Participation by Max Planck Members at the National Data Infrastructure

On the 2^nd July 2021, the Joint Science Conference (GWK) decided to provide funding for ten further consortia in the context of the National Research Data Infrastructure programme (NFDI).((Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, National Research Data Infrastructure: DFG Welcomes Second-Round Funding Decisions, Press Release No. 25, 2^nd July 2021, https://www.dfg.de/en/service/press/press_releases/2021/press_release_no_25/index.html.)) As in the first round, there was lively participation from within the Max Planck Society.

On this occasion, this information text provides as a service a brief overview of MPG participation in the NFDI. But first, the NFDI is explained briefly so the context of this development can be better understood.

Short Summery of the NFDI

The NFDI was founded by a Bund-Länder-Agreement on the Establishment and Funding of a National Research Data Infrastructure of 26^th November 2018.((Gemeinsame Wissenschaftskonferenz, Bund-Länder-Vereinbarung zu Aufbau und Förderung einer Nationalen Forschungsdateninfrastruktur (NFDI), 26^th November 2018, https://www.gwk-bonn.de/fileadmin/Redaktion/Dokumente/Papers/NFDI.pdf.)) The general idea is to network research data and make it more usable. Data should be transferred into widely usable data treasures with added benefit for society. The NFDI is designed as a network of research data services specific to the scientific community.((Rat für Informationsinfrastrukturen, Datendienste nachhaltig gestalten, 2020, p. 1, https://rfii.de/download/rfii-diskussionsimpuls-zur-weiterentwicklung-von-forschungsdateninfrastrukturen-mai-2020/.))

First Application Round

Within the framework of the first call for proposals, the Joint Science Conference approved nine of the 22 NFDI consortia applied for. ((Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Nationale Forschungsdateninfrastruktur Statistische Übersichten zum Antragseingang (Zweite Ausschreibungsrunde, September 2020), 2020, p. 6, https://www.dfg.de/download/pdf/foerderung/programme/nfdi/nfdi_auswertung_2020.pdf.)) These nine consortia were successful((Gemeinsame Wissenschaftskonferenz, Förderung von neun Konsortien der Nationalen Forschungsdateninfrastruktur (NFDI) beschlossen, 26^th June 2020, https://www.gwk-bonn.de/fileadmin/Redaktion/Dokumente/Pressemitteilungen/pm2020-04.pdf.)): DataPlants, GHGA, KonsortSWD, NFDI4Biodiversity, NFDI4Cat, NFDI4Chem, NFDI4Culture, NFDI4Health, and NFDI4ING.

In the first call, the Max Planck Society had no application institution.((Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Nationale Forschungsdateninfrastruktur Statistische Übersichten zum Antragseingang (Zweite Ausschreibungsrunde, September 2020), 2020, p. 13, https://www.dfg.de/download/pdf/foerderung/programme/nfdi/nfdi_auswertung_2020.pdf.))

MPG researchers are participant at:

• DataPlants (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology),
• NFDI4Biodiversity (Gesellschaft für wissenschaftliche Datenverarbeitung mbH Göttingen)
• KonsortSWD (Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy),
• NFDI4Cat (Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion and Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems),
• NFDI4Chem (Fritz Haber Institute),
• and NFDI4Culture (Bibliotheca Hertziana – Max Planck Institute for Art History, Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz – Max-Planck-Institut, and Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics).

Second Application Round

In the second call, ten consortia were successful: BERD4NFDI, DAPHNE4NFDI, FAIRmat, MaRDI, NFDI-MatWerk, NFDI4DataScience, NFDI4Earth, NFDI4Microbiota, PUNCH4NFDI, and Text+.

Eight percent of the applying institutions to a NFDI consortium were part of the Max Planck Society.((Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Nationale Forschungsdateninfrastruktur Statistische Übersichten zum Antragseingang (Zweite Ausschreibungsrunde, September 2020), 2020, p. 14, https://www.dfg.de/download/pdf/foerderung/programme/nfdi/nfdi_auswertung_2020.pdf.)) Finally, 11 percent of the funded co-applying institutions came from the Max Planck Society.((Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Nationale Forschungsdateninfrastruktur: Statistische Übersicht zu den Förderentscheidungen in beiden Ausschreibungsrunden, p. 8, https://www.dfg.de/download/pdf/foerderung/programme/nfdi/nfdi_auswertung_2021.pdf.))

In the second call, the Max Planck Society had no application institution.((Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, National Research Data Infrastructure: DFG Welcomes Second-Round Funding Decisions, 2^nd July 2021, https://www.dfg.de/en/service/press/press_releases/2021/press_release_no_25/index.html.))

MPG researchers are co-applicants at:

• FAIRMAT (Fritz Haber Institute and Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion),
• MaRDI (Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems and Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences),
• NFDI4Earth (German Climate Computing Centre and Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry),
• NFDI-Matwerk (Max Planck Institute for Iron Research),
• and PUNCH4NFDI (Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics and Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy).

MPG researchers are participants at:

• FAIRMAT (Max Planck Computing and Data Facility, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Max Planck Institute for Iron Research, and Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research),
• NFDI4DataScience (Fritz Haber Institute)
• NFDI4Microbiota (Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, and Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research)
• PUNCH4NFDI (Max Planck Computing and Data Facility, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, and Max Planck Institute for Physics)
• TEXT+ (Gesellschaft für wissenschaftliche Datenverarbeitung mbH Göttingen).

Third Application Round

The third call for proposals for funding consortia in the NFDI was published on the 12^th May 2021.

The deadline for submission of binding pre-application proposals is 6^th August 2021. The 2^nd November 2021 is the deadline for submitting applications in the third round.

Questions and Support

If you have further questions about general MPG participation in the NFDI, please contact our RDM support at the MPDL. If you have any questions about the individual consortia, please contact the respective colleagues.