Developing UKRI's research data policy

In April 2025, we asked for feedback on a draft UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) research data policy.  

This included some areas we were still considering, including expectations for data management plans (DMPs) and other research-relevant digital objects such as software.  

We also welcomed views on wider considerations UKRI should consider in developing and implementing its new policy.  

We consulted over spring and summer 2025, using a mixed approach of stakeholder engagements and inviting written feedback.  

We received 105 written responses. Around 160 participants also attended a series of multi-stakeholder and disciplinary roundtables and workshops. Stakeholders included research organisations, researchers, professional bodies and associations, and data infrastructures and service providers. 

Broadly, there was strong support for UKRI’s harmonised policy approach and the key expectations.  

Feedback primarily focused on the detail and clarity of expectations, implementation considerations, and interest in and suggestions for areas of draft policy that had not yet been determined. Key themes included: 

• need for practical guidance, examples and implementation support 

• clarification of definitions, scope and policy language, including ensuring it is inclusive of all domains and research contexts 

• views on how data management plans (DMPs) and research-relevant digital objects (including software) should be addressed, including importance of DMPs as an implementation mechanism 

• implementation considerations relating to funding, infrastructure and long-term preservation and sustainability  

• policy clarity and implementation considerations relating to data that is sensitive or needs restricting  

• the importance of monitoring and evaluation 

A detailed summary of the consultation feedback will be published shortly.  

In October 2026, we published the UKRI research data policy, together with guidance on sharing data about people. The policy will apply to UKRI funding opportunities launch on or after 1 April 2027.  

The final policy includes revisions to ensure our expectations are as clear as possible. It also sets out our high-level expectations for DMPs and managing and sharing research software and other research-relevant digital objects.  

These revisions and positions were informed by the feedback we received and the following independent reports we funded: 

• Research Consulting review of UKRI’s approach to DMPs 

• Institute of Research Software briefing report on research software policy 

• We also invited some experts to review a revised draft of the policy, prior to publication. 

UKRI is undertaking a range of activities to prepare for the start of the policy and to support its successful implementation. These include: 

• awareness raising and stakeholder engagement, including a webinar about the policy on 25 November 2026 

• developing our updated UKRI-wide data management section for funding applications, peer-reviewer guidance and DMP template resources 

• developing clearer UKRI-wide guidance on costing data management in grant applications 

• developing a monitoring and evaluation framework for the policy 

• developing guidance on how our intellectual property and open research expectations can be practised together  

• funding the Institute of Research Software to develop a community good research software good practice resource 

• funding Materialising Open Research Practices in the Humanities and Social Sciences (MORPHSS) and Enact Practice Research Data Service (ENACT) to develop a community arts and humanities data good practice resource 

• updating the research data resources on good research resource hub 

• engaging with partners to consider next steps for the Concordat on Open Research Data  

Engagement, collaboration and consultation with our stakeholders and partners will be central how we deliver these activities and wider implementation.   

Our approach to DMP's has been refined and harmonised and we are working on detailed implementation. We will publish further DMP guidance, along with our approach to M&E and costing guidance ahead of the start of the policy in April 2027 

Our approach to M&E and costing guidance will be published ahead of the start of the policy in April 2027. 

We will continue to work closely with partners, our councils, and teams across open research, digital research infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and talent and skills to identify and deliver the support needed for successful policy implementation. This collaboration will also help us find new opportunities to advance our shared ambition of enabling FAIR data. 

Sign up to our open research mailing list for updates about this policy. 

Contact us at openresearch@ukri.org.