History and Founding

The Data Rescue Project (DRP) was founded in February 2025 as a coordinated, volunteer-driven effort to protect and preserve at-risk public data from US federal government websites. The project emerged in response to the rapid dismantling of federal agencies and the removal of public datasets, including data from USAID and the CDC, under the Trump administration's early 2025 actions. The founding organizers came from three primary data professional organizations: the International Association for Social Science Information Service and Technology (IASSIST), Research Data Access & Preservation (RDAP), and the Data Curation Network, as well as the organization Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online (SUCHO).

The project began when IASSIST Secretary Lynda Kellam created a shared Google document directing members to data rescue resources; the document went viral and quickly grew into the broader DRP coalition. In November 2025, the project received a $100,000 grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to support cloud storage infrastructure for rescued data.

Mission and Scope

DRP's goal is to serve as a clearinghouse for data rescue-related efforts and to provide data access points for public US governmental data that are currently at risk. Efforts include data gathering, data curation and cleaning, data cataloging, and providing sustained access and distribution of data assets. As of mid-2025, DRP volunteers and partner organizations had rescued over 1,100 datasets from more than 80 government offices. The project has grown to more than 800 volunteers including librarians, archivists, researchers, technologists, students, and members of the general public.

Resources and Tools

The Data Rescue Project Portal is a centralized, searchable hub integrating rescued datasets from multiple organizations, built on JKAN open-source software. Rescued data are also deposited in ICPSR's DataLumos, a crowd-sourced repository for government data. The Resources page provides tools and guides for independent data preservation efforts.

Governance

The project is directed by a Steering Committee, including Lynda Kellam (IASSIST), Lena Bohman, Halle Burns (RDAP), Tess Grynoch, Sebastian Majstorovic, and Mikala Narlock. It operates primarily through volunteer contributions and community coordination via Bluesky and other platforms.