This document provides an overview of data sharing policies and practices among European research funders. It finds that while many funders state a policy in support of open access to research data, fewer mandate sharing in repositories or monitor compliance. Common incentives for data sharing include guidance, tools and supported repositories, while rewards through additional funding or assessment are rare. Monitoring of data management plans and sharing is limited, occurring in only a few countries. The document discusses examples from the UK and other countries to identify best practices that could encourage data sharing while also building trust in repositories and services.

1. European
Research Funders
and data sharing:
an
overview of
current practices
Angus Whyte, DCC
‘EUDAT Data Acess and Reuse
Policy Working Group
Workshop November 11-12
2014
a.whyte@ed.ac.uk

2. Helping to build capacity,
capability and skills in
data management and
curation across the UK’s
higher education
research community

4. RDM Service ‘Components’
www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/how-guides/how-develop-rdm-services

5. RDM Service ‘Components’
www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/how-guides/how-develop-rdm-services

6. Guidance on UK Funder Policies
http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/research/datapolicy/

7. UK Funder Policy Overview
http://www.dcc.ac.uk/resources/policy-and-legal/overview-funders-data-policies

8. Current European Activity

9. Current European Activity

10. Current European Activity

14. What about National
Funders?

15. References
Sources
ec.europa.eu/research/era/eraprogress_en.htm

16. ec.europa.eu/research/era/eraprogress_en.htm
Do funders support open data?
“Among those Member States whose funders support
it, the average share of funding organisations
frequently supporting it is 28.1 %”

17. What kinds of ‘sticks’?
Q. Do most of the national funders
• State their policy on OA to research data?
• Expect a data management plan?
• Mandate sharing in repository?
• Monitor DMP submitted or data deposited?
A. ● Common ◑ Occasional ○ Rare or never

18. What kinds of ‘carrots’?
Q. Do most of the national funders
• Offer guidance, tools, support staff?
• Support a data repository?
• State costs will be met?
• Offer rewards through funding or assessment?
A. ● Common ◑ Occasional ○ Rare or never

19. Other sources of Information
• Int’l Federation of Data Organizations for Social
Science (IFDO) Report ‘ Policies for Sharing Research
Data in Social Sciences and Humanities’
http://ifdo.org/wordpress/?p=532
• SIM4RDM Landscape Report
• APARSEN d35. Exemplar Good Governance Structures
and Data Policies
• January ’15 RECODE D5 Policy guidelines for open access
and data dissemination and preservation “…review relevant open
access and data dissemination and preservation policies at the European and
Member State level and in third countries. It will identify policy gaps…”

20. Selected EUDAT member countries’ funder policies
● Common ◑ Occasional ○ Rare or never
Policy DMP Deposit Monitor Guides Repos Costs Reward
AT ◑ ○ ◑ ○ ○ ◑ ○ ○
CZ ○ ○ ○ ○ ◑ ◑ ○ ○
FI ● ● ○ ● ● ● ◑ ○
FR ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ◑ ○ ○
DE ◑ ◑ ◑ ○ ◑ ● ● ○
IT ◑ ○ ● ○ ○ ● ○ ○
ND ◑ ◑ ◑ ◑ ● ● ◑ ○
NO ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ○
PL ● ○ ○ ○ ○ ● ○ ○
ES ● ○ ○ ○ ○ ● ● ○
SE ○ ◑ ○ ○ ● ● ○ ○
CH ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
UK ● ● ◑ ◑ ● ● ● ○

21. Some observations
Repositories supported across all 13
DMPs expected in 6 of 13 countries
Monitoring in only 4 countries
Rewards are rare

22. What is and should be monitored?
Was DMP submitted with research
bid?
6/7
Does plan meet quality criteria and
needs of the project?
6/7
Was data shared from the project as
planned?
2/7
Number of UK Research Council

23. What is and should be monitored?
Data plan submitted with
research bid?
6/7 funders
Does plan meet quality
criteria and needs of the
project? *
5/7
Was data shared from the
project as planned?
2/7
Number of UK Research Council
* e.g. Medical Research Council
http://www.mrc.ac.uk/documents/pdf/data-management-plans-guidance-for-reviewers/

24. What kinds of reward?
Specific funding streams for data sharing or reuse?
e.g. UK Biotechnology and Biology Sciencies (BBSRC)
•Tools and Resources Development Fund
•Bioinformatics and Biological Resources Fund

25. What kinds of reward?
Specific funding streams for data sharing or reuse?
e.g.UK Biotechnology and Biology Sciencies (BBSRC)
•Tools and Resources Development Fund
•Bioinformatics and Biological Resources Fund
Credit in research assessment?
e.g. UK Research Excellence Framework 2014
•Case studies on impact beyond academia
•Research environment information

26. What about trust?
What policies build trust in RO’s support services?
– Trust certification to promote trust in repositories
– How should RO’s help local domain RDM scale up?

27. Questions?
Cover picture www.flickr.com/photos/gaurangapada/152369925/in/photolist-625TNj-esWgF