THE COUNCIL
The German Council for Scientific Information Infrastructures has been active in the current composition of its members since November 2022 (third mandate term). The 24 members were appointed by the Joint Science Conference (GWK) for a term of four years and work in an honorary capacity. They represent a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines, actors and institutions. In the first two terms until October 2022 the RfII focused on the topics „Research Data – Sustainability – Internationality“. In the third term, the Council will focus on the synergies of the newly created data and information infrastructures in Germany and Europe, their interfaces to non-scientific data spaces and their evaluability- In addition, the RfII will take up new design issues for information infrastructures that have arisen from the transformation in disciplinary research cultures.
SCIENTIFIC USERS
Marion Albers
Stefan Decker
Petra Gehring
Kurt Kremer
Anne Lauber-Rönsberg
Wolfgang Marquardt
vormals Forschungszentrum Jülich
Stefanie Speidel
Joachim Wambsganß
PUBLIC
Anke Beck
Frontiers
Marit Hansen
Landesbeauftragte für Datenschutz Schleswig-Holstein
Christine Regitz
SAP SE
Harald Schöning
Software AG
INFORMATION FACILITIES
Sören Auer
Lars Bernard
Andrea Hänger
Barbara Helwing
Beatrice Rammstedt
Gerhard Sagerer
Bielefeld University
Katrin Stump
Ramin Yahyapour
FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS
Rüdiger Eichel
Andrea Kienle
Christopher Karmann
Marion Steinberger
CHAIR
Chairpersons
FORMER CHAIRPERSONS
MANDATE
MANDATE AND MODE OF OPERATION
In November 2013, the Joint Science Conference resolved to establish a “Council for Information Infrastructures” for an initial pilot phase of four years. The task of the Council is to increase the level of transparency of developments and processes in the area of information infrastructures in the scientific system and beyond and support the development and communication of German positions in European and international debates. After successful evaluations in 2018 and 2022, a third mandate phase for a further four years was adopted in November 2022.
The Councils composition reflects the consideration that “the future of scientific information infrastructures is a joint task to be carried out by institutions providing the infrastructures, scientific users, funding bodies, and related national and international stakeholders.” The RfII is composed as follows to ensure equal participation:
- 8 representatives of scientific users from a wide range of scientific disciplines;
- 8 representatives of scientific information infrastructures who cover the entire range of the institutional scientific landscape in Germany;
- 4 representatives of the German federal Government and the „Länder“;
- 4 representatives of the public.
The first 16 representatives are appointed in a procedure similar to the German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat). The other 8 representatives are nominated by the Joint Science Conference.
The plenum meets 2-3 times annually. Working groups and committees deal with specific issues from the Council´s work programme (see Projects).
Administrative support for the RfII is provided by a Head Office financed jointly by the German Federal Government and the Länder. In a competitive process, the University of Göttingen was awarded the task of hosting the Head Office. The Head Office was established on November 1st 2014 as a staff unit under the auspices of the Presidential Board of the University based on an administrative arrangement with the „Land“ Lower Saxony.
