14.10.2024: Enhancing data sharing and (re-)use in German and European research: RfII recommendations for future development and coordination of scientific and science-related data infrastructures

PRESS RELEASE
14 October 2024

Enhancing data sharing and (re-)use in German and European research:
RfII recommendations for future development and coordination of scientific and science-related data infrastructures

Enforcing data sharing and data (re-)use is a top priority in European societies to realise a single digital market and address sustainability, social welfare, and prosperity. Researchers and research institutions are crucial actors in driving the digital transformation with the build-up of research data infrastructures as one important pillar and backbone of future scientific innovations. Thus, today’s science policy strives to establish the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) in Germany and the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) in close connection with related transnational and European endeavours, such as Gaia-X and the European Data Spaces.

In its policy paper ‘Federated Data Infrastructures for Scientific Use’, the Council for Scientific Information Infrastructures (RfII) provides an overview and a comparative in-depth analysis of the emerging data infrastructures. In addition, the Council makes recommendations for their future development and coordination. The RfII notes that access to genuine high-quality research data and related core services is a matter of basic public supply and strongly advises achieving coherence between the various initiatives and approaches. The Council further recommends increasing researchers’ active involvement in the continuous development and maintenance of data infrastructures and considering this activity as an integral part of scientific practice. This needs to be complemented by the development of steady career opportunities in the broad field of research data management and service provision.

Moreover, important challenges such as sustainable responsibilities as well as reliable and coherent funding conditions as a basis for long-term maintenance and operation perspectives of research data infrastructures are addressed to funding agencies and research policy actors. The RfII sees this as imperative to ensure long-term trust and thus the acceptance of researchers for federated data storage and data exchange.

For more information, please visit https://rfii.de/en/home/. The printed version will be available shortly.

German Council for Scientific Information Infrastructures (RfII)

The RfII was established by the Joint Science Conference (GWK) to advise the Federal and Länder Governments, as well as scientific institutions, on the development of scientific information infrastructures and related topics concerning the digital transformation in science and academia. Its 24 honorary members represent the infrastructure and data user side inside the scientific community, the infrastructure providers, public life, and the research ministries of the Federal and Länder Governments.

Contact
German Council for Scientific Information Infrastructures – Head Office
Dr Stefan Lange
Papendiek 16
+49 551-39-26073
37073 Göttingen
stefan.lange@rfii.de