This page is about the project Research Data (2021-26). The project aims to ensure that researchers and students at NTNU have the necessary tools, services, and e-infrastructure to manage data in research projects; from collection, storage, analysis, and processing, to archiving, deletion or publishing. This infrastructure should enable responsible, reproducible, FAIR and open research of high quality.

What do you need to ensure an efficient data flow in your research project? Get in touch with project leader Ingrid Heggland.

Norwegian version - Prosjekt Forskningsdata - Digitaliseringsprogram

Topic page about Research Data | Pages with tag research data

Contact Research Data @NTNU in the NTNU Hjelp portal if you need help or advice related to research data in your project.

Ongoing subprojects

The project deals with safe and secure handling of research data, from collection, storage, analysis and processing, to archiving, deletion or publication. The project is now working on the following areas.

Tool for digital interviews with confidential data

The subproject will deliver a tool for recording digital interviews with confidential, also called red, data and establish a method for secure processing of such recordings in research and student projects.

Researchers and students at NTNU conduct interviews and conversations with people, and in many cases these will be recorded, with sound and/or video. Traditionally this has been done using recording equipment as dictaphones or cameras in physical meetings.

The subproject has chosen Webex - Confidential Digital Interview, a tool that makes it possible to conduct interviews and store recordings in a safe and secure manner. Webex is planned to be introduced at NTNU in the fall of 2025.

The manager of the subproject is Dag Overrein, IT Division.

Infrastructure for confidential data

The aim of the subproject is to ensure that students and employees at NTNU have the necessary technical infrastructure and digital tools for responsible and secure processing of confidential data in research.

A sizeable portion of research projects process data that is classified as confidential. Examples of such data can be patient data, registry data or other types of personal data. Also considerations related to security, export control or trade secrets can be reasons to ensure data and other information in research projects are kept confidential.

Storage and processing of confidential data entail strict requirements to information security. NTNU offers several different IT tools to process confidential research data, but these do not fully cover the diverse needs in the various research fields and projects.

The subproject will ensure that students and employees have access to such tools for secure, safe and responsible processing of their research data, and is now developing an infrastructure named NICE-2. A Proof of Concept was demonstrated successfully in the spring of 2023, and the infrastructure was piloted with a single research project in 2024. A bigger pilot with several research projects is ongoing in the fall of 2025, with the aim of full implementation in 2026.

The manager of the subproject is Hans Jørgen Eck, IT Division.

Competence centre and infrastructure for research data

This subproject is more long term and comprehensive, with an overarching view on infrastructure and support services related to research data. The aim is to establish a set of tools and services that ensure efficient handling of documentation and metadata throughout all phases of the research process.

The research infrastructure is intended to facilitate responsible, reproducible, FAIR, and open high-quality research. It must also ensure necessary information security and contribute to sound management of research data and other research outputs at NTNU.

The subproject will give rise to new subprojects as needs are identified and assessed. Examples include various types of scientific software and offering a selection of solutions for data storage and archiving.

Research Data @NTNU

Students and staff can receive assistance in managing research data from a shared competence environment; Research Data @NTNU. This environment functions as a common support service for all researchers and students. The service promotes best practices in open science, data management, and reproducible, responsible research. In addition to offering basic guidance, training, and a selection of standardized tools, it also provides customization of certain tools and infrastructure.

REK archiving

In spring 2025, the subproject launched the new service REK archiving.

The manager of the subproject is Svein Høier, the University Library.

Electronic lab notebook

Researchers will have access to new tools for electronic lab notebooks.

The Electronic lab notebook subproject aims to replace the traditional paper-based lab notebook with a new digital solution with extended functionality (Electronic Lab Notebook - ELN).

The ELN solution will be offered broadly and for the entire organization, but will be a particularly important tool for those research environments where laboratory experiments are at the core of the research process. Examples of new and desired functionality will be searchability, better possibilities for compilation of experiments, co-writing, access control, version control, addition of metadata, efficient use of protocols, etc.

The subproject will deliver tools, guidelines and training for electronic lab journals (ELN) to all departments at NTNU, and will ensure that as many people as possible use the tool. In 2024, the subproject selected RSpace as the ELN solution to be introduced to NTNU. During 2025 the solution will be progressively rolled out to NTNU's departments.

The manager of the subproject is Emma Louise Walton, the University Library (previous manager Svein Høier, the University Library).

Internal research protocol

This subproject is a pilot initiative for internal registration and assessment of a limited number of research projects that would otherwise receive automatic evaluation by Sikt. Initially, the focus will be on master's projects involving general personal data—classified as yellow/internal data. The registration will take place in NTNU’s protocol system for personal data, with close follow-up from Research Data @NTNU.

This subproject is closely linked to Subproject 6, Privacy in Student Assignments, which is developing teaching materials, routines, and guidance for students. In this way, internal assessment and protocol registration will also contribute to increased competence and awareness among students, supervisors, and educators.

The criteria for internal registration and assessment will be the same as those used by Sikt for automatic evaluation:

*The project does not process special categories of personal data (sensitive data)

*The duration is limited in time

*The number of data subjects is low

*All data subjects receive individual information

*The data subjects are over 15 years old

Students who wish to participate can find the internal notification form here (in Norwegian). Everyone who registers internally will receive personal feedback and follow-up. Assessed projects will receive documentation confirming that the project meets legal requirements and NTNU’s guidelines.

Project Overview and Processing Protocol MH

As an extension of Subproject 9, a form has also been developed in Visma Draftit for the processing protocol of health research projects at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. The form is based on the DPIA template and, in combination with Nettskjema, can provide a complete processing protocol and overview of all research projects at MH. Implementation of the protocol and project overview is scheduled for autumn 2025.

The manager of the subproject is Ane Møller Gabrielsen, the University Library.

Completed sub-projects

Git - Tool for version control

Students, developers and researchers will have a common tool to store, share and collaborate on source code and code history.

GitHub will be introduced as a common Git solution at NTNU. This is a tool that allows you to upload and collaborate on source code and other types of files, and gives you a visual overview of all changes and contributions made. The subproject will facilitate the use of the tool through easy self-administration and good user support.

The tool was implemented during Spring 2025.

The manager of the subproject is Dag Overrein, IT Division.

Research Catalogue

Students and staff will have access to and be trained in a common solution for documenting and sharing artistic research and activities.

Research Catalogue (RC) is a multimedia platform for publishing and sharing artistic results as well as documenting artistic processes. The sub-project is about adapting and developing NTNU's institutional portal in RC to the needs of the relevant academic communities, as well as ensuring the necessary piloting and training of internal users.

The subproject will have four main deliverables: risk assessment, development of the portal, preparation of routines and guidelines, and training of internal users. The subproject handed RC over to implementation in spring 2025.

The manager of the subproject is Anja Johansen, the University Library.

Transcribing with Whisper

Students and researchers will have access to an automatic transcription/speech recognition service.

Manually transcribing interviews is a time-consuming and costly task. An automatic transcription service would be a great help for staff and students. Whisper is a general language model that can recognize speech from audio and video files, both Norwegian and English. Whisper is developed by OpenAI, and the source code is shared under an open license so that it is possible for others to use it. The subproject aims to deliver a time-saving service for automatic transcription/speech recognition internally at NTNU.

The service Speech-to-text was delivered in a test version in June 2023 for students and staff at NTNU. The service was rolled out in January 2024.

The manager of the subproject is Olav Daling Stornes, IT Division.

Competence network and tools for GDPR in research

Students and employees should have access to tools, services and information that make it easy to fulfill privacy and information security requirements in research projects.

The subproject contributed to the implementation of NTNU's guidelines through competence building, development of courses and templates, clarification of roles and responsibilities and culture building.

Deliverables from the project:

• Network for GDPR in research on Teams (Teams code 0kzl0j4)
• Digital introductory course on GDPR in research (in Norwegian)
• Simple risk assessment template for research projects processing personal data (in Norwegian)

GDPR in student projects

Students should have access to tools, services and information that make it easy to fulfill GDPR and information security requirements in student projects.

Deliverables:

• Routines and workflows for using private IT equipment in research projects
• Course program for privacy in research that can be used by teachers at NTNU (in Norwegian).

Project mandate

Overarching project mandate (Norwegian). The project started in May 2021 and is planned at least until the end of 2025.

Mandates have been approved by the project steering group.

Project organization

Project owner

The project owner is Pro-Rector for Research and Dissemination (temporary), Toril Hernes.

Steering group, Research Data Project

• Leader: Erik Wahström, Vice Dean for Research and Innovation, NV  
• Sara Brinch, Dean, AD
• Nils Kalstad, Director NTNU Societal Security
• Kristian Hveem, MH-ISM and HUNT Research Centre  
• Erik Ingebrigtsen, Head of Section, Research Administration, SU  
• Rannveig Tellemand Storeng, Division Director, Research , Innovation and External Relations Division
• Knut Aspås, Acting Library Director, NTNU University Library
• Arne Dag Fidjestøl, Head of Section, IT Infrastructure

Contact

Contact project leader Ingrid Heggland.

Contact Research Data @NTNU through NTNU Hjelp if you need advice or help with research data in your project.