ARM Data Center Recertified by International CoreTrustSeal Organization

Published: 23 September 2025

Recertification as Trustworthy Data Repository will last 3 years

The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility continues to receive global recognition for its management of more than 30 years of atmospheric data.

The CoreTrustSeal organization recertified the ARM Data Center as a Trustworthy Data Repository for three more years. The current certification ends June 18, 2028.

Established by the World Data System of the International Science Council and the Data Seal of Approval, CoreTrustSeal is an international nonprofit that promotes sustainable and trustworthy data repositories. Reviewers of certification applications represent data organizations worldwide.

“We pursued CoreTrustSeal recertification to reaffirm our commitment to the highest standards of trustworthy data stewardship and to ensure that ARM’s users continue to have confidence in the long-term availability and integrity of our data,” says ARM Data and Computing Officer Giri Prakash.

Out of 164 CoreTrustSeal-certified data repositories in the world, 36 are in the United States. The ARM Data Center is based at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

The Path to Recertification

On May 15, 2020, the ARM Data Center received its initial three-year certification. The data center was able to apply for recertification in early 2024 after CoreTrustSeal finished a major refresh of its application portal, and the review process began in earnest in late 2024.

Applicants need to meet 16 core requirements defined by the World Data System and Data Seal of Approval. These requirements include discovery and identification of digital objects, quality assurance, storage and integrity of data and metadata, and management of technical infrastructure.

“The certification process provides an opportunity to evaluate and strengthen our internal practices, align with evolving community standards, and demonstrate to the scientific community that the ARM Data Center remains a reliable and sustainable source of data for atmospheric research,” says Prakash.

The recertification also allows the ARM Data Center to nominate a representative to join the CoreTrustSeal Assembly of Reviewers. This group reviews repositories that have applied for certification before the CoreTrustSeal Standards and Certification Board gives its final approval.

The ARM Data Center’s recertification assessment is available on the CoreTrustSeal website. The renewal process is expected to begin six months before the June 18, 2028, expiration date.