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Australian Research Council

Research data management sections in ARC applications

The Australian Research Council (ARC) wants to maximise the benefit of Australia’s publicly funded research and states that increasing access to research data is part of this process.

  • Since 2007, the ARC has encouraged researchers to deposit data arising from research projects in publicly accessible repositories.
  • Since February 2014, the ARC has required researchers to outline how they plan to manage research data arising from ARC-funded research.
  • The ARC’s requirement is designed to encourage researchers to consider the ways in which they can best manage, store, disseminate and reuse data. Researchers, in consultation with institutions, have a responsibility to consider the management and future potential of their research data, taking into account the particular approaches, standards and uses for data that may exist in different institutions, disciplines and research projects. Some institutions may have infrastructure and/or processes in place for storing, managing and sharing data – these are valuable resources that should be utilised.
  • The ARC does not require that full, detailed data management plans be submitted for assessment, but from 2020 required that such plans are in place prior to the commencement of the project. Currently, the ARC does not mandate open access to data.
  • The requirement is consistent with the responsibilities outlined in the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research 2018, which include the proper management of research data and primary materials by researchers, along with institutional policies addressing data ownership, storage, retention and “appropriate access…by the research community”.