The Development of Research Data Management Policies in Horizon 2020

This article provides an overview of open research data and research data management in Horizon 2020. It describes the open research data pilot in Horizon 2020, which, as of 2017, has been extended to cover all thematic areas of Horizon 2020 (‘open data as the default’). However, the Commission also recognises that there are also good reasons to keep data closed and thus allows individual opt-outs. Good research data management in a broader sense has emerged as a key issue in this context. The link between openness and general management of research data is provided by a key document mandatory for all Horizon 2020 projects which do not opt-out: the data management plan (DMP). In the 2016 update of the Horizon 2020 guidelines on data management it was made clear that the DMP should outline how projects make their data FAIR: findable, accessible, interoperable and re-usable. Initial experience with DMP assessment by research data management (RDM) experts in H2020 reveals that additional guidance on data management is needed for all groups of actors in research projects. Aspects such as data preservation, IPR or standards are too often not well developed in the DMPs that have been submitted so far. However, improved guidance and tools are expected to improve these competences. Nevertheless research projects with excellent RDM performance are not rare. Some high quality DMPs from H2020 projects have already been published online. While costs for data management can be covered by the beneficiaries and are fully eligible for reimbursement in Horizon 2020 many project participants need information about the adequate level of spending for data management in projects. At the moment, those projects opting out of opening their research data do not have to provide a DMP. The authors believe that in the future all projects should produce a DMP, even if they choose to keep some (or even all) of their data closed. In this case, the DMP should still address the curation and preservation of such data.