Start of the FAIR Data Spaces project
A FAIR Data Space for Research and Industry
Gaia-X and NFDI start FAIR-Data Spaces project
(Published on 27.07.2021) The FAIR Data Spaces project was started in May 2021. It is planned for three years and is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, BMBF. In this project, the federated safe data infrastructure Gaia-X and the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) are developing a common, cloud-based data space for industry and research in compliance with the FAIR principles, which means sharing data in a findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable way. The project creates the roadmap for the cooperation of the two initiatives, clarifies ethical and legal frameworks for data exchange between science and industry, develops common technical foundations and demonstrates the use of Gaia-X technologies for the supply and use of research data following the FAIR principles in different scientific disciplines and industrial sectors. The NFDI Association and numerous universities that are organised in NFDI consortia represent the scientific domain. The business-oriented Gaia-X side is represented by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft as well as Atos as representatives of the companies that are involved in Gaia-X. The project is coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT and co-coordinated by the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) e.V.. The BMBF has published a press release on the topic, which can be accessed here: Karliczek: With FAIR-Data Spaces we are creating a common data space for science and industry (German
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Impulse papers on NFDI service portfolio and financial flows published
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.
What’s next for NFDI after 2028? German Science and Humanities Council presents evaluation report.
At its meeting on 11 July 2025, the German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat, WR) adopted a report on the structural evaluation of the German National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI). This is highly relevant for the future design of NFDI.
NFDI would like to thank the Council for the numerous valuable impulses that emerged from the report and very much welcomes the recommendation for the further funding and organisation of the network.
Good news for NFDI: GWK decides to continue funding all consortia of the first round
All nine consortia from the first funding round will continue to receive funding. This was decided by the Joint Science Conference (GWK) on 4 July. The new funding period for the second project phase will begin in October for DataPLANT, GHGA, KonsortSWD, NFDI4Biodiversity, NFDI4Cat, NFDI4Chem, NFDI4Culture, NFDI4Health and NFDI4ING. The federal and state governments are providing a total of around 92 million euros until the end of 2028.
