FAIRVault, an interuniversity project on creating a restricted access data archive

Abstract

The FAIRVault project is an interuniversity collaboration between four Flemish universities (Ghent University, Hasselt University, University of Antwerp, and Vrije Universiteit Brussel) that seeks to provide a generic solution to researchers from participating institutions for securely archiving and providing (controlled) access to research data in a FAIR-aligned way (FAIR: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) during the applicable data retention period, in particular in cases where deposit in one of the existing external data repositories is not/less appropriate or feasible (e.g. for sensitive data, large datasets, etc). The goal is to implement a trustworthy and FAIR-enabling long-term preservation solution endorsed by research communities at partner institutions, implementing best practices certified by the CoreTrustSeal. Based on the confidentiality and sensitivity of the data suitable measures are taken to ensure information security. By doing so, valuable research data will not only be properly archived, but it will also unlock the potential for data sharing and effectively lead to a more efficient use of resources. It aims to fill the void for domains and/or use cases where existing solutions do not satisfy all needs in terms of e.g. security and the FAIR principles. Throughout the development of the FAIRVault we want to keep the expectations of divers stakeholders and entities in mind: (1) researchers, who bear the responsibility of ensuring the findability and accessibility of data over the medium to long term, even beyond the project funding periods, (2) institutions, both research and government, that aim to manage data assets in compliance with regulations, policies and contractual obligation, fostering openness and minimizing costs, (3) data re-users, who seek transparent access processes, (4) the Flemish Government, that envisions stronger connections to the European Open Science Cloud, (5) FOSB/FRDN members, who seek cost effective solutions for Open Science KPI targets, (6) research funders, who prioritize ethical and legal data management aligned with the FAIR principles, (7) the European Open Science Cloud, that aims to streamline research data infrastructure through interoperability principles and standards, and (8) other research institutions, given the aim to provide an operational service beyond the initial consortium.