NFDI4Biodiversity enters second phase in October: GWK confirms continued funding

All nine founding consortia of the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) will receive a second funding phase through 2028. The decision by the Joint Science Conference (GWK) follows a positive evaluation by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and supports the political goal of establishing the NFDI as a long-term structure.

The National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) will remain fully intact: all nine consortia from the first funding round will continue to receive support beyond 2025. This was announced by the Joint Science Conference (GWK) in early July. NFDI4Biodiversity is among the consortia entering a second project phase. Starting in October 2025, funding will be provided for a period of 39 months. In total, approximately 92 million euros will be made available for all nine consortia through the end of 2028.

The decision is based on a scientific evaluation by the German Research Foundation (DFG). As early as spring, the responsible review panel had assessed NFDI4Biodiversity as “highly relevant to the scientific community.” The consortium received praise for its strong community integration, “outstanding momentum” within the network, and its structurally “excellent” organization.

The German federal government has stated in its coalition agreement that it aims to establish the NFDI as a permanent component of the national research landscape. The fact that all nine founding consortia will receive continued funding reinforces this commitment. In addition to NFDI4Biodiversity, the consortia include: DataPLANT, GHGA, KonsortSWD, NFDI4Cat, NFDI4Chem, NFDI4Culture, NFDI4Health, and NFDI4ING.

York Sure-Vetter, Director of the NFDI Association, welcomed the decision in a statement by the association’s office: “I am very pleased that all continuation proposals in this round have been approved and that NFDI is entering its second phase. This allows us to build on the successful collaboration with the nine consortia within the NFDI Association and expand our impact across the scientific landscape.”

The official funding notices from the DFG are expected in the coming weeks.