The role of Helmholtz Centers in NFDI4BIOIMAGE - A national consortium enhancing FAIR data management for microscopy and bioimage analysis

Germany’s National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) aims to establish a sustained, cross-disciplinary research data management (RDM) infrastructure that enables researchers to handle FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) data. While FAIR principles have been adopted by funders, policymakers, and publishers, their practical implementation remains an ongoing effort. In the field of bio-imaging, harmonization of data formats, metadata ontologies, and open data repositories is necessary to achieve FAIR data. The NFDI4BIOIMAGE was established to address these issues and develop tools and best practices to facilitate FAIR microscopy and image analysis data in alignment with international community activities. The consortium operates through its Data Stewards team to provide expertise and direct support to help overcome RDM challenges. The three Helmholtz Centers in NFDI4BIOIMAGE aim to collaborate closely with other centers and initiatives, such as HMC, Helmholtz AI, and HIP. Here we present NFDI4BIOIMAGE’s work and its significance for research in Helmholtz and beyond