Digital Services » Library & Learning Resources (LLR) » Open Access and Research » Research Data Management » Funder Requirements

Funder Requirements

If your research is funded, it is important to make sure you comply with any research data policy requirements from your funding body.

UK Research and Innovation UKRI

UKRI expect you to make your data as open as possible and only closed when necessary. Current UKRI open research data policy can be found at: Making your research data open – UKRI

UKRI also publish Guidance on best practice in the management of research data – UKRI

Ownership of the data generated from the research funded by UKRI or research councils resides with the researchers or their institutions. Researchers should maintain and manage copyright and intellectual property ownership of data so that underlying research materials remain as open as possible. Each research council has its own data and sharing and management policies and guidance, which you must follow:

AHRC funding guide, including guidance on data management plans
BBSRC research data sharing policy and data management plan
EPSRC policy framework on research data
ESRC research data policy, ESRC data citation: what you need to know, and submit datasets if you have funding from ESRC
MRC research data sharing policy and guidance
NERC research data policy and guidance
STFC guidance on data management plans

Wellcome Trust

Wellcome Trust require an Outputs Management Plan where the research will generate data, software, or materials that will hold value as a resource for others in academia or industry. This covers the management of all significant types of research output, including data. Guidance on how to complete an Outputs Management Plan is available at: Outputs Management Plan – Grant Funding | Wellcome

Wellcome Open Research requires that the source data underlying the results are made available as soon as an article is published. Wellcome have an Open Data Policy and provide data guidelines at Data Guidelines | Wellcome Open Research

A guide to data management planning for Wellcome Trust funding applicants is available from the University of Bristol.

Bristish Academy

As of November 2023, the British Academy does not have an overarching policy on data management and sharing, and a formal data management plan is not required. However, some funding schemes ask applicants for a statement about how any digital data developed during the project will be stored, and about how it will be made accessible.

Requirements vary between funding schemes, so applicants are therefore advised to read the guidelines carefully to check what’s expected. Some British Academy programmes specify that digital resources should be deposited in an appropriately accessible repository, while recognising that access to confidential data may need to be restricted.

Leverhulme Trust

As of November 2023, the Leverhulme Trust does not have a formal policy on data management and sharing.

National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)

NIHR Open Research requires that, where possible, the source data underlying the results are made available as soon as an article is published. The NIHR and NIHR Open Research recognise that the sharing of research data must: protect the confidentiality and privacy of individuals; respect the terms of consent by individuals who are involved in research; be consistent with relevant legal, ethical and regulatory frameworks; and guard against unreasonable costs.

Data management and access plans are being introduced across all NIHR funding programmes, and must be completed during the start-up of research.

Data sharing statements must be included when publishing research findings, describing how to access the underpinning research data.

NIHR have a position statement on the sharing of research data at NIHR position on the sharing of research data | NIHR

Researchers must follow the NIHR Data Guidelines | NIHR Open Research

Other Funder Policies