EPSRC requirements

What does the EPSRC expect?

Further sources of help

• DATA MANAGEMENT PLAN REQUIRED AT APPLICATION? No: unlike many other funders, the EPSRC does not require a plan to be submitted as part of a grant application. However, EPSRC nevertheless expects that project-specific data management plans should exist for all data.
• HELP WITH COSTS? Support may be requested for any costs related to research data management which will be incurred during the project. However, funds should be used in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
• WHEN AND WHERE TO DEPOSIT DATA: Appropriately structured metadata should be published online within twelve months of the data being generated. This should indicate what research data exists, why, when and how it was generated, and how to access it (or provide a summary of any access restrictions).
  Any metadata which refers to digital research data should include a robust digital object identifier.
  (Note: a straightforward way to provide the required metadata and identifier will often be to deposit a copy of the data in a suitable archive or repository.)
• ACCESS AND DATA SHARING: Published research results should always include information on how to access the supporting data.
  Research data must be securely preserved for at least ten years after any privileged access period expires, or, if others have accessed the data, after the last date on which access to the data was requested by a third party.
  Publicly funded research data not generated in digital format should be stored in a manner that means it can be shared in the event of a valid request for access to it.
  (Note: the research data covered by the EPSRC policy may not include every piece of data produced during a project. EPSRC have indicated that they expect data which underpins published research outputs to be kept as a priority. You should decide what needs to be kept in consultation with your PI or Head of Department.)

• EPSRC Policy Framework on Research Data
• UKRI guidance on Reporting Outcomes for EPSRC-funded Projects
• UKRI Guidance on Best Practice in the Management of Research Data
• DataCite defines a minimal set of mandatory metadata, for the purpose of citation and retrieval, and provides digital object identifiers for research data
• Data Management Planning: EPSRC Funding Applicants – a guide prepared by the University of Bristol Research Data Service (PDF)

• EPSRC Data Requirements and What You Need to Do – further guidance for Oxford researchers, including FAQs