This report presents the comprehensive Data Management Plan (DMP) for the SEEDplus project, detailing the strategies for managing data from its collection to its eventual preservation. Central to the DMP’s objective is ensuring the FAIRness (findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability) of SEEDplus’s data, alongside maintaining its security and efficacy throughout the project’s lifecycle. By foreseeing potential risks and implementing mitigation strategies, the DMP aims to elevate the data’s visibility and impact, foster sharing and reuse, and ensure adherence to both EU and institutional guidelines, thereby amplifying the project’s overall influence.

The DMP delineates various data types and outlines the methods and protocols for data collection, emphasizing the reduction of errors and data inconsistencies. It advocates for diverse file formats to store different data types and introduces a tailored SEEDplus metadata schema, adapted from the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative, encompassing 19 elements for comprehensive data description and documentation. This structured approach facilitates the organization, documentation, and contextualization of the data within the Knowledge Hub, which serves as the central repository for SEEDplus. This repository includes a metadata pool and multiple sub-databases for research and personal data, with guidelines suggesting the deletion of personal data 12 months post-project completion to uphold privacy standards.

To ensure data is easily searchable and accessible, the DMP proposes assigning unique identifiers to each dataset, maintaining these identifiers’ integrity by preventing duplication or deletion, even if the referenced data is removed. It outlines a strategic storage methodology covering data collection, temporary handling, and long-term preservation stages to secure data effectively.

Moreover, the DMP details policies for data reuse and redistribution, aiming to foster transparency and collaboration, and maximize data sharing and reuse among project partners and the broader research community. It defines the roles and responsibilities of partners, researchers, and leadership in executing the DMP with professionalism and precision, thus setting a foundation for successful data management within the SEEDplus initiative.