UNC Dataverse, an institutional data repository for UNC researchers, has been recognized by the CoreTrustSeal, highlighting UNC Dataverse’s commitment to proper stewardship and upholding the highest standards.
On December 4, 2025, the CoreTrustSeal Standards and Certification Board approved UNC Dataverse as a Trustworthy Data Repository, in accordance with the 2023-2025 certification requirements. To earn this certification, UNC Dataverse underwent a rigorous audit of its policies, workflows, infrastructure, and sustainability planning by the CoreTrustSeal Assembly of Reviewers, an international group of experts in research data curation and digital repositories. This certification demonstrates the integrity, quality, and reliability of UNC Dataverse, managed by the UNC Research Data Management Core (RDMC) under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. The CoreTrustSeal certification aligns with funder requirements for data sharing and reinforces Carolina’s commitment to research compliance and excellence.
According to RDMC Director Jonathan Crabtree, “The mission of the core is to sustain a robust ecosystem of research data support that maximizes the impact of Carolina’s research enterprise. The award of a CoreTrustSeal for the UNC Dataverse is a critical component of RDMC’s efforts which further demonstrates the dedication and expertise of the RDMC staff who are entrusted with preserving the research data outputs of our UNC research enterprise.”
The CTS certification is especially relevant to research sponsored by federal agencies, who require project data to be deposited in a repository that meets trustworthy standards for data preservation and access. As a part of the RDMC Basic Data Management Service, all sponsored research projects that generate or use data will automatically have a repository designated for their project in UNC Dataverse, helping researchers meet compliance requirements with ease.
“Nowadays, there are many repository options available, but not all repositories are deemed trustworthy by an international group of experts like CoreTrustSeal,”says Cheryl Thompson, RDMC’s Research Data Preservation Archivist. “Our staff is proud to uphold the highest standards for data curation and sharing and to deliver a world-class data repository to our community.”
UNC Dataverse is the premier data repository at UNC-Chapel Hill, available to researchers for sharing and preserving their research data and related materials. Deployed on the open-source Dataverse repository software developed by Harvard University, UNC Dataverse supports open and transparent research practices by helping researchers make their data available for reuse. It further promotes data sharing through the creation of persistent identifiers and standard data citations that can be included with publications. UNC faculty, staff, and students can create a free account and start sharing their research data at dataverse.unc.edu.