You need to consider the management of research data as early as when you are planning your research and applying to the Swedish Research Council. This applies even though we do not normally request a data management plan in the application.
Contact your administrating organisation’s support functions for data management to find out which guidelines and procedures apply to the management and accessibility of research data in your case.
Our requirements are in line with our recommendations for the management and accessibility of research data. These provide guidance to research organisations on how open access to research data can be implemented in their guidelines, procedures and processes.
The Swedish Research Council's recommendations for research data: FAIR and open access
The responsibility for meeting the requirements lies with the administrating organisation, and in many cases they have already implemented the recommendations in their operations.
This means the requirements for you as a researcher
The following applies to research data generated within activities that have been granted funding from the Swedish Research Council:
- Research data shall, as far as possible, be managed in accordance with the FAIR principles.
Criteria and guidance for implementation can be found in the chapter ‘Recommendations for FAIR data management’ in the Swedish Research Council's recommendations for research data: FAIR and open access.
- Research data shall be made openly available according to the principle ‘as open as possible and as restricted as necessary’ in connection with the publication of research results.
This principle means that access to research data and restrictions on their use should only be limited when necessary, based on applicable laws and other regulations, ethical considerations, or other technical or organisational preconditions. Please note that even a delay counts as a restriction.
Our requirements do not mean that data must always be made available in the form of, for example, raw data or aggregated data. Which data should be made available needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the stated principle.
We recommend that open access to research data is created in line with the Swedish Research Council's recommendations for FAIR and open access to research data.
- The administrating organisation is responsible for ensuring that a data management plan is drawn up before the research begins and that the plan is maintained and followed.
We have developed a template for data management plans that can be used; see more information in the Questions and Answers section below.
Please note that you shall not submit any data management plans to us.
FAQ about research data
Our mission is to follow up, coordinate and promote collaboration in the work to introduce open access to research data in Sweden. The requirement for FAIR, open access and data management plans is part of this work and promotes what is known as good data management. Good data management is important to ensure research data can be used, quality assessed, preserved and be made available openly on the internet.
Read more about the Swedish Research Council’s coordination mandate.
The requirement for data management plans applies to the Swedish Research Council's grants for research that generates research data.* The requirement applies to all those who are awarded grants from spring 2019.
The requirement for FAIR data management and open access to research data applies from 2026 onwards.
*Exceptions are grants to organisations/organisation grants, network grants and conference grants.
Yes. When you produce your data management plan, you can use the template produced by the Swedish Research Council and the Association of Swedish Higher Education Institutions (SUHF). It consists of six central parts that a data management plan should cover.
Template for data management plans
In addition, Sunet has a digital tool for data management plans. This is one of several possible alternatives that HEIs can use as a support to develop and maintain data management plans.
Read more about the tool on Sunet's website (in Swedish) External link.
Always find out first what support and tools are available at your higher education institution.
Please note that you shall not submit any data management plan to us.
Your application to the Swedish Research Council may include funding for all types of project-related costs that arise during the grant period, including data management and making research data available.
Can I apply for funding to draw up a data management plan?
Project-related costs for the Swedish Research Council grants only refer to costs that arise during the grant period, which normally starts on 1 January. The data management plan must be drawn up before the research starts, however. Costs for establishing a data management plan can only be included if they are attributable to the project in question and arise during the actual project period (the grant period).
If you have any questions about how to handle and store your research data, please contact your higher education institution.
The Swedish Research Council’s website dataguide.se External link. has general information on what applies when you use data in research.
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