3.1 Funding agreement including the description of the work

The level of preparation required for a funding agreement to facilitate data sharing and re-use will vary depending on the funding body. Projects funded by Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe are already subject to specific requirements for data sharing and data availability, as these principles are integral to their funding agreements.  Such projects align with EU policies promoting open access and open data.

For instance, projects participating in the European Commission’s Open Research Data pilot (initiated in 2017 under Horizon 2020, https://www.openaire.eu/what-is-the-open-research-data-pilot), were required to upload datasets in an open file format to an appropriate data repository before the project ended. While the pilot included exceptions for projects collecting personal data, it marked a significant step towards the EU’s commitment to open data. Subsequent EU open data initiatives, such as those under the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), further expand the scope and align with FAIR data principles. The application process and subsequent steps prior to the commencement of the research should involve clarifying the topics. The funding agreement should also address the research objectives, description and scope of the work, timescales for deliverables, re-use of data, funding budget parameters and reporting requirements.

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