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Research Data Management Planning

Research Data Management planning involves making decisions at the beginning of your research about how you, and those working on your project will collect, organise, store and backup, preserve and share your data. 

Many Funders' policies require researchers to create a Data Management Plan or complete a section on data management and sharing as part of their grant application process. Considering how you will manage your data will help you to work more efficiently, manage risk and ensure your data meet the FAIR principles. As such, Brunel requires all its researchers to prepare a data management plan, whether they are funded or not.

The table below outlines the data management planning and sharing requirements of the main UKRI funders together with links to their data policies. For Funders not shown here, you may consult Sherpa/Juliet, which provides additional information. Alternatively, please email the Research Data Manager researchdata@brunel.ac.uk or contact the Funder directly to clarify what is required. 

UKRI Funders

AHRC

Data Management Planning

  • Data Management Plan to be submitted (apart from Research Networking Funding stream) with the grant application using a set template. 

Data sharing requirements

  • Data availability statement to be included in publications.

  • Data underpinning publications to be deposited in a data repository at the close of the project and be accessible for a minimum of three years. 

Useful links

BBSRC

Data Management Planning

  • Data management plan to be submitted with the grant application using a set template. 

Data sharing requirements

  • Data availability statement to be included in publications.

  • Data underpinning publications to be deposited in a data repository. BBSRC expects that all data should be shared in a timely fashion as soon as it is verified. 

  • Data should maintained for a period of 10 years after the completion of the project.

Useful links

EPSRC

Data Management Planning

  • The EPSRC does not require a data management plan to be submitted at the application stage, however, they do expect grant holders to consider how they will manage and share their data. It is therefore good practice (and a requirement under Brunel's RDM policy) to prepare a data management plan from the outset. 

Data sharing requirements

  • Data availability statement to be included in publications.

  • Metadata describing what data exists, why, when and how it was generated must be published within 12 months of the data being generated. Where such data are digital, it is expected the metadata will include use of a DOI. 

Useful links

ESRC

Data Management Planning

  • Data management plan to be submitted with the grant application using a set template.

Data sharing requirements

  • Data availability statement to be included in publications.

  • Research data to be submitted to either the UKDS or another suitable data repository such as https://brunel.figshare.com within three months of the end of their grant.

Useful links

MRC

Data Management Planning

  • Data management plan to be submitted with the grant application using a set template.

Data sharing requirements

  • Data availability statement to be included in publications.

  • The MRC expects valuable data to be shared in a timely and responsible manner.

  • Data arising from MRC-funded research must be properly curated throughout its life-cycle and released with the appropriate high-quality metadata.

  • Research data to be submitted to either the UKDS, a suitable discipline specific repository or institutional repository such as https://brunel.figshare.com 

Useful links

NERC

Data Management Planning

  • An outline data managment plan to be submitted with the grant application using a set template. A fuller data management plan to be provided within three months of the project's start date.

Data sharing requirements

  • Data availability statement to be included in publications.

  • NERC expects data of long-term value to be shared with as few restrictions as possible and in a timely manner.

  • The appropriate NERC Data Centre should be provided with a copy of the finalised data as soon as possible after the end of data collection.

Useful links

STFC

Data Management Planning

  • Data management plan to be submitted with the grant application using a set template.

Data sharing requirements

  • STFC-funded research data must be made freely available after project completion.

  • Applicants should ensure that raw data remains available for ten years from project completion, while data which is not re-measurable is retained ‘in perpetuity’.

  • Data underpinning published research outputs should be available within six months of the output’s publication.

  • Data should be shared using an appropriate data repository. The intended repository should be stated in the data management plan.

Useful links

 

Academy, Trust, Society and Charity funders

British Academy

Data Management Planning

  • A data management plan is not currently required as part of the application, however, there is a section on the application form which asks for details of 'How and where any electronic or digital data (including datasets) developed during the project will be stored, along with details on the appropriate method of access.'

Data sharing requirements

  • The British Academy state that it is a condition of the award that data be freely accessible during and beyond the lifetime of the award. 

EC Horizon 2020

Data Management Planning

  • Data management plan required within six months of the start of the project using a set template.

Data sharing requirements

  • Data must be desposited in a suitable research data repository

Useful links

Leverhulme Trust

Data Management Planning

  • No specific data management plan at the application stage.

Data sharing requirements

  • There are no specific guidelines related to data sharing.

Welcome Trust

Data Management Planning

  • Data management and sharing plan required with the application.

Data sharing requirements

  • As a minimum, the data underpinning research papers should be made available to other researchers at the time of publication, as well as any original software that is required to view datasets or to replicate analyses.

Useful links

 

How do I create a data management plan?

The best way to get started writing a data management plan (DMP) is to begin with a suitable template. We recommend using DMPonline tool for this, as it includes templates for all the main UK research funders along with useful guidance on how to complete them. 

Guides to preparing Data Management Plans with Brunel specific advice are avaliable for the following funders:

DMP guidance for the AHRC

DMP guidance for the ESRC

Can I get support to write my data management plan?

We provide a data management plan review service to researchers who are either preparing grant proposals or planning unfunded research. Data management plans should, where possible, be submitted at least 5 working days before the grant submission deadline. Drafts can be sent to the Research Data Manager or created using DMPonline and shared with the Research Data Manager for comment. More information can be found on our support page.

Where can I find examples of Data Management Plans?

The Research Support and Development Office (RSDO) provides examples of successful grant proposals (requires Brunel login) which contain data management plans. These are for illustrative purposes only and should not be shared outside Brunel University London