The proposed research aims at characterizing the process of plastic strain localization and its propagation in the bulk of polycrystalline Ni using a combination of X-ray diffraction imaging techniques. Nickel polycrystal will be studied by DCT and topotomography (both ex situ and in situ). Deformed samples will be transferred to ID06 for higher resolution DFXM measurements (this is a change from last proposal where we intended to use the nanoscope station at ID11). The experimental data will give access to the temporal and spatial evolution of slip bands and enable assessment of the influence of the local grain neighborhood on propagation of plasticity throughout the 3D grain microstructure during early stages of plastic deformation (0-2 %). The collected data will also be used for subsequent 3D simulation work (crystal plasticity and dislocation dynamics) by the project partners.