SANDY stands for “Stewarding Nebraska Data.” It is the repository for research data housed in the University Libraries at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. We accept research data for public access from affiliates in the Nebraska University system.
Our inspiration for “SANDY” comes from the Nebraska Sandhills, a special place that is home to unique and interesting species and geography, a treasure of the state and region.
Prior to SANDY’s launch in November 2024, our data repository was called UNLDR (UNL Data Repository). Data that were deposited in UNLDR can now be found in SANDY.
For datasets that are accepted, we provide curation to ensure data is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) to the maximum extent possible. SANDY meets all of the desired characteristics recommended by the National Science and Technology Council and is conformant with the Department of Transportation’s public access plan.
Additionally, UNL is a member of the Data Curation Network, with which we share discipline-specific curatorial expertise. To learn more, please visit our Policies and FAQ, or Contact Us.
SANDY was made possible by previous faculty and staff at UNL Libraries who looked into the future and knew that we would need a place for Nebraska’s research outputs and the people to care for them. They founded UNLDR around 2012.
The front page image, “Wild alfalfa - Belmont Prairie”, is a photograph by Frank H. Shoemaker and is housed in the Archives & Special Collections, UNL Libraries (321301-A01131).