Open Data, Research Data Management & Horizon 2020

Wider access to scientific facts and knowledge helps researchers, innovators and the public find and re-use data and check research results. It offers better value for EU research funds and encourages research across scientific fields.
The European Union, through Horizon 2020, already mandates open access to all scientific publications. From January 2017 onwards, research data for funded projects across all Horizon2020 programmes should be made open by default, with possibilities to opt out.

What about costs?

Costs associated with making research data open are fully eligible for funding and may be included in the grant proposal.

Which repository?

No specific repository is imposed: you may deposit data where you wish, provided the data corresponds with the FAIR principles i.e. they are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-Usable. Please ensure that your dataset/s are entered in your TCD RSS profile including the grant number and funder name and use TARA, if appropriate, as your data repository or provide a link in the RSS to an external repository. A list of other trusted repositories is available at Re3data. If there is no disciplinary repository available for your data and if it is not suitable for TARA, you can use the Zenodo repository, provided by OpenAIRE and hosted by CERN.

What if I can’t make my data available for commercial, ethical or other reasons?

You can opt out of making all or part of your research data available openly. Your reasons should be stated in your proposal and in subsequent Data Management Plans. Common reasons for opting out are:

Privacy
Intellectual Property
Jeopardising the project’s main objectives

Data management at the proposal stage.

The Horizon2020 proposal requires a short, general outline of the policy for data management in section 2.2 - Measures to maximise impact. The information included should cover:

What types of data will the project generate/collect?
What standards will be used?
How will this data be exploited and/or shared/made accessible for verification and re-use. If data cannot be made available, explain why.
How will this data be curated and preserved?

Using the DMPOnline tool and examining sample Data Management plans, even at the proposal stage, will help you to answer the questions above. See below for more details.

Research Data Management and Open Data for Horizon2020 projects

All successful projects funded under Horizon2020 from 2017 onwards are required to deliver a full Data Management Plan (DMP) within the first six months of the project. Subsequently, a mid-term DMP will be required and a final DMP when the project reaches completion.

Guidances for completing a Data Management Plan

The DMPOnline tool provides an excellent, free template for the drafting of your Horizon2020 DMP and is strongly recommended. This useful resource allows you to create, store and share a DMP. The Horizon2020 DMP template takes you through the questions asked by the funder and provides additional contextual guidance from the DCC (Digital Curation Centre).

The Digital Curation Centre (DCC) has produced an extremely useful guide How to Develop a Data Management Plan that will help with writing both the short outline at proposal stage and the longer DMP. Their Checklist for a Data Managment Plan is also very helpful in breaking down the elements required for a DMP.

The DMP will change during the course of the project and should be kept updated. Producing a DMP is good practice for all research projects and will help to ensure that research data are secure and well-maintained during the course of a project and beyond when the data might be shared with others.

Sample Data Management Plans

A number of examples of data management plans are available from the DCC website, including examples from different disciplines (and different funders).

How can I get help?

The Library’s Research Informatics team will be happy to discuss your Data Management Plan with you, both at the proposal stage and for the full DMP if required. Contact: Niamh Brennan.

IT Services have a Research IT team who can advise on technical solutions around storing and working with research data. Contact: Dr Darach Golden .

Your School Ethics Committee should be consulted in relation to matters associated with research ethics.

The Research Development Office provides proposal development supports and has a Horizon2020-specific team. Contact research.office@tcd.ie .