The new policy framework is being developed collaboratively by the research councils, Research England and Innovate UK.
It will update and streamline expectations and guidance for research data arising from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) research funding.
This will include guidance relating to research data management plans and making data findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (the FAIR data principles), and will take account of the latest technological advances.
Supporting an open research culture
Professor Dame Jessica Corner, UKRI Executive Chair Champion for Open Research said:
As research becomes ever more data intensive, it is essential that research data arising from UKRI public funding is shared appropriately, to maximise its value and to enable more collaborative, efficient and trusted research and innovation.
Developing a new data policy will enable UKRI to better incentivise and support good practice and an open research culture within and across all research communities.
UKRI will publish and consult on a draft version of its new policy in spring 2025.
Applicants for UKRI funding and grant holders should continue to follow UKRI’s existing research data policies.
An integrated approach
The new policy framework will update and, where appropriate, harmonise and streamline UKRI’s policies and guidance for data sharing and management, including guidance relating to data management plans.
This integrated approach will provide simpler and more consistent policy across UKRI’s council-specific and cross-council funding, grounded in promoting good practice for the type of research being undertaken and data it will generate or use.
This will better align with related UKRI priorities, including:
- promoting an open research culture
- supporting and recognising diverse skills and talent
- facilitating responsible and trusted research and innovation
Building on strong foundations
UKRI’s new policy framework will build on the research councils’ existing common principles and policies and the concordat on open research.
These have played an important role in supporting UK leadership in research data sharing and management policy and practice.
It will seek to build on recommendations previously made by the Open Research Data Task Force, and recent reviews undertaken by some of UKRI’s councils.
These include the recent review of the Economic and Social Research Council’s (ESRC) research data policy.
UKRI will also be taking into account international initiatives to promote open research practices, including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) recommendation on access to data from public funding.
Supporting UKRI’s wider investment in data
Developing a new UKRI policy also aligns with UKRI’s wider investment in research data, digital skills, talent and infrastructure.
For example:
- UKRI’s digital research infrastructure programme
- new membership of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC)
- informing the development of the government’s UK National Data Library
Looking beyond data
UKRI also wants to promote good sharing and management of other important digital research outputs.
It has recently become an organisational member of the Research Software Alliance, and will be considering expectations for software and code as part of its data policy.
Further information
Examples of research council policies and activities the UKRI research data policy is building on:
- UKRI’s current research data common principles and policies
- Medical Research Council blog: making data sharing happen
- ESRC research data policy review
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council review of data-intensive bioscience
- supporting digital skills of arts and humanities researchers
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