Goals and action plan for the national strategy for data management based on the FAIR Principles (mandate period 2023-25)

As other countries in the EU, Denmark has chosen to adopt the FAIR principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse) as a framework for managing publicly funded research data (data management). The Ministry of Higher Education and Science, has therefore through the Danish e-Infrastructure Consortium (DeiC), developed a National strategy for data management based on the FAIR principles (FAIR strategy, which was published in 2021. The strategy applies to publicly funded research data, defined as the outcome of research financed by public funds or research conducted by public institutions, possibly with private funding included.

The FAIR strategy is simultaneously designed to serve as the political implementation of the Directive on open data and the reuse of public sector information, which extends the previous EU Directive on the public sector's information (PSI).

 As part of the strategy, The Ministry of Higher Education and Science established a reference group with the task of monitoring and coordinating the implementation of the strategy. The reference group was formed in 2021 and had its first mandate period from 2021 to 2022. During the initial mandate period, 5 working groups were formed under the FAIR reference group, focusing on data management policies and researcher support, data management infrastructure, financing, skills, and security. Over 60 experts from various academic fields, including representatives from Danish universities, foundations, as well as various public and private organizations, participated in this effort. In December 2022, the FAIR reference Group and the working groups submitted a report on the focus areas to The Ministry of Higher Education and Science. Subsequently, the mandate of the FAIR reference group was extended for an additional two years. Due to delays, this mandate period has been further extended until ultimo 2025.