The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and SDSC sign a landmark Memorandum of Understanding that provide an avenue for preserving valuable digital data collections.

The collaboration with SDSC marked the first time NARA established an affiliated relationship for preserving digital data with an academic institution. Some of the digital data under SDSC’s technical stewardship was produced by or for agencies of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government. The Memorandum of Understanding provided for governance of Federal electronic records and other Federal informational materials within the collections under applicable Federal laws, regulations and authorities. The agreement provided a formal framework for collaboration, innovation, demonstration, and preservation of some of the nation’s most valuable digital research collections.