NFDI Directorate: Susanne Walter-Augustin appointed as new Administrative Director

The National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) Association has a new Administrative Director. Susanne Walter-Augustin was appointed to the position at a meeting of the board of trustees in June. She will bring her extensive experience in administration, finance and project management to the role from 1 August. Susanne Walter-Augustin and Director Prof. Dr. York Sure-Vetter jointly form the NFDI Directorate and the association’s executive board and represent the NFDI association.

With a degree in business administration, she previously held various management positions in social, cultural and education-related institutions. As regional manager at Diakonisches Werk Pfalz, she headed the centres in the central region for over five years. In this role, she had significant responsibility for human resources and was also responsible for all matters relating to finance and controlling. Previously, Walter-Augustin was administrative director at the Centre for Educational Science for more than ten years. In this role, she had significant personnel responsibility and was also responsible for all matters relating to finance and controlling. Prior to this, Walter-Augustin was administrative director at the Erziehungswissenschaftliches Fort- und Weiterbildungsinstitut der evangelischen Kirchen in Rheinland-Pfalz (EFWI) for more than ten years. Her responsibilities there included budget and financial management, as well as applying for public funding and project funds. Walter-Augustin also has experience as a managing director: for nine years, she headed the Hambacher Schloss SöR Foundation in this capacity. In addition to her professional activities, she also pursued academic studies: from 2012 to 2014, she studied alongside her work at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern and successfully completed a master’s degree in ‘Management of Cultural and Non-Profit Organisations’.

‘With my financial experience, I want to actively contribute to the strategic orientation and further development of a future-oriented, nationally significant research data infrastructure. The broad range of tasks – from financial planning and budget control to human resources management to joint management and representation of the association – offers me the opportunity to optimally contribute and further expand my diverse skills and experience,’ says Walter-Augustin. She finds working at NFDI particularly fulfilling because it strengthens science as a whole. ‘I look forward to working with dedicated colleagues to develop sustainable structures and thus create the conditions for innovative research projects to be successfully implemented. In doing so, it is particularly important to me to create sustainable solutions that have a long-term impact through open exchange.’