ACADEMIA

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC), with concurrence from the National Science Foundation (NSF), today signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding that provides an avenue for preserving valuable digital data collections. This collaboration marks the first time NARA has established an affiliated relationship for preserving digital data with an academic institution. Some of the digital data under SDSC’s technical stewardship was produced by or for agencies of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government. The Memorandum of Understanding provides for governance of Federal electronic records and other Federal informational materials within the collections under applicable Federal laws, regulations and authorities. The agreement provides a formal framework for collaboration, innovation, demonstration, and preservation of some of the nation’s most valuable digital research collections. SDSC, an organized research unit of the University of California San Diego, is a leader in cyberinfrastructure and is a national data repository featuring unique large-scale data storage, preservation, management, and analysis facilities. This Memorandum of Understanding establishes an unprecedented affiliation that allows SDSC and NARA to build on past research. It manifests our shared vision of the future of preserving and providing sustained access to the scientific data collections at SDSC. “SDSC has been one of our partners since 1998, and this relationship is evidence of our shared commitment of ensuring that our children’s great grandchildren have access to the records of our time. Our collaborations have affirmed this shared commitment to NARA’s mission,” said the Archivist of the United States, Allen Weinstein. “The signing of this memorandum of understanding establishes an unprecedented affiliation that allows SDSC and NARA to build on past research and make evident our shared future of preserving and sustaining access to the scientific data collections at SDSC.” “Advancement and discovery in the 21st century is driven by data," said SDSC Director Fran Berman. "Preserving our most valuable digital assets is critical for leadership and competitiveness in research and education. This unprecedented MOU will lay the groundwork for SDSC to expand and formalize its role as a national data repository, and provide a venue for the preservation of valued digital collections from federally sponsored research.” "NARA and SDSC, along with NSF, have a 10-year history of furthering archival storage and data retrieval research. This MOU is a milestone that recognizes those years of collaboration and the benefits from this important effort," said Dan Atkins, Director of the Office of Cyberinfrastructure, National Science Foundation. The partnering of NARA, SDSC, and NSF is timely as our nation’s scientists and engineers seek to increase U.S. competitiveness and leadership. In response to the deluge of data faced by researchers, educators, and practitioners, new and innovative strategies to achieve digital preservation are increasingly important. The digital preservation challenge is further accelerated by the increasing investment by NSF, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy and other Federal agencies in critical research which relies on experimental observations, computational analysis, sensors, scientific instruments, and other sources of massive amounts of digital data. The parties believe that this agreement will enable research and education, support national security and emergency preparedness and catalyze continuing technology research and innovation. The official ceremony took place at the National Archives Building at College Park, Maryland with the Archivist of the United States, Allen Weinstein, Director of the San Diego Supercomputer Center, Francine Berman, and the Director of the NSF Office of Cyberinfrastructure, Daniel E. Atkins signing the Memorandum of Understanding. The Chancellor of the University of California, San Diego, Marye Anne Fox was unable to attend the ceremony, but signed the document prior to the ceremony.