(Published on 28.07.2023) Starting in the fourth quarter of 2024, the Wissenschaftsrat (“Council of Science and Humanities”, WR) will examine the effectiveness and success of NFDI through a structural evaluation. This will be based on a structural report submitted by the NFDI Director to the Joint Science Conference (“Gemeinsame Wissenschaftskonferenz”, GWK).
In parallel, the funded NFDI consortia will be evaluated by the German Research Foundation (“Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft”, DFG) as early as 2023.
The NFDI Task Force for Evaluation and Reporting (TFER) is doing preparatory work for the consortia’s interim reports and the structural evaluation of NFDI. Members of the Task Force have written the White Paper “Dealing with BLV Targets as a Basis for Structural Evaluation”. In § 1 of the Bund-Länder-Vereinbarung zu Aufbau und Förderung einer Nationalen Forschungsdateninfrastruktur (NFDI)(Agreement on the Establishment and Funding of a National Research Data Infrastructure – BLV), it is stated that the funding of NFDI “aims to establish and further develop an overarching research data management” and thus to “increase the efficiency of the entire science system”. The white paper that has now been published formulates a common understanding of the consortia involved for the seven goals specified in the BLV. Based on this understanding, the TFER has made suggestions on how the achievement of the individual goals can be recorded, described and measured.
The consortia assembly unanimously decided during its meeting on 7 July 2023 that the White Paper should be used as a basis for reporting for the structural evaluation. In addition, the consortia assembly recommends that the White Paper – as far as possible – also be included in the work of the consortia. The White Paper will be updated as necessary.
You can view and download the complete paper on Zenodo.
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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.
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