Data, Software and Materials Management and Sharing Policy

Purpose

SEA DREAM-funded researchers must manage their research outputs in a way that will solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. This involves making outputs widely available or using intellectual property to help protect and commercialise an original idea, product, or technology. This policy is intended to provide researchers and organisations with SEA DREAM’s standpoint on dealing with data, software, and materials generated by its funded research.

Scope and Definitions

In this policy, data means quantitative or qualitative information generated over the course of research. This can take the form of datasets, code and software, images or data generated through analysis of samples or biological materials as well as intellectual property (IP) – for example, patents. 

Our Position

Making data available in a timely and responsible way makes sure other researchers can verify it, build on it, and use it to advance knowledge and make health improvements. Similarly, making software or materials – such as antibodies or cell lines – available to the research community supports reproducibility and can underpin further research. 

SEA DREAM recognises and respects applicable local data protection laws and regulations in all locations where research is conducted. SEA DREAM therefore requires all SEA DREAM-funded researchers and organisations to comply with these requirements throughout the research process.

Our Policy

1. SEA DREAM expects researchers to maximise the availability of research data, software and materials with as few restrictions as possible. The data underpinning original research publications must be made available to other researchers at the time of publication, as well as any original software that is required to view datasets or to replicate analyses.
    
2. Where research data relates to public health emergencies, researchers must share quality-assured interim and final data as rapidly and widely as possible, and in advance of publication.
    
3. Applicants must consider their approach to managing and sharing anticipated outputs at the application stage. In cases where data, software or materials will be generated that have value as a resource for others in academia or industry, applicants must include an outputs management plan explaining their planned approach. See our guidance on how to complete an outputs management plan (Annex I) for what applicants must consider for different types of outputs. Plans must reflect established best practices in the respective research field.
    
4. SEA DREAM will fund any justified costs associated with the management and sharing of research outputs as part of funding the research. These costs must be requested at the application stage.
    
5. Grantees must make sure their shared outputs:
   • are discoverable
   • are deposited in community repositories for data and other outputs where these exist
   • are shared under a managed access procedure when required – for example, where a study involves identifiable data about research participants, and
   • are assigned persistent identifiers or accession numbers for these outputs
      
6. Grantees must comply with applicable local data protection laws and regulations in respective jurisdictions where research will take place. If no applicable data protection law or regulation is currently enforced within a particular jurisdiction, SEA DREAM recommends following the highest applicable standard enforced in another consortium member (if the award is granted to a consortium) or following the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of UK.
    
7. Grantees are expected to review their outputs management plan and update as required throughout the grant period.
    
8. SEA DREAM expects all users of research data, software and materials to cite the source and to abide by the terms and conditions under which they were accessed.

SEA DREAM will review outputs management plans when making our funding decision at the time of Full Application. SEA DREAM will consider whether researchers have managed and shared their research outputs in line with our requirements, as part of the end-of-grant reporting process and during compliance audit.

Choosing the Right Route: Output Sharing or IP and Commercialisation

Outputs may be shared with end-users (openly or otherwise) or be made available commercially by licencing for a fee. Your outputs management plan must set out which approach is most likely to maximise the adoption and use of the output by the wider research community and the resulting health benefit. 

Annexes