DataPLANT participating at All Hands Meeting of NFDI4BIOIMAGE in Düsseldorf
Thu Feb 06 2025
The BIOIMAGE consortium, a method-centered initiative within the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI), held its All Hands Meeting at Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf in early February. The three-day event provided a platform for in-depth discussions on collaboration, exchange in ideas on cross-community support, and shared tools, as well as the broader developments within NFDI as a whole. One of the key factors of the meeting from DataPLANT’s perspective was the use, adaptation, and further development of the Annotated Research Context (ARC) for the imaging community, an essential tool for research data management. Participants explored workflow integration, tool development, and compatibility with standards like RO-Crate, with a particular emphasis on integrating ARC into Galaxy workflows.
We actively participated in the various TA meetings, presenting a poster of the DataPLANT consortium “Life science consortium on plants - Open for collaboration” that outlined its current progress and future directions. Among its primary objectives are: Expanding the geographic coverage of data stewards to better support the research community, strengthening collaborations with other consortia, particularly within the life sciences, as part of the emerging BioData group, enhancing infrastructure for distributed training through a Desktop-as-a-Service (VDI) solution and broadening community support and outreach to ensure accessibility and adoption of NFDI services.
A significant topic of discussion was the long-term sustainability of research data infrastructures, including potential business and operational models for DataPLANT, BIOIMAGE, and NFDI as a whole. Sustainable funding and governance structures are essential to ensure the continued availability of these services. Additionally, participants examined how NFDI concepts and services could be integrated into the strategic frameworks of research institutions, being member in the NFDI association. A key takeaway from the discussions was the need for funding providers to formally acknowledge NFDI services in grant applications, thereby reinforcing their value within the broader research landscape.
A shared perspective between BIOIMAGE and DataPLANT was the importance of developing a model for more specific basic services that cater to multiple consortia, even if they do not yet meet the criteria for NFDI-wide adoption in Base4NFDI. Another critical discussion point was the need to extend the service provider network beyond DataPLANT. As research institutions increasingly rely on centralized infrastructure services, providers must adapt to the diverse requirements of various scientific disciplines. A more inclusive and flexible approach will be necessary to ensure that these services meet the evolving needs of the research community. The BIOIMAGE All Hands Meeting underscored the growing need for collaborative infrastructure development and strategic alignment with institutional and funding frameworks. By fostering cooperation, refining service models, and expanding support networks, the NFDI community is taking significant steps toward building a sustainable and interoperable research data management ecosystem.
