(Published on 23.09.2022)The second NFDI Parliamentary Event on 22 September 2022 in Berlin focused on “Health, Climate, Economy”.
With high-quality research data, we can, for example, better understand and treat diseases, make more accurate predictions about the weather and climate and use them to develop targeted actions, or use networked corporate data to foster innovation. The German National Research Data Infrastructure has taken research data management a big step forward since it was founded almost two years ago. Institutions that were separate from each other have become partners within consortia and sections that jointly manage important processes for the development of standards.
At the Parliamentary Breakfast under the title “Health, Climate, Economy: How Research Data Help to Initiate Innovations”, an interim balance was drawn. Use cases from the three thematic areas of health, climate and economy were presented to the politicians, highlighting the opportunities of good research data management. Members of the Bundestag and their staff were present.
After a welcoming address by Mario Brandenburg, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, NFDI Director York Sure-Vetter introduced the title topic.
The focus of the event was on the joint dialogue between politicians and the NFDI, moderated by Eva Lübke, Administrative Director of the NFDI. The participants had the opportunity to address their questions directly to experts from NFDI: Prof. Dr. Juliane Fluck (NFDI4Health), Prof. Dr. Peter Braesicke (NFDI4Earth), Prof. Dr. Florian Stahl (BERD@NFDI) and Prof. Dr. Andreas Witt (Chairman of the Consortium Assembly/Text+) reported in a question and answer session on milestones, opportunities and numerous to-dos that still need to be addressed. Discussions were held, for example, on the balance between the protection of data and the possibility of fuelling innovations by linking them. Legal barriers and unresolved issues were named as problems in this area.
New job profiles such as data stewards, a necessary cultural change in science towards data sharing and the role of publishers in the publication of data were also discussed.
Overall, many topics that are relevant not only for science but also for society as a whole could be called up.
NFDI would also like to continue the dialogue with politicians in the future and act as a contact for questions about research data management and the necessary framework conditions.
Other posts
Posts
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.
NFDI Directorate: Susanne Walter-Augustin appointed as new Administrative Director
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.
Recent Comments