Launch of the POLEN DataHub Research Data Repository

The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), through its digital services unit FCCN, is launching the Research Data Repository with the launch of POLEN DataHub. This generalist, national repository aims to ensure that FCT funding beneficiaries and interested institutions have dedicated areas for sharing and preserving research data considered relevant and with potential for replication.

The platform is the result of a nationwide effort to implement digital services that aim to ensure that the various stages of the research data lifecycle have solutions in place to meet requirements and best practices, such as the FAIR principles. The service is divided into two areas: General Collection (dedicated to FCT beneficiaries without a primary solution) and Institutional Collections (dedicated to participating entities).

In 2025, POLEN DataHub already has three institutions that now have their own collection. Under the National Program for Open Science and Open Research Data (PNCADAI), funded by measure RE-C05-i08 More Digital Science of the Recovery and Resilience Program (PRR), institutions from the Centers for Research Data Management (GDI) were selected to have an institutional collection, in which it will be possible to deposit and manage datasets they consider relevant. During 2026, more institutions that make up the GDI Centers will join, as well as other interested institutions from the scientific and technological system.

In addition to this platform, the Research Data Management Program POLEN provides two additional support services to the scientific community, which complement the data lifecycle. For the planning phase, a national and institutional service dedicated to Data Management Plans, POLEN Blueprint, was developed. And for the management of active data, a data synchronization and sharing service, POLEN Sync, was implemented.