Funders' data plan requirements

AHRC: A technical appendix may be required, covering project management of technical aspects; data development methods; infrastructural support; data preservation and sustainability; access; and copyright and IPR issues.

BBSRC: A data sharing plan is required, which may include details of: data areas, types and formats; standards and metadata; secondary use; methods for data sharing; and timeframes for release. Guidance is available under 'Data Sharing Areas' on p7 of the BBSRC Data Sharing Policy.

Cancer Research UK: CRUK asks researchers to submit a data sharing plan, covering various themes as outlined in its data sharing guidelines.

EPSRC: The EPSRC does not require data management or sharing plans, but expects data to be preserved and shared - see the EPSRC data policy.

ESRC: ESRC require applicants to consider how outputs will be made available in the long-term at the proposal stage by answering five questions relating to data management on the Je-S form. The data plan requirement will be updated in early 2011, as indicated in the ESRC's revised data policy released in September 2010.

MRC: A data sharing and preservation strategy should be provided at the proposal stage, summarising the type of data to be generated, foreseeable research uses, and plans for preparing and documenting data for preservation for sharing. Guidance is available in the MRC data policy. 

NERC: Overarching data plans are produced by the data centres for each thematic programme.  A formal requirement for outline data management plans was established in the NERC 2011 data policy and comes into force in 2012.  These need to identify data sets of long-term value and the resources needed to implement the plan.

STFC: Data management plans are expected for all data within the scope of the policy, both at the grant proposal stage and within STFC operated facilities. STFC recommends that data management plans be formulated following the guidance provided by the Digital Curation Centre

Wellcome Trust: Data sharing plans should address seven key questions as clearly and concisely as possible, as noted in the Trust's Guidance for researchers: Developing a data management and sharing plan