Trent University’s Research Data Management Strategy aims to be inclusive and representative of all members of the Trent research community and will serve as a key element in establishing the foundation of best practices in RDM at the University.
In March 2021 the Tri-Agency, (Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)) released a policy entitled the Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy, to reinforce the FAIR principles of data (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable), support Canadian research integrity, and ensure best practices in Research Data Management for publicly funded research.
Three key stages of implementation have been identified by the Agencies:
1. Institutional strategies: By March 1, 2023, research institutions subject to this requirement must post their RDM strategies and notify the agencies when they have done so.
2. Data management plans: By spring 2022, the agencies will identify an initial set of funding opportunities that will be subject to the data management plan requirement. Before this, the agencies will pilot the requirement through targeted funding opportunities.
3. Data deposit: After reviewing the institutional RDM strategies, and in line with the readiness of the Canadian research community, the agencies will phase in a data deposit requirement.
This strategy fulfills the first requirement identified by the Agencies and Trent aligns with Trent University's ongoing commitment to best practices in data management and data security.