The Tri-Agencies have launched the Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy to further promote excellence in data management practices in the Canadian research community.
The Office of Research strongly recommends that everyone in the U of G research community read this new Policy.
Important highlights include:
Institutional Strategy
We are required to create and post an institutional Research Data management (RDM) strategy by March 1, 2023.
Research Data Management Plans
All grant proposals submitted to the agencies should include methodologies that reflect best practices in RDM. For certain funding opportunities, the Tri-Agencies will require data management plans (DMPs) to be submitted at the time of application. In these cases, the DMPs will be considered in the adjudication process. By spring 2022, the agencies will identify the initial set of funding opportunities subject to the DMP requirement. The agencies will pilot the DMP requirement in targeted funding opportunities before this date.
Data Deposit
Grant recipients are required to deposit into a digital repository all digital research data, metadata and code that directly support the research conclusions in journal publications and pre-prints that arise from agency-supported research.
Grant recipients are not required to share their data. However, the agencies expect researchers to provide appropriate access to the data where ethical, cultural, legal and commercial requirements allow, and in accordance with the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) principles and the standards of their disciplines.
For research conducted by and with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, collectives and organizations, these communities, collectives or organizations will guide and ultimately determine how the data are collected, used and preserved, and have the right to repatriate the data. This could result in exceptions to the data deposit requirement.
After reviewing the institutional strategies and in line with the readiness of the Canadian research community, the agencies will phase in the deposit requirement. Recipients of CIHR funding have had to comply with the limited data deposit requirements included in the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications since January 1, 2008. They must continue to comply with these requirements, which are specific to bioinformatics, atomic, and molecular coordinate data.
Next Steps for University of Guelph
A joint planning committee of CCS, the Office of Research, and the Library (chaired by the Associate Vice-President, Research Services) developed a draft institutional policy in early 2018 in anticipation of the launch of the Tri-Agency RDM Policy.
The Committee will be reconvened and there will be further consultations with all stakeholders in the research community to arrive at the University of Guelph institutional RDM strategy well before the March 1, 2023 Tri-Agency deadlines.
If you have any questions or comments, please direct them to avpres@uoguelph.ca.