NFDI4Health Gets Green Light for Second Funding Phase

"With NFDI4Health, we are providing a modern digital infrastructure that makes health data more usable for research," says Prof. Dr Iris Pigeot, spokesperson for the second funding phase and Director at the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology – BIPS. "In doing so, we help organise the vast amounts of health data and make them more accessible and reusable for research and medicine. In the long run, this will help us better understand how to maintain health and combat diseases."

Health Data Becomes Visible, Connected and Usable
As part of the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI), NFDI4Health has been establishing standardised structures for health data from epidemiological, clinical and public health studies across Germany since 2020. Through the Health Study Hub search platform, a wide range of data sources – such as population studies, long-term observations and clinical registries – are made visible and easy to locate. Together with numerous partners and supporters, NFDI4Health has also developed standardised procedures, a metadata schema and various software solutions. Through training opportunities and knowledge exchange formats, NFDI4Health also strengthens users’ data literacy, for example through the Data Train programme by the U Bremen Research Alliance.

Anchoring Services More Deeply in Research Practice
The Joint Science Conference (GWK) has now approved continued funding for NFDI4Health. In this new phase, the consortium aims to embed its services more deeply into researchers’ day-to-day work. The NFDI4Health team is further developing existing tools and standards, testing them in real-world scenarios, and increasing their visibility through new communication channels. "It is important to us that our FAIR services reach and support as many researchers as possible," explains Prof. Dr Juliane Fluck, co-spokesperson for the second funding phase and Head of the Life Sciences Information Centre (ZB MED). "To that end, we are establishing a helpdesk as a central contact point for all questions and concerns."

Cooperation and Cultural Change
Close collaboration with national and international partners has always been and continues to be key for NFDI4Health. In cooperation with the Medical Informatics Initiative (MII) and the Network University Medicine (NUM), key components such as search platforms and application processes for access to sensitive health data are being continuously developed. At the international level, NFDI4Health is actively involved in the European Health Data Space (EHDS) and the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). But it’s not just about technological innovation: NFDI4Health also promotes a culture of responsible handling of health data. In doing so, it deliberately includes the perspectives of patients and the wider public.

Funding and Framework Conditions
Alongside NFDI4Health, the eight other NFDI consortia from the first round are also being funded. The federal and state governments are providing around €92 million for this purpose. A significant downside, however, is the reduction in the funding period from five to three years, as well as a drastic 30% cut in the remaining funds. These conditions pose major challenges for all consortia. Nevertheless, the GWK's positive decision sends a strong signal about the importance and long-term establishment of the NFDI – as also anchored in the German federal government’s coalition agreement.

NFDI4Health is part of the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI), funded by the German federal and state governments. NFDI4Health aims to build a comprehensive inventory of German epidemiological, public health, and clinical study data. Analysing this data is key to developing new therapies, integrated care approaches, and preventive measures. As health data relates to individuals, it requires special protection. NFDI4Health is therefore committed to uniting security with usability. The consortium consists of an interdisciplinary team from 17 partner institutions. In addition, 48 leading organisations in the health sector have pledged their participation, and letters of support have been received from 37 international institutions.