NFDI4Microbiota

Today, we officially begin our funded activities to fulfill the task of supporting the microbiological research community in Germany. To achieve this, we will create data hubs, provide tools for data analysis, develop standards for data and metadata, and set up a comprehensive training program over the next five years. NFDI4Microbiota is part of the DFG-funded National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI). Therefore, networking with other subject-specific NFDI consortia is planed with the aim to create common solutions and establish standards.

NFDI4Microbiota consists of ten partner institutions and more than 50 participating institutions. Our consortium is represented by the dual leadership of Prof. Dr. Alice McHardy (HZI) and Prof. Dr. Konrad Förstner (ZB MED).

We are looking forward to this exciting project and the interactions with the microbiological research community.

NFDI4Microbiota is delighted to announce that our consortium was recommended for funding by the NFDI expert committee. We await with great expectation the final funding decision of the Joint Science Conference to be taken in July.

Under the umbrella of the “Deutsche COVID-19 OMICS Initiative” (DeCOI), NFDI4Microbiota researchers are collaborating with two partners: (1) the NFDI consortium “The German Human Genome-Phenome Archive” (GHGA) and (2) the “Nationwide Research Network – Applied Surveillance and Testing” (B-FAST) of the Network University Medicine (NUM). Together, they are developing the COGDAT database, meant to host SARS-CoV-2 data resulting from German viral surveillance efforts. NFDI4Microbiota is involved in all aspects, from the coordination of the effort to the development of data analysis workflows, visualisations, acquisition of diagnostic labs as data-providing partners, and implementation of the FAIR data principles.

NFDI4Microbiota, represented by Justine Vandendorpe and Konrad Förstner, participated today in the workshop on the creation of data management plans (DMPs) and use of DMP tools organised by RDMO, the NFDI directorate and NFDI4Ing. The aim of the workshop was to discuss how to best set up, use and continue DMPs. A short presentation about NFDI4Microbiota was given during this workshop.

NFDI4Microbiota, represented by Alice McHardy and Konrad Förstner, participated on Thursday 4 February in the workshop for all biomedical NFDI consortia organised by ZB MED and fdm.nrw. The aim of the workshop was to foster collaboration regarding the implementation of infrastructures. A short presentation about NFDI4Microbiota was given during this workshop.

The NFDI4Microbiota consortium, which includes 10 co-applicants and more than 50 participants, participated in the second call for proposals for NFDI consortia at the end of September 2020. At the beginning of December 2020, the consortium presented and defended its proposal in front of an expert committee. Last week, the expert committee released their review which, to our delight, was outstanding and encouraging. The consortium sees this as a confirmation that it is on the right track, and is now looking forward to the next step of the selection process: the final decision on funding consortia to be taken in June 2021 by the Joint Science Conference (GWK).

NFDI4Microbiota strives to provide the German microbiology community with an infrastructure and services that closely reflect current and future researchers’ needs. We can only achieve this together with you. This is why, we kindly invite you to provide feedback to NFDI4Microbiota by filling in this 5 minute questionnaire by September 18, 2020. In advance, we thank you for your support!