2026-04-30
IAM4NFDI provides an Authentication and Authorisation Infrastructure (AAI) for the NFDI. For this purpose, it connects and expands existing and emerging Identity and Access Management (IAM) systems in a way that researchers from different domains, communities and institutions are able to access digital resources within NFDI as easily as possible, including access to and exchange with external infrastructures and resources such as the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC).
Duration: 02/2024-01/2026
Target Groups: Members of the research communities represented by the NFDI consortia in different roles, as specified in the NFDI-AAI Policy Framework
Main Achievements
The Integration Phase focussed on the operationalisation of the components of the NFDI-AAI and on enabling support for as many NFDI use-cases as possible. As for the latter, numerous services have been integrated into the NFDI-AAI over the course of four incubator cycles. In this way, the vast majority of the research communities represented by the NFDI Consortia were able to connect to the NFDI-AAI.
1) Service Integration and Interoperability - In addition to the incubators, there were various meetings with the AAI operators of the EOSC EU Node and the LifeScience AAI, during which preparations were made for the integration activities planned for the Ramp-up Phase. Furthermore, several members of the IAM4NFDI project team were (and still are) actively involved in the relevant EOSC bodies such as the AAI Subgroup of the EOSC Technical and Semantic Interoperability Task Force, the EOSC AAI Build-up Group, and the AARC activities. In these bodies, they have represented the needs of the NFDI and contributed to the relevant guidelines and specifications.
2) Quality and Sustainability - These aspects do not relate solely to the components of the technical infrastructure, where considerable effort has been made – particularly with regard to the Infrastructure Proxy – to ensure stable and secure production operations. The foundations were also laid for the future community-driven development of the NFDI-AAI Policy Framework.
3) Training and Outreach - The continuous workshops and infoshares enable the NFDI Consortia to play an active role in the development of the NFDI-AAI. These events are designed and organised in collaboration with the Base4NFDI project team.
Outlook: Ramp-up Phase
Building upon the successful integration of most NFDI Consortia, this phase focuses on scaling the service. IAM4NFDI will continue to proactively integrate evolving standards and technologies, especially those relevant for the EOSC AAI, to meet future needs of the NFDI in its role as the German National Node. To ensure long-term viability, sustainable operational and governance models including funding strategies will be developed in close cooperation with the NFDI association and Base4NFDI.
Further Information on IAM4NFDI
- More on the IAM project here
- Documentation and much more on their website
- Read the Ramp-up proposal on Zenodo
- Find all incubators on the Incubator Dashboard