About the Geo-Chem-Life Science Helpdesk Cluster

What to do when questions about data management in the life sciences concern not just one but several disciplines? Or when a user request would actually fit better to the expertise of another helpdesk? Ten NFDI consortia have found an answer so that the users don’t have to worry about who to contact: the Geo-Chem-Life Science Helpdesk Cluster.

Research questions often cannot be clearly assigned to a single discipline or span several disciplines. In the Geo-Chem-Life Science Helpdesk Cluster, which was formalized in March 2025 through a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15065070), ten NFDI consortia from the geosciences, chemistry, and life sciences have joined forces to provide interdisciplinary support to researchers in data management issues. As part of this cooperation, the helpdesks of the thematically related NFDI consortia DataPLANT,FAIRagro, GHGA, NFDI4Biodiversity, NFDI4Bioimage, NFDI4Chem, NFDI4Earth, NFDI4Health, NFDI4Immuno, and NFDI4Microbiota are working together to improve their joint support capacities. By sharing expertise, resources and best practices, they ensure efficient assistance across various areas. User inquiries that require additional expertise are shared anonymously or forwarded to the appropriate expert, so that user needs can be met in the best way. For access to the network, users may simply contact any one of the helpdesks belonging to the cluster.

The Geo-Chem-Life Science Helpdesk Cluster fosters the structured cooperation of the helpdesks within NFDI and beyond via the Working Group RDM Helpdesk Network.