Published: 13 March 2025 Updated: 3 April 2025

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This page provides Principal Investigators of FRDC projects useful data management resources and guides to help maximise the impact of their research. 

For assistance with data management, digitalisation and insights, do not hesitate to reach out to the FRDC Digitalisation & Insights team at data@frdc.gov.au.  

Data Management Advice 

Effective data management is crucial for the success of scientific research projects. It ensures data integrity, reproducibility, and long-term accessibility.  

It is likely that your organisation has its own data governance framework or policy advice.  

For researchers, a range of resources, including information and guides on the elements of data management and data management planning, can be found on the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) website. 

For industry, The Australian Farm Data Code provides advice on best practice data management policies of product, and service providers who manage data on behalf of farmers. It is also a yardstick by which producers can evaluate the data terms and policies of those provided. 

As an example, FRDC’s own Data Governance Framework is available here.

Data Management Plans 

Aspects of data management such as who can access the data, whether the data is to be shared outside of the project, or storage and retention implications should be considered at the start of each FRDC project.  

FRDC does not require detailed data management plans but from time-to-time may request further information on the data management arrangements of a research project. 

Australian Research Institutions have committed to following the Research Data Management Framework. This framework also provides useful resources, including how to develop Data Management Plans. 

Data Sharing Agreements 

Data sharing between organisations under an FRDC project should occur through a clear agreement that details access arrangements. FRDC does not prescribe an agreement template, but below are some useful resources to help guide you: 

Making data publicly available 

Under the Standard FRDC Project Agreement, all research projects are required to make data derived from the research project publicly available.

Obligation to make project data publicly available   

31.1 Unless otherwise specified in Schedule 3 – Special Conditions, the Research Provider must:  

(a) make all Project Data publicly available, through a Custodian;  

31.2 Publication and access to Project Data pursuant to clause .31.1, may only occur pursuant to licence agreements consistent with standard data licence terms and conditions as agreed to in writing by the FRDC.  The Parties will use a Creative Commons license for non-commercial use (Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 International), where the Parties agree that this is appropriate. 

FRDC does not mandate where project data is made public, but in choosing a location to publish data, consider: 

  • Is this location intuitive for potential users of the data? Prioritise subject matter relevant repositories. 

  • Will this location continue beyond the life of the project? Prioritise National Infrastructure 

  • Does data access align with FAIR principles? Findable, Accessible, Interoperable & Reusable  

Common repositories for fisheries and aquaculture relevant data include 

  • Australian Ocean Data Network 

  • Research Data Australia 

  • Government & Research Institution Data Catalogues (i.e. data.gov.au) 

FRDC’s Data Catalogue *coming soon*  

To enhance findability of data assets derived from FRDC funded R&D activities, FRDC will launch the FRDC Data Catalogue, your one-stop shop for discovering, understanding, and utilising FRDC's vast data assets. Search effortlessly, explore detailed metadata, and access valuable insights to drive innovation and informed decision-making. 

This is set to be made available during 2025. 

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