German DFG calls for yearly budget of €115m for National Research Data Infrastructure

The German Research Foundation (DFG) is calling for the transition to a permanent footing and further development of the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) "in line with the needs of the research community", with a budget of at least €115 million per year.

In a position paper on the future of the NFDI published on 08/05/2026, the DFG Executive Committee said: "The NFDI must ensure networking between actors, disciplines and structures within Germany, while at the same time strengthening and embedding its European and international connectivity through its organisational structures".

The NFDI was founded in 2019 to systematically index and network scientific and research data across the entire German scientific system and make them available for sustainable, high-quality use. The plan was for the federal and state governments to provide up to €90m per year in project funding from 2019 to 2028.

Its goal is to create a permanent digital knowledge repository as an indispensable prerequisite for new research questions, findings and innovations.

The €115m annual budget the DFG is…