More precise requirements for how data should be handled in research projects

From next year, our general grant conditions will be clearer regarding what applies to research data created within the projects we fund. In the updated conditions, the requirements for data management according to FAIR principles and for open access to research data according to the principle ‘as open as possible, as restricted as necessary’ are more precisely defined.

In practice, these requirements are already part of the general grant conditions, says Teresa Ottinger, head of the Grant Application Unit at the Swedish Research Council.

"Openness and accessibility of research data are aspects of following good research practice, and the requirement to follow good research practice has been part of our general grant conditions for a long time. With the wording in the new section 3.4, we want to clarify this.

The clarification is in line with recommendations within the Swedish Research Council's mission to coordinate and support Sweden's transition to open access to research data by 2026 at the latest.

Planning how research data should be managed at the start of a project creates better conditions for the data to be reused after the project has ended. Data management according to FAIR principles increases, for example, searchability, accessibility, interoperability and reuse.

For a long time, we have required all projects we fund to develop a data management plan. This will continue to be the case. The plan must be drawn up before the research begins, kept up to date and followed throughout the project.

The updated terms and conditions apply to projects funded in 2026 and will be published on our website at the turn of the year.

Report: The Swedish Research Council's recommendations for research data: FAIR and open access:

Open access to data requires good data management

Good research practice 2024