1 SFI Guidance on Data Management Plans Good data governance

SFI Guidance on Data Management Plans

Good data governance and stewardship are key components of good research practice. During 2022,

Science Foundation Ireland will begin incorporating the requirement for data management plans

(DMPs) at the application submission stage in many of its Programme Calls.

What is a Data Management Plan?

A DMP is a living document that details the procedures for careful handling of data and other

research outputs. A DMP follows the data through the lifecycle of the programme of research*, from

collection to analysis and interpretation, sharing and dissemination, and long-term storage.

Why Create a Data Management Plan?

In support of the objectives outlined in SFI’s Strategy 2025, DMPs are key to ensuring research

quality and reliability. DMPs help researchers and their teams establish and maintain consistency in

handling of data, ensuring that all team members understand the process involved in collecting,

analysing, storing, and sharing data and other outputs from a research endeavour. By documenting

the provenance of the data generated throughout the programme of research, a DMP also enhances

transparency, increasing the likelihood that the research results can be validated and reproduced. A

carefully considered DMP makes it easier to retrieve datasets, allowing for rapid troubleshooting of

potential problems while minimising risks and enabling research team members and collaborators to

quickly find and verify results. DMPs have become a critical element of international best practice

and are required by research funders in many diverse contexts, including for example the Swiss

National Science Foundation and Wellcome.

In describing data sharing aspects of a research endeavour, DMPs also align with SFI’s commitment

to Open Access and Plan S, encouraging that research data and other outputs are made as open as

possible and as closed as necessary. Researchers can also describe their contributions to data

management in SFI’s updated ‘DORA-compliant’ CV (see relevant call documents). SFI’s DMP

guidance will be updated regularly in accordance with the laws of the European Union and the

Republic of Ireland as well as with SFI policy and Grant General Terms and Conditions.

What are the Data Management Plan Requirements for SFI Grant Applicants?

SFI is a member of Science Europe, which has prioritised international alignment of research data

management policies. As part of this alignment, and in keeping with global standards, SFI is

introducing new guidance and requirements related to DMPs. SFI grant holders will be required to

submit a DMP related to their SFI-funded research, with specific timelines set forth in programme

funding call documents. DMPs will be reviewed to ensure that they contain sufficient information on

practices and standards as guided below; this assessment will be incorporated into the overall

scoring criteria. Although practices and standards vary across disciplines, each DMP should include

the following as appropriate to the programme or project:**

1. Data description and collection or re-use of existing data (type and size of data or other

outputs to be generated, such as samples, software, and other materials, methods for

collecting or producing and re-using such data)

2. Documentation and data quality (standards to be used for documentation of data and

metadata format and content, quality control measures)

3. Storage and backup during the research process (procedures and timelines for

protecting and storing data, including provisions for data security and appropriate

protection of confidential or sensitive data)

4. Legal and ethical requirements, codes of conduct (compliance with legislation on

personal data and data security including GDPR, handling of intellectual property rights

and ownership, management of any ethical issues and adherence to applicable codes)

5. Data sharing and long-term preservation (timing and methods for sharing data, relevant

terms-of-use and restrictions, method for determining which data will be preserved and

where (e.g., archive, repository), tools or methods for accessing and using data,

application of unique identifiers for datasets and data products (e.g., Digital Object

Identifier) to ensure a stable access link to data stored in a repository, measures to

mitigate data sharing risks)

6. Data management responsibilities and resources (individual(s) responsible for general

or specific aspects of data management and institutional or project-specific resources

dedicated to managing data and ensuring adherence with the FAIR principles (Findable,

Accessible, Interoperable, Re-usable)

Recommendations for Creating a Data Management Plan

• Please refer to the relevant funding call document to establish whether and at what

point during the application process or grant term a DMP is required, and whether

budgeting for data management expenses is allowable as an eligible cost.

• SFI recommends the use of Science Europe DMP templates and guidelines. Applicants

and grant holders may use alternative templates if deemed more suitable.

• The DMP should be treated as a living document that will naturally be updated as data

management tools evolve and procedures or project plans change during the term of

grant (e.g., changes may be advised during a programme progress review).

• SFI recommends using version control to track changes in the DMP over time.

• The most updated DMP should be available to SFI upon request (e.g., especially for the

purpose of progress reviews encompassing data provenance analysis, and annual

reporting).

• Where possible, Grant holders should apply persistent identifiers to datasets (e.g., DOI)

to ensure compliance with FAIR principles.

• Where institutional support for data management exists (e.g., data stewards,

repositories, data management policies) applicants and grant holders are encouraged to

draw upon such support as they develop and implement their DMPs.

*SFI-funded research programmes, as described in call documents, can range from a single research project to a collection

of research projects encompassed in several work packages. The data management plan should reflect the relevant

standards for individual research projects while describing a cohesive approach to managing data across the overall

programme of research as appropriate.

** Based primarily on guidance provided by Science Europe: https://www.scienceeurope.org/our-resources/practical-

guide-to-the-international-alignment-of-research-data-management/ and supplemented by guidance from the European

Research Council of the European Commission:

https://erc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/document/file/ERC_info_document-

Open_Research_Data_and_Data_Management_Plans.pdf