Uni-Tübingen

Research Data Management (RDM) for Third-Party Applications

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Disclaimer: the following information is not intended to replace counseling by the University's Research Support Office and is not supposed to address legal questions or problems that may arise in individual cases. The information is of a general nature and solely for information purposes. The following content does not claim to be comprehensive and there is no guarantee for the accuracy of the information. For advice on submitting third-party proposals, please contact the University's Research Support Office.

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A successful application for third-party funding of research projects requires good data management.
Third-party funders request different levels of information on research data management (RDM) when submitting applications.

Regardless of the specific requirements of third-party funding organisations, the preparation of a data management plan (DMP) and early advice on data management from the university's service facilities is recommended for all research projects.

DFG - German Research Foundation

(last edited February 2025)

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The DFG website offers good first guidance on what to consider regarding RDM when applying for third-party funding on their webpage Handling of Research Data.
In the form of a checklist on handling research data, the DFG has also compiled six aspects that should be included in research proposals on the topic of RDM and provides a good overview of the most frequently asked questions in an FAQ.

Further specific requirements for each funding format are listed below:

Individual Research Grants, Emmy Noether, Walter Benjamin

Overview funding formats
DFG Individual Research Grants
DFG Emmy Noether
DFG Walter Benjamin

RDM requirements
Please Note: the text below is a quote from the DFG webpage Research data in connection with the funding programmes
"In connection with a research grant, the expectation is that the handling of research data is described as part of the work programme. Comparable requirements apply to the Walter Benjamin Programme and the Emmy Noether Programme. If suitable methods for data processing do not yet exist or there are no data infrastructures for making the data available, the research grant can also be used to develop methods or to establish and expand data infrastructures. Compatibility with existing structures and a concept for maintenance after funding ends are essential approval criteria. As a rule, it will be possible to draw on existing approaches and structures in connection with a research grant […]
Project-specific descriptions about data handling should be descripted in section 2.4 of the project description. Please arrange your description along the provided questionnaire.
It is possible to apply for funding to cover the costs incurred for managing data and for making it available for subsequent use. Core Support is expected to provide research institutions with up-to-date technical and organisational equipment for handling and archiving research data for the purpose of reproducing published research results."

Research Units

Overview funding format
DFG Research Units

RDM requirements
Please Note: the text below is a quote from the DFG webpage Research data in connection with the funding programmes
"If your consortium uses, generates and/or processes data, include the essential information on the handling of this data in your draft proposal and in the full proposal in section 2.3 “Research data and knowledge management”. Explanations relating to the specific projects are to be provided in section 2.4 of the project descriptions. Please use this questionnaire as a basis.
Please also describe how the institutions involved in the consortium will contribute to data and information management.
Note that you can apply for funding to cover project-specific costs incurred by the collection of research data as part of the coordination project or else in connection with specific projects, if this option makes more sense in terms of subject matter."

Priority Programmes

Overview funding format
DFG Priority Programmes

RDM requirements
Please Note: the text below is a quote from the DFG webpage Research data in connection with the funding programmes
"As part of your initiative to establish a Priority Programme, you should also elaborate on concepts and considerations for the subsequent handling of the research data generated by the programme. Please use this questionnaire as a basis. In doing so, take into account subject-specific standards and make use of available infrastructures for research data whenever it makes sense to do so.
Note that after establishing the Priority Programme, you can apply for funding to cover project-specific costs incurred by the collection of research data as part of the coordination project or in connection with the specific projects, if this option makes more sense in terms of subject matter."

Collaborative Research Centers (CRC)

Overview funding format
DFG Collaborative Research Centers (CRC)

RDM requirements
Please Note: the text below is a quote from the DFG webpage Research data in connection with the funding programmes
"Collaborative research centres allow researchers to tackle innovative, challenging, complex and long-term research undertakings through the coordination and concentration of individuals and resources within the applicant universities. In this context, there is an expectation that data management will be adequate and well thought out. Descriptions should be included as part of the proposal description. Please arrange your description along the provided questionnaire.
Please also describe how the institutions involved in the consortium will contribute to data and information management. Core Support is expected to provide research institutions with up-to-date technical and organisational equipment for handling and archiving research data for the purpose of reproducing published research results.
Note that you can apply for funding to cover project-specific expenses incurred by the management of research data as part of the coordination project or in connection with specific projects, if this option makes more sense in terms of subject matter.
If you are planning to set up or expand a specific infrastructure in your CRC to support data management within the consortium, you can apply for an INF project."

Research Training Groups (RTG)

Overview funding format
DFG Research Training Groups
 
RDM requirements
Please Note: the text below is a quote from the DFG webpage Research data in connection with the funding programmes
"If your project uses, generates and/or processes data, list the essential information on the handling of this data as part of the CRC research programme. Please use this questionnaire as a basis.
Please also describe how the institutions involved in the consortium will contribute to data and information management. Core Support is expected to provide research institutions with up-to-date technical and organisational equipment for handling and archiving research data for the purpose of reproducing published research results.
Please keep in mind that project-specific costs for data management could be applied as part of the modul Research training group as Other costs.
CRCs are also well suited to teaching skills in handling research data and aspects arising from the digital turn. You are welcome to use the qualification and mentoring support concept in the proposal to describe relevant concepts for teaching skills or for overcoming the specific challenges in these areas."

Other Funders

(last edited February 2025)

EU - European Union

Horizon Europe

Overview funding formats
Horizon Europe

RDM requirements
Please Note: the texts below are quotes from the European Commission FAQ webpage
"At proposal stage, applicants that intend to generate and/or reuse data and/or other research outputs (except for publications) during the project must provide an outline of how the data and/or other research outputs (e.g. workflows, protocols, software, samples) will be managed in line with the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles. This obligation does not apply to European Research Council (ERC) calls.
Beneficiaries must submit a data management plan to the granting authority in accordance with the grant agreement (normally by month 6). In cases of a public emergency, and if the work programme requires so, proposers should submit a Data Management Plan (DMP) already when submitting the proposal or at the latest by the signature of the grant agreement."

“A Data Management Plan (DMP) template is provided under the reporting templates in the reference documents of the Funding & Tenders Portal. The use of such a template is recommended for Horizon Europe beneficiaries. The Horizon Europe Programme Guide contains useful references that can be used to find DMP examples in different disciplines, and points to specialised journals that publish DMPs. For actions supported by the European Research Council (ERC), a separate template is provided.”

"Beneficiaries need to provide digital or physical access to data or other results needed for the validation of the conclusions of peer-reviewed scientific publications, provided that their legitimate interests or constraints are safeguarded (this does not apply under the ERC Work Programmes 2021-2025).
It is recommended to keep data available for a substantial period (at least 5 years, and preferably 10 years), or longer according to disciplinary deposition practices. This is in line with the recommendations of the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. The Data Management Plan is expected to include information about long-term preservation of data."

BMBF - Federal Ministry of Education and Research

All BMBF Formats

Overview funding formats
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

PLEASE NOTE: The detailed data management requirements vary depending on the BMBF call for proposals, therefore specific information on the respective format should be assessed and taken into account in advance.

RDM requirements
Please Note: the text below is a quote from the BMBF Aktionsplan Forschungsdaten
"Zur Steigerung der Datenqualität sollen die FAIR-Prinzipien („Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Re-usable“) bei der Datenerhebung, -sammlung, -nutzung und -aufbewahrung stärker berücksichtigt werden. Im Rahmen der Projektförderung von Datenerhebungen und -sammlungen sollen die Zuwendungsempfänger grundsätzlich verpflichtet werden, ihre im Projekt erhobenen Daten systematisch, möglichst standardbasiert zu verarbeiten und aufzubewahren."

Volkswagen Foundation

All Formats of the Foundation

Overview funding formats
Volkswagen Foundation

RDM requirements
Please Note: the texts below are quotes from the website Information for Applicants of the VolkswagenStiftung
“If your project generates large amounts of data, the Foundation requires you to provide a data management plan as an attachment to your application. This may also be included as a topic of the review.”

The Foundation's Open Science Policy contains further information on the topic of RDM when submitting an application and in the further course of the project.

Applicable Funds

(last edited February 2025)

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Some research data management costs can be requested in advance from funding institutions.

Formats and criteria for funding opportunities are described below.

DFG

The DFG has specifically defined which costs may be applied for in this context for its funding formats. Detailed information can be found on the DFG website and is summarized below.

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Applicable costs are
as project-specific costs:

  • Costs for the acquisition and re-utilization of research data
  • Transfer of research data to a public repository (person-months, software and hardware)

as other costs:

  • Membership and user fees for repositories

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The following cannot be applied for:

  • Local data backup and archiving of published results
  • State-of-the-art IT infrastructure
  • Processing of extensive data sets
  • Basic services (local storage, documentation of research data)

Horizon Europe

Please Note: the text below is quotes from the European Commission FAQ webpage
“Budgetary needs, including for research data management, need to be forecast in the project proposal. Once the grant is awarded, the total amount of the grant will not be increased during the course of the action.”

BMBF

PLEASE NOTE: The detailed data management requirements vary depending on the BMBF call for proposals, therefore specific information on the respective format should be assessed and taken into account in advance.

Please Note: the text below is a quote from the BMBF Aktionsplan Forschungsdaten
"Das Management von Forschungsdaten ist Teil der wissenschaftlichen Arbeit. Um den personellen und finanziellen Aufwand hierfür zu berücksichtigen, erkennen wir die notwendigen Ausgaben für das Forschungsdatenmanagement bei BMBF-geförderten Projekten mit entsprechendem Datenbezug als zuwendungsfähige Ausgaben an."

Volkswagen Foundation

The Volkswagen Foundation offers the funding format "Data Reuse - Additional Funding for the Preparation and Storage of Research Data (Open Science)" for projects already funded by the foundation.

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Requirements & criteria:

  • Previous funding by the foundation, up to 6 months after the end of the project
  • Letter of support from target repository, suitability of the target repository for the data material
  • Detailed data management plan (DMP), quality of the data management concept including compliance with scientific standards and consideration of legal aspects, if applicable
  • Relevance of the data material for research
  • Feasibility of the data processing concept

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Applicable costs are:

  • Up to EUR 100,000 EUR
  • Funds for the preparation of research data and, in the future, also research software
  • In detail: personnel funds, travel expenses, material costs, publication costs

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The following cannot be applied for:

  • "One-off material resources" (investments)
  • Ongoing funds for the storage of research data within the target repository
  • Funds for the purchase of third-party data

Please Note: it is necessary to consult the university's research support unit in advance before applying for personnel funds for RDM.

Tools & Templates

Creating a Data Management Plan (DMP)

Almost all funding organizations require a data management plan (DMP) or a document with equivalent information when submitting an application or at the start of a funded project.

With its own RDMO instance, the Research Data Management Organiser, the university provides a tool for creating your own data management plan (DMP). RDMO contains templates from various funding organizations so that the DMP ultimately meets the requirements of the respective funder. The tool can be used with the regular ZDV login, so additional registration is not necessary. The cross-institutional RDMO website provides instructions and explanatory videos on how to use it.

Text Modules

The university offers all researchers so-called text modules for the preparation of applications.

The text modules are intended to provide background information on various topics that should be considered when submitting a third-party funding application. Provided text passages can be individually adapted to the respective application requirements. In addition to other central topics such as internationalization, public relations and academic staff development, there are text modules on research data management and the university's core facilities.

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Digression: Research Software

Like research data, research software should be well documented, annotated and made available to other researchers. Guidelines on this can be found in the Recommendations on the Development, Use and Provision of Research Software from the Alliance of German Science Organisations and in the DFG's handout Handling of Research Software in the DFG's Funding Activities. The DFG also provides further information on the topic of research software on its website:

DFG on Research Software   

Further Information on RDM for

 

Contact

rdmspam prevention@zv.uni-tuebingen.de 
+49 7071 29-75082