Approval of DFG proposals requires implementation of the recommendations relating to Good Research Practice. This also includes an expectation that the research institution will provide support in the handling of research data. Specifically, local data backup and archiving of published results are expected to be ensured for the purpose of verifiability in cases of misconduct. This will also involve provision of a contemporary IT structure that enables processing of extensive data sets as well as basic services like local archiving and basic documentation of research data. This part of research data management is the responsibility of the institution and respective costs could not be funded by the DFG.

However, it is possible to apply for funding to cover costs incurred specifically for a project in order to gain access to research data or to process and prepare the research data generated by the project in such a way that it can be used by others, as well as costs incurred by the transfer of data to a public repository. This includes personnel expenses for the preparation or transfer of data to existing repositories, as well as any software and hardware required for this purpose. Proposals should therefore include a clear description of the purpose of such resources, distinguishing them from Core Support. Other items eligible for funding include usage fees, membership fees and costs incurred when using established infrastructures. In this case, resources can be described and applied for under “Other costs”. In order for user fees to be approved, a transparent cost-benefit catalogue must be available for the repository.