Three things to look for in the new data management policy under development by the Tri-Agency:
- Institutions will be required to have a data management strategy and to post that strategy publicly.
- Grantees will be required to create a data management plan for funded projects. Grantees will likely need to submit that plan to the research office to access funding.
- There will be an expectation that data and code are to be deposited in a public repository. Safe storage will be a requirement.
The Tri-Agency launched its consultation at the Canadian Association of Research Administrators' ("CARA") conference in Winnipeg in May, 2017. Consultations are happening over the coming months and into the summer. Online consultation is expected in the summer with a draft policy to be posted on the website – science.gc.ca.
Discussion points at CARA included costs, dealing with industry, vulnerable populations, difficulties with anonymization, and timeline for implementation. The Tri-Agency is hoping to launch this policy in 2018 and then have a roll out period.
Statement of principles on digital data management – not mandatory requirements but basis for the development of mandatory requirements.
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