On July 14, 2025, the German Council of Science and Humanities (WR) presented the results of its structural evaluation of the German National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI). In its report, the WR makes recommendations for the further development of NFDI. The NFDI Task Force Governance and Sustainability (TFGS) is also addressing this issue. In its work plan “Steps for the Further Development of our NFDI,” the TFGS has defined clear framework conditions for the further development of the structure and financing of NFDI.
With two papers, the TFGS is now presenting initial ideas for the further development of NFDI, which reflect the entire scope of NFDI and can be taken up by other bodies of the NFDI association:
- In order to make access to research data available to users of all scientific disciplines in a needs-based and low-threshold manner, NFDI will create a comprehensive service portfolio in line with the association’s current strategy. The paper “Efficient decision-making structures for an NFDI service portfolio” provides ideas for the development and operation of an NFDI service portfolio. To this end, it formulates criteria, a decision-making process, and the management of the service portfolio. The complete paper can be found on Zenodo.
- Given the variety of scientific needs and the diversity of the actors involved in NFDI, as well as the complexity of their interactions, clearly defined and long-term financing structures are needed for the future NFDI. The paper “Financial Flows for Services and Tasks” outlines the key elements of a sustainable financing model. The published position paper can be viewed and downloaded on Zenodo.
At its meeting on July 4, 2025, the Consortia Assembly approved the publication of the two position papers. Responses to the position papers can be sent to reactions-tfgs-papers@lists.nfdi.de.
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5-year anniversary of the NFDI association: A brief journey through time in 5 images
Five years ago, on 12 October 2020, the German federal and state governments jointly founded the association Nationale Forschungsdateninfrastruktur (NFDI) e.V. in Hannover. More than 300 institutions are now members, and the association continues to grow. The members are united by a common vision: data as a shared good for excellent research, organised by the scientific community in Germany.
To celebrate the association’s 5th anniversary, we would like to take a brief journey through time in 5 pictures. The photos illustrate how NFDI has transformed throughout its development phase into a strong network.
RDM in Action: Highlights oft CoRDI 2025
Almost 700 people attended the Conference on Research Data Infrastructure (CoRDI) 2025 at RWTH Aachen University. The three-day conference, held from 26 to 28 August at C.A.R.L. (Central Auditorium for Research and Learning), focused on making better use of research data and the resulting added value for science and society. The motto ‘RDM (Research Data Management) in Action’ was reflected in all presentations, discussions and posters.
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Susanne Walter-Augustin was appointed Administrative Director in June 2025. She has been contributing her extensive experience in administration, finance and project management since 1 August 2025. With a degree in business administration, she previously held various management positions in social, cultural and educational institutions.
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