2026-07-16
NFDI enters its next decade: NFDI4Microbiota welcomes long-term funding for the NFDI
On 10 July 2026, the Joint Science Conference (Gemeinsame Wissenschaftskonferenz, GWK) adopted a new federal-state agreement (Bund-Länder-Vereinbarung) securing the continued funding of the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) from 2029 to 2038 [1]. The agreement provides long-term planning security for the NFDI and its consortia while introducing a new organisational structure based on scientific domains. These domains are intended to strengthen collaboration between related research communities, foster interoperability, and promote the development of shared services and standards.
NFDI4Microbiota warmly welcomes this decision. Sustainable research data infrastructures are essential for enabling reproducible, FAIR and data-driven microbiological research. The renewed long-term funding creates the stability needed to further develop community services, metadata standards, interoperable workflows and training activities that support researchers across the life sciences.
The planned scientific domains reflect a collaborative approach that NFDI4Microbiota has actively supported from an early stage. The consortium is already deeply engaged in two cross-consortial interest groups that bring together complementary expertise across the NFDI.
Within the Biodata Interest Group, NFDI4Microbiota collaborates closely with DataPLANT, FAIRagro, NFDI4Biodiversity, NFDI4BIOIMAGE and NFDI4Objects to align services, coordinate training activities, develop shared infrastructure concepts and establish common standards for biological research data. The recently signed Memorandum of Understanding and the joint strategic roadmap developed during the Biodata Interest Group workshop demonstrate the commitment of the participating consortia to building an integrated and sustainable ecosystem for biological data management.
At the same time, NFDI4Microbiota is an active member of the BioMed Interest Group, which brings together the biomedical NFDI consortia GHGA, NFDI4Health, NFDI4Microbiota, NFDI4Immuno and NFDI4BIOIMAGE. Following the GWK decision, the participating consortia jointly endorsed the establishment of a future biomedical domain within the NFDI. Their shared declaration highlights the importance of coordinated research data infrastructures for biomedical research and emphasises the need for common governance, interoperable standards and shared services. NFDI4Microbiota fully supports this vision and looks forward to contributing to the development of a strong, open and collaborative biomedical domain within the future NFDI.
NFDI4Microbiota remains committed to advancing FAIR research data management, developing sustainable services for the microbiology community and working closely with partners across the NFDI. The consortium looks forward to actively contributing to the next phase of the NFDI and helping shape an integrated, interoperable and internationally visible research data infrastructure for Germany and Europe.