The Data Acquisition and Access Program provides a method for UC Berkeley faculty, students and staff to get access to data (numeric or textual) that requires purchase, licensing or is otherwise restricted. Made possible through a partnership between the University Libraries and the D-Lab, this program is focused on datasets that require license or user agreements to access.
The program has an open call for faculty, students and staff to submit requests for data. More information on the criteria and eligibility for inclusion in this program are below.
The University of California Berkeley Library is accepting applications for a program to acquire data sets (through purchase or licensing) to support campus research needs. The Library prefers to acquire data sets that are accessible online, rather than on tangible storage media, and prefers products that contain software-independent formats. In order to maximize impact, the data sets must be of interest to more than one research group or department. If the data set is licensed on a subscription basis, only one year will be paid for by this program.
Eligibility: All UC Berkeley faculty, students, and academic researchers (or UCB librarians on their behalf) are eligible to apply; undergraduate requests must be supported by a faculty member.
Terms of Use: The data set must be accessible to all Berkeley faculty, students, and staff. In addition, the Library and/or D-Lab must be able to comply with the requirements and/or restrictions associated with data and the terms must be in accordance with the Library’s standards for licensing agreements.
Documentation: Documentation describing the data set and how to access and use it must accompany the data set.
Other Requirements: Researchers who receive funding may be asked to give a library-sponsored informal talk about how they are using the data, focusing on methodology and issues related to the data rather than on the results of their research. Publications based on the data sets purchased with these funds must contain the following acknowledgment: “The author wishes to acknowledge the Library at the University of California, Berkeley, which provided support for the completion of this research.”
Amount: There is limited funding for data acquisition; in order to maximize impact, awards will be targeted toward meeting smaller needs (ca. $5,000 range). For more expensive data sets, the Library may ask for a co-investment from researchers, their college, or department. The amount awarded for individual proposals will depend on the total number and quality of applications received.
Timeline: Applications are taken throughout the year, with decisions made on a rolling basis.
To apply for funding, please select Data Set on the Purchase Request Form and fill out the required elements.