Project: KI DASH focuses on the preservation of research data

In 2025, the KI DASH project (Data Access, Storage and Handling) conducted an extensive current-state analysis and needs assessment of how research data are managed at Karolinska Institutet.

This work has provided a broad understanding of researchers’ workflows, needs and challenges throughout the entire life cycle of research data.

Based on this foundation, the steering group has now decided that the project’s continued work in 2026 will drive three activities within the area of preservation of research data.

What has been done so far?

During autumn 2025, the project team conducted 54 interviews with researchers from all KI departments. In these interviews, researchers described how they manage their data – from the point at which data are collected or created and used in the research process, to publishing and/or long-term preservation.

The interviews were complemented with a mapping of existing systems, services and support functions, as well as dialogue with relevant internal and external stakeholders.

This work resulted in a report and roadmap, delivered to the steering group at the turn of the year 2025/2026. The material was also shared for consultation involving over 90 individuals at KI who, in various ways, have contributed to the project.

Focus of 2026: the preservation of research data

After reviewing the proposals in the roadmap, the steering group has decided that KI DASH in 2026 will focus on the preservation of research data, divided into three sub‑projects: Preservation, Cold Storage and Funding of research data.

Sub-project Preservation of research data

The aim of the project is to design and establish a long-term, sustainable research data preservation system at KI that meets legal requirements, supports the needs of the organisation, and enables long-term accessibility and reuse.

The project objectives are that

KI has an established model and clear processes for the long-term preservation and disposal of research data.
KI has a technical solution that researchers can use to store, preserve and make research data available in the long term.
Preserved research data includes metadata that enables the data to be traced, located, understood and reused over time.
Researchers can easily find guidance and support on how research data should be preserved and made available at KI.
A functioning management organisation is responsible for the operation and further development of the preservation function after the project has ended.

Timeframe

Start: 1 September 2026.
End: 1 December 2027.
Emma Almroth is the appointed project manager.

Sub-project Cold storage

In the Cold Storage sub‑project, KI will establish a technical solution that:

enables a complementary and significantly more cost‑efficient storage service than the options currently offered by KI,
can be used directly by researchers who need it as the service will be launched during 2026,
and may in the long term serve as a storage location for large parts of the Preservation function’s research data.

Susanne Magnusson is the appointed project manager.

Sub-project Funding of research data

the Funding of Research Data sub‑project, a model will be developed for how all research data storage at KI should be financed.

Results from the KI DASH preliminary study included:
- a hypothesis that central KI funding should cover storage costs for research data handled by the Preservation function.
- A model was developed to account for the underlying costs of storage. This model is to be applied and implemented, partly to facilitate pricing and partly to provide a sound basis for a cost breakdown of the storage costs paid by researchers.
The first storage service for which funding will be reviewed is Cold Storage.

Jonas Molander is the appointed project manager.

Other proposals and areas of responsibility

In addition to the area of Preservation, the project has identified development needs in areas such as researcher support and research IT. These proposals are now handed over to the relevant line organisations for continued handling within regular operations and development work.

KI DASH will continue to work in close dialogue with all relevant functions to ensure that initiatives related to preservation are coordinated with other activities within research support, information security and IT.