The introduction of FAIR Wizard has significantly transformed how NERC-funded researchers plan and manage their research data. Since its deployment across the NERC Environmental Data Service (EDS) in December 2023, FAIR Wizard has rapidly become the primary tool for creating high‑quality Data Management Plans (DMPs), supporting over 250 grants in its first full financial year.
At its core, FAIR Wizard provides a structured, intuitive, and researcher‑friendly tool for developing DMPs. It guides users through a series of domain-specific, mainly closed, questions that are supported by direct links to question-specific guidance on best practice data management as part of a centrally maintained knowledge base. The tool ensures that researchers consider key aspects of data management, from project inception through to long‑term preservation and reuse. The result is more consistent and comprehensive data stewardship across the NERC community, aligned with the FAIR principles - Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable.
This impact has been realised across multiple dimensions:
1. Improved researcher experience and engagement
Researchers report that FAIR Wizard makes data planning easier, clearer, and more thorough than traditional document-based formats. The FAIR Wizard approach ensures that important details are not overlooked, while embedded guidance helps users understand expectations and best practice requirements.
“I much prefer this kind of tool… it makes the whole process easier and covers aspects I would have missed.”
“It leads you through the important information for a complex multiyear programme… in a logical order with good guidance.”
- Feedback from researchers
The tool’s clean design, project‑phase structure, and ability to track co‑author contributions have made it particularly valuable for large, multi‑institutional research efforts where coordinated planning is essential.
2. Higher-quality and more consistent Data Management Plans
Data Stewards note a clear improvement in the clarity and completeness of submitted DMPs. Because FAIR Wizard emphasises structured responses instead of long free‑text sections, DMPs are easier to review, understand, and map to declared datasets.
“FAIR Wizard has made DMPs better quality and easier to review… it is much clearer what data are being collected and how they will be managed.”
- Feedback from a Data Steward
This consistency is already reducing ambiguity and helping Data Centres better prepare for upcoming data deposits.
3. Demonstrable progress toward FAIR data principles
One of the most significant enhancements has been the implementation of FAIR and openness metrics embedded within the core FAIR Wizard questions. These metrics allow:
- Researchers to understand how their planned practices align with FAIR principles
- Data Centres to assess grants consistently against FAIR criteria
- Improved reporting to NERC on compliance and areas for future support
By surfacing FAIR‑related considerations during planning rather than at the end of a project, the tool actively shifts researcher behaviour toward more open, reusable, well‑documented data.
4. Greater efficiency and reduced administrative burden
The FAIR Wizard’s collaborative, live‑document approach has significantly reduced inefficiencies caused by multiple document versions, emails, and fragmented communication. Researchers, Data Stewards can work within the same shared DMP, enabling real‑time updates and faster clarification.
New communication features, allowing PIs to notify Data Centres directly within the tool, have streamlined workflows, reduced email traffic, and improved responsiveness.
The introduction of the reporting app has further enhanced efficiency by giving Data Centres a quick overview of:
- DMP completion status
- Project FAIR metrics
- Sharing and publication status
- Information on responses to individual questions
Together, these improvements mean that the NERC EDS can manage growing demand more effectively and focus effort where it provides the greatest value.
5. A cross-centre collaborative success story
The successful rollout of the FAIR Wizard reflects strong collaboration across the NERC EDS. Led by the Environmental Information Data Centre (EIDC), the implementation included:
- Customisation of the tool
- Cross‑centre testing and feedback cycles
- Training and onboarding for Data Stewards
- Engagement with the Wizard’s international developer community
This collaborative approach ensured that the FAIR Wizard meets the needs of researchers, data stewards and funders, while embedding the tool within existing NERC processes.
The experience of using the FAIR Wizard has been shared with external groups as an example of best practice and how it facilitates the developments of DMPs, for example with the Physical Sciences Data Infrastructure (PSDI) project, the RAISESuite project and the project looking at UKRI Data Management Plans.
Overall impact
The FAIR Wizard has rapidly become a cornerstone of research data management across NERC. By improving DMP quality, strengthening FAIR compliance, and reducing administrative burden, it is helping PIs, Data Centres, and the wider environmental science community work more efficiently and transparently.
Its early success demonstrates the value of modern, interactive digital tools in enabling high‑quality data stewardship and supporting the long‑term discoverability and reuse of NERC‑funded data. As functionality and adoption continue to grow, the FAIR Wizard is set to play an increasingly central role in enhancing the openness, integrity, and impact of UK environmental research.