Executive Summary

This deliverable contains detailed information on PopEye’s project partners’ data management and research ethics practices. It explains how research data are being and will be produced and collected within the project, including whether and how it will be made accessible for re-use and further exploitation, as well as the ways in which it will be curated and preserved.

This Data Management Plan (DMP) meticulously outlines the strategy for handling research data generated throughout the PopEye project, and it provides an analytical overview of the DMP’s key aspects, emphasising its alignment with FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible,
Interoperable, and Reusable) and its contribution to the project’s overall objectives. Data sharing and open access are addressed in line with the FAIR principles and HORIZON EUROPE guidelines. The DMP clarifies the extent of public availability after research publication, targeted data repositories for long-term accessibility, and pseudonymisation and/or anonymisation strategies for data handling. The PopEye project prioritises
open access for scientific publications, allowing researchers to choose between publishing models, and it aligns with EU recommendations on open data access, ensuring wider dissemination of research results.

The remainder of this deliverable is structured as follows.

Section 1 briefly introduces the PopEye project and describes the purpose of the DMP. It then explains the procedures and methodological approach used to gather data from PopEye partners via a tailored questionnaire to ensure compliance with Horizon Europe requirements for open science, ethics, and data protection.

Section 2 presents a comprehensive overview of datasets planned to be collected and used within the PopEye project in two groups: (1) PopEye Administrative and Project Management Datasets detailing project management data; and (2) PopEye Partner specific data use, detailing how each PopEye partner handles data related to their research activities, based on the current status of their tasks. The second group will is provided as a separate deliverable (Annex III), due to its sensitive and business relevant nature.

Section 3 provides general explanations on how PopEye research activities and outputs respect the FAIR principles.

Section 4 focuses on common technical, organisational and security measures agreed upon
and observed by PopEye partners. These explanations should be read alongside the Section 2 data description.

Section 5 concerns a brief analysis of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), since some data categories under the PopEye project are personal data, and in particular, biometric data. Therefore, it is highlighted that PopEye research partners (especially, technical partners who handle biometric data for the purposes of PopEye research activities) should comply with applicable data protection rules. A more detailed analysis of the PopEye research activities and compliance with data protection rules and fundamental rights will be provided in future PopEye reports, as well as relevant deliverables.

Section 6 explains the preliminary plan for collection and management of data of research volunteers, who will participate in PopEye pilot activities in the upcoming period. Although the pilot activities have not yet started, PopEye partners aim to ensure that volunteers will participate in relevant research activities after their written informed and explicit consent. Following the criteria set out in this section, the draft version of the consent forms will be published in Month 9 of the project (June 2025) and will be updated at a later stage before pilot activities start.

Section 7 serves as the conclusion and highlights the key inputs in this deliverable. It is important to emphasise that the information described in this interim version of the DMP document represents the data collected or generated at this stage of the project. In subsequent versions of the DMP, more detailed information will be provided in addition to this initial version. New data or changes in consortium policies may emerge; however, the core principles – as outlined in this deliverable – remain intact and are expected to remain until the end of the project.