KonsortSWD & NFDI

VerbundFDB works closely with the Consortium for the Social, Behavioural, Educational and Economic Sciences (KonsortSWD) and is part of the German National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI). Below you can find out more about the NFDI and KonsortSWD infrastructures and how VerbundFDB participates in them.

NFDI – The development of a national infrastructure for research dataKonsortSWD – a specialist consortium within the NFDIVerbundFDB – advancing educational research data access

The aim of the NFDI - the German National Research Data Infrastructure - is to establish a permanent infrastructure for the German science system in order to make research data available in accordance with the FAIR principles - findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable.

The foundation of the NFDI

The foundation stone for the establishment of the NFDI was laid by the recommendation of the Council for Information Infrastructures (RfII). Important steps had already been taken much earlier:

• 2012: The German Council of Science and Humanities deems coordinated further development of research infrastructure urgently necessary.
• 2013: The Joint Science Conference (GWK) decides to establish the Council for Information Infrastructures (RfII).
• 2014: The RfII is constituted. As an overarching body, the RfII advises science and politics on issues relating to the further development of information infrastructures.
• 2015: The RfII recommends the establishment of the NFDI.
• 2019: The NFDI is launched.

Before the NFDI was founded, there were many individual projects and initiatives working at various locations in Germany to create structures and services for research data. These have now been joined under one roof.

The NFDI as a network based on the division of labor

The RfII recommends the establishment of a German National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) as a central network for research data management in Germany. The NFDI should be networked nationwide, organized based on a division of labor, and remain flexible. It promotes .coordination, common standards, and long-term availability of research data – achieved through an interplay of service and competence centers with different orientations. The following quote from the Council for Information Infrastructures clarifies what the NFDI aims to be and the goals it pursues:

„As the future backbone for research data management in Germany, the RfII recommends establishing a National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI). This should be designed as a nationwide, distributed, and growing network based on division of labor. Gradually building up such a national structure offers the opportunity to transform productive diversity into a permeable and flexible overall system through coordination and urgently needed links. The NFDI will guarantee coordination, cooperation, and common standards in the future. As a networked, dynamic structure, the NFDI has nodes of varying sizes, some of which may be broad-based service centers, while others may be specialized centers of excellence. Institutional affiliations may vary. Intelligent solutions for the difficult area of long-term archiving/long-term availability of research data are also among the tasks of the NFDI.“ (RfII 2016, Positionspapier „Leistung aus Vielfalt“, S. 2).

NFDI – German National Research Data Infrastructure

On the NFDI website, interested parties can find information about the diverse activities of the NFDI, its consortia, the work in sections and the basic services "Base4NFDI".

RfII – Council for Information Infrastructures

Interested parties can find out about the Council's activities on its website. Since its inception, the Council has published several groundbreaking papers worth reading.

Performance from diversity | 2016 (only available in German)

In this position paper, the Council for Information Infrastructures recommends the establishment of a German National Research Data Infrastructure.

The consortia form the nodes in the NFDI network

One of the ideas of the Council for Information Infrastructures was that the NFDI should emerge as an infrastructure based in the scientific community. As the requirements for information infrastructures and the status of their development vary greatly across scientific disciplines, the RfII proposed the establishment of so-called consortia. 

There are currently 26 discipline-specific consortia, including the Consortium for the Social, Behavioural, Educational and Economic Sciences (KonsortSWD). The consortia aim to develop and maintain tailored solutions for their respective scientific communities.

To the NFDI consortia

Cooperation takes place in sections and in "Base4NFDI"

In addition to the various consortia, "Base4NFDI" was founded as a joint initiative of all NFDI consortia. The aim of this initiative is to create basic services for the entire NFDI. 

In addition, the consortia work together in sections on cross-cutting topics. These include, for example, ethical, legal and social aspects, metadata and terminologies or training and further education. 

Both Base4NFDI and the sections focus on developing general standards and leveraging synergies.

To Base4NFDI

About the sections

Foundation of KonsortSWD

The consortium was founded in 2020.Unlike many other consortia, KonsortSWD was able to build on established infrastructures – namely the German Data Forum (RatSWD).

• 2004: The German Data Forum (RatSWD) was established to promote dialogue among policymakers, researchers, and the research data infrastructure community.
• 2009: The Standing Committee on Research Data Infrastructure (FDI Committee) was launched. It includes representation from the accredited RDCs.
• 2020: KonsortSWD officially became part of the NFDI, integrating both the RatSWD and the RDCs. The initial funding phase runs to 2025.
• 2024: The consortium now includes over 41 Research Data Centers.

Services and activities

KonsortSWD collaborates with a wide range of RDCs and institutions, including those in educational research, to develop services that support researchers in managing, sharing, and reusing research data. 

Key services include:

Qualidatanet

QualidataNet is a partner network of institutions archiving qualitative social research data for scientific reuse.

RDCnet

The RDCnet facilitates secure access to sensitive, non-anonymized data through networked workstations across RDC sites.

Forum4MICA (only available in German)

Forum4MICA is an information and discussion platform for researchers with questions on data use, analysis, and access.

Model Contracts

Model Contracts are legally reviewed templates for data collection and use, customizable for individual RDCs.

RDM Compas

“RDM Compas is a knowledge platform supporting professional development and shared standards for RDC staff, data stewards, and managers.

A full overview of KonsortSWD’s services is available online.

Overview of available online services

VerbundFDB actively contributes to infrastructure development within KonsortSWD. 

Selected joint initiatives include:

KonsortSWD Helpdesk (2024)

It was established at DIPF, where the VerbundFDB advisory service is also based, enabling close cooperation and knowledge exchange.

Presence in Forum4MICA (since April 2024)

VerbundFDB supports researchers with questions on educational research data management.

Stamp – Standardized Data Management Plan (2023)

It provides comprehensive resources for research data management. Funded via KonsortSWD, it will be expanded to serve additional disciplines.

Permanent guest on the FDI Committee

VerbundFDB has been a permanent guest on the FDI Committee since 2025.

QualidataNet as a partner network

QualidataNet is a network of research data centers specializing in qualitative research.

As a network of research data centres in the field of educational research, VerbundFDB has contributed its experience to the development of QualidataNet.