Funder specific policies
The information below summarises the policies for some of the major research funders. A useful resource for information about other funders' open access policies for publications and research data is Sherpa Juliet. The Research Data Management team are happy to help with any questions about any funders' open data requirements.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funders
Funders' expectations on research data are summarised below. The research data management team can help write data management plans and make data publicly available to meet funders requirements.
Did you know?
Researchers must include a data access statement in their UKRI-funded articles, even where there is no data associated with the article or the data are inaccessible. Visit our data access statements pages for examples.
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The AHRC support the UKRI Common Principles on Data Policy and state that making research data available to users is a core part of the Research Councils’ remit and is undertaken in a variety of ways.
The AHRC is primarily interested in digital outputs, including open-source software, but the policy does not apply to project websites.
Expectations of particular notice
- The AHRC expects grant holders to abide by the UKRI Common Principles on Data Policy
- Digital outputs must be made openly available with as few restrictions as possible in a timely and responsible manner.
- AHRC requires research outputs (i.e. journal articles) to provide a means by which third parties can access any underpinning research datasets (see guidance on data access statements).
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The BBSRC expects research data generated as a result of BBSRC support to be made available, with as few restrictions as possible in a timely and responsible manner to the scientific community for subsequent research, as stated in their Data Sharing Policy.
Expectations of particular notice
- A data management plan should be submitted at the grant application stage. Information available in the Guidance for applicants.
- Software and models arising from funded grants are covered by BBSRC's data sharing policy.
- Sharing via an appropriate database, repository or other community resource is expected where possible. The chosen mechanism of data sharing should afford the widest availability for generating added value and enabling re-use.
- Data must be released no later than the publication of findings and within three years of project completion.
- Commercial interests should not “unduly delay or prevent sharing” of data funded by BBSRC.
- Data must be available for a minimum of ten years after the project end and in a form appropriate for secondary use.
- BBSRC requires research outputs (i.e. journal articles) to provide a means by which third parties can access any underpinning research datasets (see data access statement guidance).
- Biological resources accompanying the data should also be made available, either through deposition with the most appropriate collection or directly from the grant holder, for a minimum of 2 years following the publication of any paper describing those organisms.
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The EPSRC's Policy Framework on Research Data sets out nine expectations concerning the management and provision of access to EPSRC-funded research data.
Expectations of particular notice
- Research data should be made as widely and freely available as possible in "a timely and responsible manner", subject to legal, ethical and commercial constraints.
- Data must be accessible online no later than the date of first online publication of the article.
- Digital data should be assigned a persistent identifier such as a DOI (digital object identifier).
- Published research papers must include a short statement describing how and on what terms any supporting research data may be accessed (see guidance on data access statement).
- Where access to the data is restricted, include the reasons in your published metadata.
- Research data must be securely preserved for at least 10 years after any privileged access period expires.
- Direct costs associated with all aspects of research data management are eligible research grant costs.
- The EPSRC will monitor compliance on a case-by-case basis. If it appears that proper sharing of data is being obstructed, it reserves the right to impose appropriate sanctions.
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The ESRC supports the view that publicly funded research data is a public good, produced in the public interest and should be openly available to the maximum extent possible. It is committed to long-term preservation, high-quality data management and strengthening the provision for secondary data analysis and expects grant holders to generate scientifically robust data ready for further reuse.
Expectations of particular notice
- A data management plan (DMP) is required by all applicants at the funding application stage. If data sharing is not possible, you must present a strong argument to justify your case. Within the DMP, barriers to data sharing - along with any measures you plan to take to overcome them - should be identified. For sensitive data explicit mention of consent, anonymisation and potential access restrictions (see ESRC Framework for Research Ethics) should be made in the DMP.
- Research data should be made available to the scientific community in "a timely and responsible manner".
- ESRC expects researchers to investigate copyright issues and to attempt to gain copyright clearance so that data can be shared at the end of the project. The University's copyright officer can assist with copyright issues and can be contacted by emailing copyright@st-andrews.ac.uk.
- After funding is awarded, grant holders are required to seek further advice and guidance from the UK Data Service.
- ESRC state that it will monitor compliance with its policies. The final payment of a grant may be withheld if data has not been offered for deposit to the required standard, unless a waiver has been agreed in advance.
Useful links
- ESRC Research Data Policy
- ESRC Guidance on Data Management Plan (UK Data Service)
- Guidance for reviewers: ESRC Data Management Plan (by ESRC)
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MRC’s overarching aim for data sharing is to maximise the lifetime value of research data assets for human health and to do so in a timely and responsible manner, with as few restrictions as possible, consistent with the law, regulation and recognised good practice.
Expectations of particular notice
- The MRC expects the submission of a data management plan as part of the application. Once research is funded, DMPs should be updated annually by a designated member of your study team
- The MRC expects valuable data to be made available to the scientific community with as few restrictions as possible to maximize the value of the data for research and for eventual patient and public benefit.
- Such data must be shared in a timely and responsible manner.
- MRC-funded researchers have a responsibility to ensure that opportunities for data reuse are maximised, within the regulatory requirements of the law.
- Data must be released with the appropriate high-quality metadata.
- Data must be securely maintained for a minimum of 10 years after completion of the research.
- Primary research data must also be retained in their original form within the research establishment that generated them for a minimum of 10 years.
- A limited and defined period of exclusive data use is reasonable.
- Population- or patient-based studies must meet 21 additional requirements as detailed in the MRC Policy and Guidance on Sharing of Research Data from Population and Patient Studies.
- The MRC is willing to cover some of the costs associated with data sharing.
Useful links
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The NERC's data sharing policy is in place to ensure the continuing availability of environmental data of long-term value for research, teaching, and for wider exploitation for the public good, by individuals, government, business and other organisations; and to
- support the integrity, transparency and openness of the research it supports,
- help in the formal publication of datasets, as well as enabling the tracking of their usage through citation and data licences,
- meet relevant legislation and government guidance on the management and distribution of environmental information.
Expectations of particular notice
- All applications for NERC funding must include an outline data management plan.
- All environmental data of long-term value generated through NERC-funded activities must be submitted to NERC for long-term management and dissemination.
- Researchers are entitled to a period of 'right of first use' (i.e. exclusive access) to the data you generate, but this period must not be longer than two years from the end of data collection or creation.
- All research publications arising from NERC funding must include a statement on how underpinning research datasets can be accessed (see guidance on data access statement).
Useful links
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The STFC, through the facilities it operates and subscribes to and the grants it funds, is one of the main UK producers of scientific data. These data are 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, in both the short and the long term.
STFC define data as
- "raw" scientific data directly arising as a result of experiment, measurement and observation
- "derived" data that have been subject to some form of standard or automated data reduction procedure
- "published" data that are displayed or otherwise referred to in a publication and based on which the scientific conclusions are derived.
Expectations of particular notice
- Proposals for grant funding for those projects that result in the production or collection of scientific data should include a data management plan.
- STFC-funded research data must be made freely available after project completion.
- A defined period of exclusive data use is permitted; thereafter data must be made publicly available unless there are specific reasons why this should not happen.
- Applicants should ensure that raw data remains available for ten years from project completion, while data that is not re-measurable (e.g. earth observations) is retained "in perpetuity".
- Data underpinning published research outputs should be available within six months of the output’s publication.
Useful links
Other funders
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Cancer Research UK is committed to ensuring that the data generated through its funding should be put to maximum use by the cancer research community and, whenever possible, be translated to deliver patient benefit.
Expectations of particular notice
- CRUK require a data sharing plan as part of a research grant proposal. If data sharing is not appropriate, you must include a clear explanation of why.
- Data must be shared in a "timely and responsible manner".
- Data should be released no later than the acceptance for publication of the main findings. A limited period of exclusive use of data for research is reasonable.
- Data should be preserved and available for sharing for a minimum period of 5 years following the end of a research grant.
- Data should be considered for sharing and made available as widely as possible whilst safeguarding intellectual property, the privacy of patients and confidential data.
- Data should be properly curated throughout their lifecycle and released with the appropriate high-quality metadata. This is the responsibility of the data custodians, who are usually those individuals or institutes that received funding to create or collect the data.
Useful links
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According to H2020 data should be “as open as possible and as closed as necessary”.
Expectations of particular notice
- A data management plan (DMP) should be submitted as a deliverable within the first six months of the start of projects. New DMPs should be created whenever important changes to the project occur (e.g. due to inclusion of new datasets, changes in consortium policies or external factors).
- Horizon 2020 expect that data will be deposited in an appropriate research data repository and that researchers take measures to make it possible for third parties to: access, mine, exploit, reproduce and disseminate free of charge for any user.
- The data produced in Horizon 2020 projects should be FAIR: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable.
- Data should be assessable and intelligible, and usable beyond the original purpose for which they were collected.
Useful links
- H2020 Guidelines to the Rules on Open Access to Research Data
- H2020 online manual - Data management (including templates)
- Personal data and the Open Data Pilot factsheet
- Guidelines on FAIR Data Management in Horizon 2020
- ERC guidelines on Implementation of Open Access to Research Data
- Open Research Data Pilot
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The NC3Rs expects valuable data arising from NC3Rs-funded research to be made available to the scientific community with as few restrictions as possible. Therefore, the NC3Rs has adopted the MRC policy on data management and research data sharing.
Useful links
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Expectations of particular notice
- A data sharing plan is required with any grant application requesting $500,000 or more of direct costs in a single year;may still be requested for applications that are less than $500,000;
- All data should be considered for sharing.
- Data should be made as widely and freely available as possible while safeguarding the privacy of participants and protecting confidential and proprietary data.
- NIH expects the timely release and sharing of data to be no later than the acceptance for publication of the main findings from the final dataset.
- Grantees are required to keep data for a minimum of 3 years following the closeout of a grant or contract agreement (though contracts may specify different periods).
Useful links
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The NIHR commissions and funds NHS, social care and public health research essential for delivering responsibilities in public, health and personal social services. Its role is to develop the research evidence to support decision making by professionals, policymakers and patients, make this evidence available, and encourage its uptake and use.
Its key objective is to improve the quality, relevance, and focus of research in the NHS and social care by distributing funds in a transparent way after open competition and peer review; and it is committed to the principle that those who receive research funding should take responsibility for the duration, management, and exploitation of their digital outputs.
Expectations of particular notice
- NIHR encourage researchers' data to be deposited in an appropriate repository where possible.
- Data sharing statements must be included when publishing the findings of the research describing how to access the underpinning research data.
- All NIHR researchers are required to prepare and submit to the NIHR a statement on how underlying research materials, such as data, samples or models, can be accessed.
Useful links
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Expectations of particular notice
- Proposals that do not include a DMP will not be able to be submitted.
- Researchers are expected to share with other researchers, at no more than incremental cost and within a reasonable time the primary data, samples, physical collections, and other supporting materials created or gathered in the course of work under NSF grants.
Useful links
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Expectations of particular notice
- The Royal Society requires the submission of a data management plan as part of the application.
- Datasets should be deposited in an appropriate, recognised, publicly available repository. Where no data-specific repository exists, authors should deposit their datasets in a general repository such as Dryad, Figshare, an Institutional Repository or include them in the supplementary material.
- The Royal Society will cover the cost of depositing up to 20GB of data with Dryad; simply select a Royal Society journal when depositing your data.
- All manuscripts that report primary data (usually research articles) must include a Data Accessibility section that states, where the article's supporting data, can be accessed.
- If the data has been deposited in an external repository the Data Accessibility section should list the database, accession number and link to the DOI for all data from the article that has been made publicly available, for instance:
- DNA sequences: Genbank accessions F234391-F234402 (http://dx.doi.org/xxxxx)
- Phylogenetic data, including alignments: TreeBASE accession number S9123 (http://dx.doi.org/xxxxx)
- Climate data and MaxEnt input files: Dryad doi:10.5521/dryad.12311 (http://dx.doi.org/xxxxx)
- Datasets that have been deposited in an external repository and have a DOI should also be appropriately cited in the manuscript and included in the reference list. When citing datasets, DOI names should be displayed as linkable, permanent URLs as recommended by DataCite.
Useful links
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The Wellcome Trust expects researchers they fund to properly manage and, where possible, share valuable research data. The Trust's aim is to maximise the availability of research data with as few restrictions as possible.
Expectations of particular notice
- All funded researchers have a responsibility to “maximise the availability of research data, software and materials with as few restrictions as possible”.
- In cases of research generating data, software or materials with value as a resource for others in academia or industry, applicants will need to include an outputs management plan explaining their approach to managing and sharing.
- As an absolute minimum, researchers should make relevant data available to others on publication of their research, as well as any original software that is required to view datasets or to replicate analyses. Opportunities for timely and responsible pre-publication sharing of data should also be maximised.
- A limited and defined period of exclusive data use is reasonable.
- It is the responsibility of the applicant to identify appropriate data repositories and then to deposit data into one of them to allow sharing. The Wellcome Trust provides a list of available data repositories.
- Any published outputs must include a reference to underlying datasets (see guidance on data access statements). The default expectation is that these datasets will be available for research validation purposes. If you know that this will not be the case, your reasons must be given within your outputs management plan.
- Data should be maintained securely for a minimum of 10 years.
Useful links