How Organizations Use Filecoin to Advance DeSci

Universities and research institutions around the world generate massive volumes of scientific data. But with today’s centralized storage options, storing, running, and reproducing large-scale experiments can be prohibitively expensive. 

Critical datasets — like climate data used to model food supply chains, geospatial data for disaster response, genomic data for disease research, and satellite data for tracking environmental change — are often locked within closed, centralized cloud platforms. These systems create single points of failure where data might be lost, limit transparency, and impair data sharing, all of which contribute to the Replication Crisis. Without secure, sustainable infrastructure, valuable knowledge risks being lost, collaboration becomes difficult, and scientific progress stalls.

Filecoin is uniquely positioned as a leading storage solution for decentralized science (DeSci).

• Data Immutability. The Filecoin network ensures that no one can alter or delete research data once it's stored for the duration of the deal. This provides a tamper-proof record of scientific discoveries and research findings, creating a chain of custody for changes that enables provenance for results.

• Transparent Verification. Filecoin’s content-addressed storage uses unique cryptographic hashes to help ensure researchers are always accessing the correct version of a dataset.

• Global Accessibility. Filecoin’s decentralized storage network spans across the globe, enabling researchers to access their data from anywhere at any time.

• Collaborative Research. Filecoin makes it easy for scientists to collaborate by sharing data in a secure, decentralized manner. Researchers can share datasets without worrying about unauthorized access.

• Long-term Preservation. Smart contracts are programmed to ensure that data is preserved for the long term. 

How Organizations are Leveraging Filecoin to Advance DeSci

Interstellar Gas Simulation Data 

Cornell University astrophysicist Dr. Drummond Fielding uses Ramo Cloud to store petabytes of interstellar gas simulation data on Filecoin. His simulations on the world's fastest supercomputer generate over 5 petabytes per run, with individual frames exceeding 80 terabytes. After running and analyzing a simulation, Fielding cuts costs by archiving the large raw outputs on Filecoin and keeping only the distilled subset for further study.

Crop Classification Data

The University of Maryland’s EASIER Data Initiative uses IPFS and Filecoin to deliver critical analysis of crop classification data to understand how crop yields change over time — insights that have major implications for food supply chains and climate impact research.

Earth Surface Data

Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) data measures the height of Earth surface features, such as tree canopies and vegetation, helping estimate carbon stocks, track deforestation, and monitor ecosystem dynamics. GEDI tutorials — created by and for academics and researchers — leverage the IPFS-STAC API built by the EASIER Data Initiative to help researchers access datasets stored on IPFS.

Weather Data 

WeatherXM’s raw weather data, stored daily on IPFS and Filecoin, delivers reliable, high-resolution insights globally through a reward system that incentivizes high-quality data. This results in hyperlocal weather data that is essential for accurate decision-making across industries like agriculture, energy, and logistics.

Cardiac Research Data 

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute is storing 125+ TiBs of cardiac research data on Filecoin, including raw datasets from published papers — consisting of thousands of cell images and encrypted backups of their SyncroPatch machine, a laboratory technique for studying currents in living cells.

A Scalable Model

Decentralization of scientific data, research, and experimentation at scale not only offers a more cost-effective solution for scientists; it offers a more robust foundation for global research integrity — promoting data sharing and reproducibility and, ultimately, accelerating scientific progress.