The universities of Oldenburg and Bremen have strengthened their commitment to advancing research data management in energy research by signing a declaration issued by the National Research Data Infrastructure for Interdisciplinary Energy Research (NFDI4Energy).
NFDI4Energy is one of 26 consortia within Germany’s National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) and operates at a national level to make research data more accessible, establish robust standards, and embed them in the individual academic communities. Coordinated by Prof. Dr. Astrid Nieße, computer scientist from the University of Oldenburg, the consortium aims to make research data and software from the field of energy research available as the foundation for a sustainable energy system and consists of over 30 institutions, including the University of Bremen.
“This commitment reflects our collective resolve to enhance collaboration and data stewardship in energy research,” explains Nieße, spokesperson for NFDI4Energy. “All institutions and researchers who sign the declaration pledge to manage research data sustainably and actively strengthen data management practices across the field of energy research.”
Dr. Torben Stührmann, head of the University of Bremen’s Resilient Energy Systems research group and coordinator of the hyBit hydrogen research project, drafted the university’s commitment. He emphasizes its importance, explaining, “Transdisciplinary research projects like hyBit and the collaboration at the Bremen Research Center for Energy Systems (BEST) highlight the critical need for and added value of shared research data platforms. That is why the partnership with NFDI4Energy is so valuable for energy research in Bremen.”
In addition to the universities of Bremen and Oldenburg, OFFIS Institute for Computer Science, an affiliated institute of the University of Oldenburg, also signed. By signing the declaration, these institutions are strengthening their research infrastructure, promoting data reusability, and driving continuous improvement in data management.
Making Research More Transparent
Both NWA universities are committed to making research more transparent, reproducible, and sustainable, thereby contributing to the digital transformation of energy research.
This aligns with NFDI4Energy’s vision, which views data and software as the academic foundation for a sustainable energy future. The signatories recognize the need to ensure traceability, transparency, and reproducibility in energy research. They reaffirm their commitment to improving research data and software management practices, from project design to dissemination and reuse.
By signing this declaration, the universities commit to consistently integrating these principles into research, teaching, and infrastructure.
Guided by the FAIR Principles
The focus is on applying the FAIR principles (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable), with an emphasis on structured data management planning, the use of trusted repositories, and the promotion of Open Science and Open Data.
At the University of Bremen, researchers benefit from extensive support and training from the Data Science Center and the Bremen State and University Library. Within the University of Oldenburg, the Research and Transfer Department and the Library and Information System (BIS) serve as central points of contact for research data management. Additionally, the individual faculties and institutes are developing solutions and advisory services under a university-wide, interdisciplinary working group.