The subproject "Coordination" is mainly responsible for the coordination and communication between the individual subprojects (Measures) and the other Task Areas of KonsortSWD – NFDI4Society. In the first funding phase (2020–2025), LIfBi coordinated Task Area 2 ‘Data Access’; in the second funding phase (2025–2028), LIfBi is responsible for coordinating Task Area 3 ‘Enhancing Competencies’. At the same time, LIfBi takes over the coordination of the FDI Committee, which was located at the office of the RatSWD at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB) before 2020.

In order to provide user-friendly data infrastructures and related services to a broad scientific community, KonsortSWD draws on existing expertise in data management and the provision of datasets for research purposes. In particular, it builds on the network of research data centers (RDCs) accredited by the German Data Forum (RatSWD). These constitute the Committee for Data Access (FDI Committee), whose coordination is located at LIfBi in as part of the KonsortSWD project. The individual subprojects and the FDI Committee are closely linked and jointly shape the further development of the research data infrastructure in the social, behavioral, educational, and economic sciences. Within the NFDI, the FDI Committee is leading the way as an established body for enforcing FAIR principles. 

The subprojects of Task Area 2 ‘Data Access’ of the first funding phase were united by the goal of developing infrastructures and services for efficient data access and offering them to the research community. Activities relate to efforts to simplify and standardize access to (sensitive) data repositories, to systematically open up and make available additional data repositories and new data types, and to improve support services by the RDCs for data users.

In the second funding phase, the subprojects within the Task Area ‘Enhancing Competencies’ will further develop the infrastructure for training and consulting in a professional RDM context and continue as well as expand services that strengthen researchers’ competencies in handling and accessing research data. The nine measures aim to implement KonsortSWD’s RDM strategy, increase professionalism within the communities, scale techniques, and promote FAIR data.

• Project lead and applicant: Prof. Dr. Christian Aßmann
• Project duration: 10/2020 – 12/2028
• Funded by: German Research Foundation (DFG)

Since the establishment of the RDC of the Federal Statistical Office, the model of research data centers can look back on a successful development over the past 20 years. Meanwhile, 40 research data centers accredited by the RatSWD are working together to improve the supply of scientifically reusable data as well as to simplify access to corresponding data sets.

To mark the 20th anniversary of research data centers in Germany, a panel discussion was held in September 2021 as a hybrid event with contributions from experts from science and politics. The event took a look at the data infrastructure and its future development. The local organizing team Dr. Daniel Fuß, Prof. Dr. Christian Aßmann, Friederike Schlücker and Julia Malamou looks back to a successful event at September 30th, 2021 in Bamberg.

Read a review on the event here.