Key Takeaways
- The EU-funded RAISE project is democratizing data sharing and transforming it into a secure, controlled process.
- The project enables researchers to make their data available securely, protecting sensitive data and recognizing research work.
- RAISE’s technology allows data providers to retain control and ownership of their datasets, while executing algorithms on trusted environments.
- The project aims to increase the datasets available for open research, guaranteeing reproducibility, traceability, attribution, and compliance with sensitive data regulations.
- The RAISE Suite, a subsequent EU-funded project, will provide tools to automate the creation of FAIR datasets and introduce machine-actionable data management plans.
Introduction to the RAISE Project
The RAISE project, funded by the European Union, is helping researchers make their data available securely, addressing concerns about data sharing and open science. Many researchers are hesitant to share their data publicly, due to concerns about how it will be used and protected. The RAISE project aims to address these concerns by transforming data sharing into a secure, controlled process. According to Evdokimos Konstantinidis, an assistant professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, "RAISE enables moving from data sharing to data visiting, to address researchers’ concerns in open science and to support use cases where datasets cannot be openly shared, aiming to increase the datasets available for open research."
The Technology Behind RAISE
The RAISE project’s technology allows data providers and organizations to act as hosts, keeping their datasets securely within their own infrastructure, while retaining control and ownership. This means that researchers can share their data without sacrificing control or ownership. Instead of downloading data, users execute their algorithms on similar trusted environments that take care of data access. The RAISE platform records every data processing and provides a persistent Research Analysis Identifier, which enables reproducibility and guarantees traceability, attribution, and compliance with sensitive data regulations.
Successes and Future Plans
In the three years since its launch, the RAISE project has achieved several successes, including the launch of the RAISE Platform and a spin-off company on blockchain and AI technologies. Private and public organizations beyond the project and the open science community have begun to explore RAISE services and the value they can derive from them. By the time RAISE ends in 2026, it will have created trusted environments for carrying out research, making it possible for datasets that otherwise would not be shared to become available in a controlled and reproducible way.
The Next Steps: RAISE Suite
Building on the foundations of the RAISE project, the research team’s subsequent goal is to break down the barriers to research data sharing further in the RAISE Suite project. The RAISE Suite project will provide tools to automate the creation of FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) datasets, as well as introduce machine-actionable data management plans to streamline the entire data life cycle. By supporting the entire data life cycle, the project will enable the seamless integration of data management practices with minimal disruption to researchers’ daily workflows.
Conclusion and Future Implications
The RAISE project and its subsequent RAISE Suite project have the potential to transform the way researchers share and manage their data. By providing a secure, controlled, and reproducible way to share data, these projects can increase the datasets available for open research, recognize research work, and guarantee compliance with sensitive data regulations. As the projects continue to develop and expand, they may have significant implications for the future of open science and research data sharing. With the RAISE project ending in 2026, it will be exciting to see the impact of these projects on the research community and the future of data sharing.
