initiatives to shape the digital transformation currently, there are many. Not all offer groundbreaking answers. For science novel and with a certain amount of voltage expected by the Joint science conference of the Federal and länder governments (GWK) on 16. November will be a project decided, the courage to prove, and the future opened. The thing is wearing the opaque abbreviation NFDI. Written out it sounds a little less bulky: National research data infrastructure.
What it’s supposed to go? The provision of research data for the science. Firstly: in a nationally networked and internationally competitive, but specialists and domain fairly developed Form. Secondly, the upstream issues will be resolved in the optimal handling of the data. Thus, it is a task that goes far beyond the mere Storing and Linking of research data.
the movement in the Moving
What sounds complicated, is complicated, but it is needed all the more urgent. Because digital science is Moving in the Moving. Neither is there “the” data, regardless of Software and devices, you can litigate, can delay the Fullness of the problems in digital research processes, just a library or a data center. Digitality is, rather, the methods are relevant. Data quality, IT-decisions and research results, which are in turn data, linked to one another. Therefore, infrastructure is not “only” infrastructure. Research data management needs to know-rather, with archival and IT Expertise. The more Digitality, the more important is the infrastructure, the participation of the researchers themselves.
Big Data (the sheer amount) is not the biggest challenge of research data management is already a growing number of scientific communities. Whether in Biomedicine, the economic and financial science, physics, engineering science or ancient history research: sustainability and the methods of rigor are to be made in view of the enormous heterogeneity of the data. The lack of consistency in the use of data, so the Isolation of the used, often precarious, and only on a project-shaped services, exacerbates the Problem. Unclear quality characteristics, such as non-standard “meta-data”, and rapidly changing business requirements. Well-coordinated solutions are needed urgently. They are clearly organizing more difficult than the mere Hardware purchase.
Digitized science must publicly remain
NFDI, this is now the start of a Federal-wide research data management network, the communities for professionals and is suitable for tailored topics of common solutions. From technical Standards to methods issues including the prioritisation of the problem is: What is elemental used, such as data services should be designed? This should be a new NFDI consortia in the close conversation between scientists in research and IT and information experts in a binding agreement, and in attack. Existing services are in the process of weight. The needs have to be negotiated by the subjects of her methodically tailor-made. Wide desired research paths to be created. Link, quality assurance, sustainability and synergies (because not everything you need to operate separately) under the umbrella of the NFDI then vigorously. Resources are used in processes and not in sheet metal.
The policy now makes pace, and in science, the fever curve, in terms of application-oriented concepts is on the rise. In the first quarter of 2019 is to be expected with the first of three rounds of bidding for NFDI consortia. Funds are partly allocated in the medium term, partly on duration. The selection of promising networks is based on scientific considerations and will take into account the effects for the overall system. It is the responsibility of the German research Foundation (DFG). With the selected technical approach from below, relies on communication and not on technique alone, stands out as the NFDI in comparison with Other Nations, taxes on digital systems either with so far moderate success politically from the top, or left to the care of the science of a digital economy that cares more for business than for solid research.
