellectual property. However, you are still expected to archive and share your data and software.
However, writing a DMP is required for all projects by Lancaster University, so you are expected to write one even when not required by your funder, and you can find out more about these requirements here:
Lancaster University Data Management Planning
Lancaster University Research Data Management Policy (Word doc)
Data sharing and preservation
You must make any data, original code or materials that underpin published research findings accessible to other researchers at the time of publication. You should take reasonable steps to ensure that your outputs are discoverable to potential users, are deposited in recognised community repositories wherever these exist, and have persistent identifiers, such as DOIs, to enable their use to be cited and tracked.
Links
Policy on data, software and materials management and sharing (updated July 2017)
How to complete an outputs management plan
Our new policy on sharing research data: what it means for you
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World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)
Data management plans
WCRF does not require researchers to submit data management plans in grant applications.
However, writing a DMP is required for all projects by Lancaster University, so you are expected to write one even when not required by your funder, and you can find out more about these requirements here:
Lancaster University Data Management Planning
Lancaster University Research Data Management Policy (Word doc)
Data sharing and preservation
Data collected in the course of research must be retained for an 'appropriate period' to allow further analysis by the original and/or other research teams (subject to consent), in accordance with the UK Framework for Health and Social Care Research (pdf).
We recommend sharing your data by depositing it with Lancaster University's data repository, and the instructions for doing that are available here:
Lancaster University Depositing a Dataset via Pure
Links