Within Research Drive, different user roles determine what you can see and do in the Research Drive Dashboard. Depending on your role, you may have access to different functionalities, administrative actions, and configuration options.
This page explains:
The available roles in Research Drive
What each role is responsible for
How permissions differ depending on where you are in the Dashboard
How role-based permissions relate to dashboard interactions
Additional, fine-grained permissions can be assigned by administrators via the Research Drive Dashboard. To learn more, see Manage user accounts.
Contents
Roles in Research Drive
The Research Drive Dashboard distinguishes the following roles:
- Member
- Project Folder Owner
- Contract Admin
- Dashboard Admin
Member
A Member is a regular Research Drive user. A Member can be invited to collaborate on a project folder (or a sub-directory) and can have different read/writing rights in that directory. If a member was given write permissions to a directory, the member can upload data to this directory up to the quota set for this directory. However, a member gets no additional storage quota and has no other privileges besides those granted in the directory they were invited to. If granted permission by the administrator, a member can invite other users via the Research Drive Dashboard. To learn more about inviting new users, please visit this page.
Create a projectfolder as user
As a user, you're only able to create project folders up to a predetermined number, based on given personal or contract permissions.
Contact your contract / dashboard admin, for extra rights to be able to create project folders. These can define this for each individual user and/or contract.
Project Folder Owner
As a Project Folder Owner you are responsible for a specific project folder. In addition to the normal rights as a Member, the Project Folder Owner has the rights to invite other users to collaborate on their project (or any sub-folder). Some Project Folder Owners are able to create new Project Folders. These permissions are given by the dashboard administrator of your institute and the number of project folders you can create is set to a predetermined number. If you want to be able to create new project folders, please contact the contract / dashboard admin of your organization. The admins can define this for each individual user and/or contract.
Finally, the project folder owner can change the owner of their project folder, but cannot make any other changes to the settings of their project folder.
The role of Project Folder Owner can be transferred.
Create a projectfolder as user
Specific rights can also be assigned to Research Drive users within the Research Drive Dashboard, to manage the environment. For instance, the Dashboard admin can hand out rights to a Project Folder Owner to create Project Folders up to a predetermined number. If you want to learn more about changing these permissions as an admin, visit the Manage user accounts page.
If you are a Research Drive user and need the right to create Project Folders, contact your contract / dashboard admin.
Contract Admin
A user can be appointed as Contract Admin, where the user will have the possibility to manage the contract and to distribute storage quota under the contract up to the defined contract budget.
The contract admin is able to create project folders and to distribute personal storage. This user can also in-/decrease or cancel an existing storage quota.
The contract admins can be managed under the Admin tab under the relevant contract in the Dashboard; RD: Manage a contract
Overview of privileges:
- Has an overview of the users and project folders which have a storage quota among the contract.
- Distribute storage quota under the contract, for example create project folders and assign personal storage,
- Manage preferences for this contract
Dashboard Admin
Also called almighty, god, hero or king. This user has all available rights within the dashboard.
The dashboard admins can be managed under the Settings tab in the Dashboard; RD: Dashboard settings
Overview of privileges:
- Has an overview of all users and project folders within the area and can manage them,
- Distribute storage quota under all contracts, for example create project folders and assign personal storage,
- Create new contracts and manage them
Dashboard Permissions Overview
Permissions in the Research Drive Dashboard determine what users can see and which actions they can perform. These permissions depend on two factors:
The role assigned to the user
The interaction context within the Dashboard
This section explains how permissions are structured and how they are documented on this page.
Interaction Contexts
Permissions in the Research Drive Dashboard are always described in relation to a specific interaction context. This distinction is important, as certain actions are only available in specific parts of the interface.
The following interaction contexts are used throughout this documentation:
| Interaction context | Description |
|---|---|
| Dashboard Tab (List View) | Actions available from the main dashboard tabs, such as Project Folders, User Accounts, and Contracts. These typically include viewing lists and creating new items. |
| Item Edit Mode | Actions available when editing an existing project folder, user account, or contract in a popup window. These actions modify existing items. |
| System-Level Tabs | Dashboard tabs that are only visible to Dashboard Admins, such as Transactions and Settings. |
Rule of thumb
Actions that create or list items are performed in Dashboard Tabs.
Actions that modify existing items are performed in Edit modes.
Permissions Legend
Throughout the permissions tables on this page, the following notation is used:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ✓ | Allowed |
| ◐ | Allowed with conditions |
| ✗ | Not allowed |
Where permissions are conditional (◐), the applicable constraints are explained below the relevant table or in the role descriptions.
Feature-Specific Permissions
The sections below describe permissions per dashboard feature, grouped by interaction context. Each table shows which actions are available to which roles.
Project Folders – Dashboard Tab (List View)
Actions available from the Project Folders tab in the Dashboard.
| Action | Project Folder Owner | Contract Admin | Dashboard Admin |
|---|---|---|---|
| View project folders | ◐ | ◐ | ✓ |
| Create project folder | ◐ | ◐ | ✓ |
Conditions
- Project Folder Owner: Can view only project folders they own. Creation depends on contract or user-level permissions.
Contract Admin: Can view and create project folders only under contracts they manage.
Project Folders – Edit mode
Actions available when editing an existing project folder.
| Action | Project Folder Owner | Contract Admin | Dashboard Admin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activate project folder | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Deactivate project folder | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Delete project folder | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Change project owner | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Change contract | ✗ | ◐ | ✓ |
| Edit quota | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Edit settings | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Conditions
- Contract Admin: can only change to another contract they are admin for.
User Accounts – Dashboard Tab (List View)
Actions available from the User Accounts tab.
| Action | Project Folder Owner | Contract Admin | Dashboard Admin |
|---|---|---|---|
| View user accounts | ◐ | ◐ | ✓ |
| Invite users | ◐ | ◐ | ✓ |
Conditions
- Project Folder Owner: Can only view themselves and users they have invited with status New.
Contract Admin: Can view and create users linked to their contract(s).
User Accounts – Edit mode
Actions available when editing an existing user account.
| Action | Project Folder Owner | Contract Admin | Dashboard Admin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reconnect user | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Deactivate user | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Activate user | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Delete user | ◐ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Change contract | ✗ | ◐ | ✓ |
| Manage services | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Edit settings | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Conditions
- Project Folder Owner: Can only delete a user they invited while the status is still New.
- Contract Admin: Can only change another contract they are admin for.
Contracts – Dashboard Tab (List View)
Actions available from the Contracts tab in the Dashboard.
| Action | Project Folder Owner | Contract Admin | Dashboard Admin |
|---|---|---|---|
| View contracts | ✗ | ◐ | ✓ |
| Create contract | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Conditions
- Contract Admin: Can only view contracts they are admin for.
Contracts – Edit mode
Actions available when editing an existing contract.
| Action | Project Folder Owner | Contract Admin | Dashboard Admin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deactivate contract | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Activate contract | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Delete contract | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Change contract details | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Add / remove contract admin | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Add / edit contacts | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Change quota | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Enable services | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Edit settings | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
System-Level Tabs – Access Overview
These tabs are only visible to users with the Dashboard Admin role. System-level tabs do not depend on contracts or projects and are not available to other roles.
| Tab | Project Folder Owner | Contract Admin | Dashboard Admin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transactions | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Settings | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Choosing the Right Admin Role
When assigning administrative roles in Research Drive, it is important to grant only the level of access that is required. This helps maintain clarity, security, and accountability within the environment.
When to assign a Dashboard Admin
Assign the Dashboard Admin role if a user needs to:
Manage all users across the entire Research Drive environment
Create, activate, deactivate, or delete contracts
Configure environment-wide settings
Access system-level tabs such as Transactions and Settings
Perform administrative actions that are not limited to a single contract
Dashboard Admins have unrestricted access and should be limited to a small number of trusted users.
When to assign a Contract Admin
Assign the Contract Admin role if a user needs to:
Create and manage project folders under one or more specific contracts
Manage users associated with those contracts
Distribute storage quota within contract limits
Manage contract-specific settings and services
Perform administrative tasks without affecting other contracts or the global environment
Contract Admins operate within a clearly defined scope and do not have access to system-wide configuration.