Funder Requirements
Research data management (RDM) has become an integral part of the application procedure of many research funders. Funders increasingly began recognizing the importance of research data management in ensuring transparency, reproducibility, and the long-term impact of research. Many funding organizations have implemented specific requirements and guidelines regarding research data management that researchers must adhere to in order to receive funding. These requirements may vary depending on the funding agency and the type of research being conducted.
It's important you carefully review the specific data management requirements of the funding agency you are applying to and ensure that you are in compliance with those guidelines throughout the research project. Failure to meet data management requirements could result in the loss of funding or difficulties in publishing research outcomes.
The policies of several important research funders are briefly summarized below.
| Funder | Data paragraph (pre-award stage) | Data Management Plan (post-award stage) | Special remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| NWO | All NWO research proposals include a data paragraph outlining how project data will be managed, preserved, and made publicly available | Once your project has been awarded with funding, you are required to elaborate a DMP that needs to be submitted into ISAAC no later than four months after the project has been awarded | NWO expects you to consult the RDM support team when completing your plan, and approval of this plan is required for grant disbursement |
| ZonMw | Most ZonMw programs do not require a data paragraph, but ask you to include information on data reuse and RDM costs in the proposal | Once your project has been awarded with funding, you need to finalize the DMP within the first three to six months of your project | ZonMw does not review your DMP, but monitors RDM outcomes using key FAIR-related items in the midterm and final reports |
| Horizon1 | Grant applicants generating or reusing data or other outputs must outline how these will be managed in line with the FAIR principles | Beneficiaries must submit the DMP to the granting authority in accordance with the grant agreement, normally by month 6 as one of the deliverables | In public emergencies, and where required by the work programme, a DMP must be submitted with the proposal or by grant agreement signature |
| ERC | There is no requirement to address open science and data management in the application | ERC grantees generating research data must submit a DMP within six months, deposit data in a trusted repository, and provide access under the principle “as open as possible, as closed as necessary” | Overall, you should demonstrate that your approach to RDM is in line with the FAIR principles, as described here |
You can complete your DMP by simply logging in to the Research Cockpit and accessing the TU/e DMP template from your dashboard. This DMP template meets the requirements for NWO, ZonMw, Horizon, and ERC, so you can download the PDF of your DMP and submit it to these funders directly (once it has been approved by the dedicated data steward of your department). For any questions or further assistance, please feel free to contact your dedicated Data Steward at your department.
FAQ
Does NWO require me to make the research software code available to others?
Yes, if the research code is needed to access and process the data or if the research software code is the outcome of your research. If you cannot make your software available, you must explain this in your data management plan.
What should I do to comply with my funder’s data management requirements?
That depends on the funder. Often, you need to address data management in your proposal and write a more elaborate data management plan once you have been awarded the funding. Usually, you cannot start your project without approval of the data management plan by the funder.
Footnotes
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Some open science practices are mandatory for all beneficiaries per the grant agreement. They concern:
- open access to scientific publications under the conditions required by the grant agreement;
- responsible management of research data in line with the FAIR principles of ‘Findability’, ‘Accessibility’, ‘Interoperability’ and ‘Reusability’, notably through the generalised use of data management plans, and open access to research data under the principle ‘as open as possible, as closed as necessary’, under the conditions required by the grant agreement;
- information about the research outputs/tools/instruments needed to validate the conclusions of scientific publications or to validate/re-use research data;
- digital or physical access to the results needed to validate the conclusions of scientific publications, unless exceptions apply; in cases of public emergency, if requested by the granting authority, immediate open access to all research outputs under open licenses or, if exceptions apply, access under fair and reasonable conditions to legal entities that need the research outputs to address the public emergency.