- Research
- 02/10/2025
Research Cockpit: from hassle to efficient data management
New data infrastructure helps researchers move faster through mandatory procedures
As of September, TU/e researchers are required to use the Research Cockpit, a platform that aims to bring together all steps of research data management in one central place – from drafting a Data Management Plan to applying for ethical approvals. The goal? To streamline workflows, make administration simpler, and free up more time for actual research.
Two years ago, Erwin Hoogerwoord started as a service manager at Library and Information Services (LIS). Soon, he immersed himself in research data infrastructure – not only the IT systems themselves, but also the workflows for managing and sharing research data. “The focus is on connecting services and facilitating collaboration between teams. I’m now product owner of the Research Cockpit, the platform that makes this possible.”
With her background in astrophysics, researcher Liz Guzman Ramirez knew firsthand how crucial good data management is. She quickly became fascinated by the question of how these processes could be made more efficient. Today, she leads the Data Steward team, which supports researchers within the departments in managing their data.
A central platform
“We ask researchers for a lot of information in different, separate bubbles,” Guzman Ramirez explains. “Data stewards want to know what type of data you use, who you share it with, and what storage or software you use. If personal data is involved, the privacy team asks the same questions. And then the Ethical Review Board (ERB) does it all over again. So we thought: how can we integrate all these processes into one system, where everything is recorded, tracked, and streamlined from start to finish?”
That system became the Research Cockpit: a central platform that guides TU/e researchers in Research Data Management (RDM) and connects them to the right systems and services within the research data infrastructure. The platform brings together all major processes, such as drafting a Data Management Plan (DMP), requesting ethical approvals, and arranging secure storage and exchange of research data.
Data Management Plan
“The Data Management Plan (DMP) is the starting point in the Research Cockpit,” says Guzman Ramirez. “At the start of a project, you fill in the DMP template, describing the type of data you will use. Based on that, the system navigates you further through the process. If you’re working with personal data, you’ll be guided through GDPR requirements. If ethical approval is needed, the system automatically generates a special questionnaire. If none of this applies, you’ll go through quickly and keep your plan short and concise.”
For most researchers, creating a DMP is nothing new. “If you receive external funding, you’re required to have one anyway. It’s not just the university – funders demand it too,” she explains. Previously, researchers wrote their DMPs in Word documents, that weren’t machine-readable. Because everything had to be done manually, the process was cumbersome and lacked automated guidance. “And once you finished your DMP, you still had to submit a separate ethics application, a legal agreement, and so on. Every step was a separate process. Now, everything comes together in the Research Cockpit, giving researchers a clear overview and making it easier to meet all requirements.”
In addition to funders’ requirements, TU/e has its own research data management policy with extra guidelines. “For example: if a student leaves the university, the data must remain available so the supervisor can continue the work,” says Guzman Ramirez. “The policy also covers data security, data sharing, and other aspects. These guidelines are all integrated into the Research Cockpit.”
Mandatory use
“The Research Cockpit had a soft launch a year ago, so we could test it, collect feedback, and fix all the bugs,” Hoogerwoord explains. This also gave researchers time to get used to it. As of September 2025, all researchers must use the Research Cockpit to complete DMPs and associated workflows. “We have a transition period for ongoing projects,” he adds, “but eventually everything will gradually move into the Research Cockpit.”
Benefits
Hoogerwoord and Guzman Ramirez acknowledge that researchers need time to adapt, but they are convinced of the advantages. “Depending on the type of project – if you don’t work with sensitive data – you can get automatic approval for your DMP within a few minutes, instead of the minimum of two weeks it used to take,” Guzman Ramirez emphasizes.
I see data management as a train for open science
The platform provides one central access point for all project information, streamlining workflows. Deadlines, reminders, and notifications help researchers follow the steps, and data stewards automatically receive a signal when something needs their review. “That direct communication via the system, and the available support, is really valuable for researchers,” says Guzman Ramirez. “Before, many didn’t even know data stewards existed to help them, or who exactly to contact and where to find them.”
Open science
An additional benefit is that well-managed and archived data can be more easily reused. “It’s not just about compliance. Good data management ensures that other researchers can build on your data or combine their datasets with yours. This aligns perfectly with open science, where data sharing plays a central role. This way, data become useful for others, improving the quality of research results,” says Guzman Ramirez.
“I see data management as a train for open science,” she continues. “Well-managed data can have an impact beyond your own work – within your research group, and eventually in society. The Research Cockpit can facilitate this.” She stresses that the Research Cockpit is more than just compulsory paperwork; it can ultimately enable better research. At the same time, the system streamlines administrative processes, leaving researchers with more time for their core activities.
Early guidance for researchers
A key goal of the Research Cockpit is to confront researchers with crucial questions right at the start of a project. When filling out a DMP in the system, they are asked: what type of data are you using? Do you want to publish the data openly? Which licenses do you need? “Many early-career researchers, such as PhD candidates, have no idea yet what is involved in a project with external funding,” says Guzman Ramirez.
The researcher is the pilot, and the platform functions as a navigation system
The system prompts them to think early on, while data stewards provide support through workshops on licenses, intellectual property, and legal agreements. This prevents situations where researchers only discover at the end of a project that a journal won’t publish their study because the data cannot be shared – something that should have been arranged at the beginning.
Tax return
Researchers who previously filled out DMPs in Word now find the process much simpler. Many options, such as various data storage solutions, are already pre-filled as multiple-choice answers in the template. “That’s why we call it a cockpit,” explains Hoogerwoord. “The researcher is the pilot, and the platform functions as a navigation system: it shows you the right route, all the steps and requirements, provides the necessary tools, and guides you safely to your destination.”
Digitizing data management was a logical step, especially since DMPs were already mandatory for external funders. “Things change, and – let’s be honest – the way we managed data in the past wasn’t ideal,” says Hoogerwoord. He sees the system as a helpful tool rather than a bureaucratic hurdle. “We often compare it to filing your tax return online. Much of the information is already pre-filled, you get all the important questions so you don’t forget anything, and the system requests extra details only if needed. It’s much easier than doing everything manually, and it gives you a clearer overview,” he says.
“Even if the system is not yet perfect – it still needs further fine-tuning and more functions are planned – this is an important development and a major step forward,” he concludes.
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