2026-07-08

In June our Birthday Campaign focused on Base4NFDI per se. We took a a closer look at our service definition – what is a basic service, and what is it not? 

What are Basic Services in Base4NFDI?

As the development of basic services progresses, we would like to clarify how we define the meaning of basic services and how those relate to community or domain-specific services.

Basic Services are designed to create added value across the NFDI landscape. Their goal is to address common needs that are shared by many consortia and also communities outside NFDI. To achieve this, basic services aim to gather requirements from a broad range of disciplines and stakeholders.

Importantly, there is no obligation for consortia or projects to use these basic services. They are offered as an option that communities can adopt if they provide value for their specific use cases.

Base4NFDI supports the development of those services by building on existing open-source solutions wherever possible. Currently, the term basic services refers primarily to services that are being developed within the Base4NFDI context.

Basic Services vs. Domain Services

The distinction between basic services and domain-specific services is often misunderstood. Therefore, we use this opportunity to clarify the difference between the two:

Domain services are typically developed to meet the requirements of a particular research community or discipline. While many of these services can also be used beyond their original domain, their development is usually guided by the needs of their primary community.

Basic services, however, follow a different development approach. From the beginning, they seek to incorporate requirements from multiple communities and consortia. This broader perspective has an impact on their design, integration strategy, and governance. This being said, once the services are operational, there is no fundamental technical difference between a basic service and a domain service. Both can be used across disciplines. 

In short: The main distinction lies in the origin and development process of the two service groups. As a result, basic services are often positioned to serve a wider range of users and use cases than domain services.

Integration as a Core Objective

A key goal of basic services is to facilitate integration with domain services through shared interfaces, workflows, and interoperable architectures. This integration is not a one-way process. Input, requirements, and connections from domain services are equally important. The ongoing integration activities and our 5-Step Integration Plan reflect this collaborative approach.

Why Central Services?

In some cases, centrally offered services can be operated more efficiently than multiple local deployments. However, efficiency is only one consideration among many. Community requirements, sustainability, interoperability, and flexibility remain equally important factors when deciding how services are developed and provided.

Ultimately, basic services are intended to support broad user groups across NFDI, complement existing domain services, and foster a more connected and interoperable research data infrastructure.

What is NOT a Basic Service?

While you could learn all about what a basic service is and how it is defined above, we now want to clearly state what a basic service is NOT:

• A basic service is not something like GitLab, Rocket.Chat, or OpenProject.
• We do not host services. We are not service providers.
• We do not buy operational services and provide them to the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI).

2026-07-06

Starting in October, Base4NFDI will introduce the Base4NFDI Service Support Track (SST), designed to provide targeted, low-threshold support to promising basic service candidates within the NFDI ecosystem.

Following the April 2026 decision that no new proposals can be submitted under the existing three-phase funding model due to limited funding availability, Base4NFDI is taking a complementary approach. The Service Support Track enables continued progress by making strategic use of remaining Base4NFDI resources to strengthen service development and achieve concrete results.

Why should services apply to the Service Support Track? 

The Service Support Track offers a pragmatic and results-oriented support pathway. Participating services benefit from:

• Targeted support from Base4NFDI to advance service maturity and achieve clearly defined outcomes.
• Optional financial support of up to 20,000 euros for activities such as workshops or external expertise (subject to available funds, no staff costs are eligible).
• Access to experienced Base4NFDI staff with expertise in service development and the NFDI landscape.
• Increased visibility within the NFDI community, including opportunities for demo or showcase sessions.
• Endorsement and alignment with Base4NFDI standards and processes.

The scheme is deliberately designed to be low-threshold, with a compact proposal format and a focus on “getting things done” rather than lengthy application procedures.

Who Can Apply

During the initial pilot phase (until July 2027), eligibility is limited to services that have previously submitted a proposal to Base4NFDI but are not currently funded. These services have already undergone review processes in sections, demonstrated community support (consortia survey), and reached a minimum level of maturity, enabling a faster and more efficient support process.

The Service Support Track is aimed at basic service candidates that:

• Already have actively engaged staff who will work with and implement the results.
• Demonstrate a minimum level of service readiness.
• Fulfil the NFDI basic service definition, including confirmed relevance by consortia.

Next Steps

Starting in August 2026, Base4NFDI will offer regular office hours to introduce the Service Support Track and guide interested applicants through the process.

How to apply

Applicants will be invited to submit a short proposal outlining:

• The specific outcomes they aim to achieve with Base4NFDI support.
• The current status of their service in relation to the Base4NFDI Service Readiness Levels. These take a similar approach as the known TRLs but offer a better applicability for less technical services and apply a broader approach to service readiness, taking user engagement, operational models and more into consideration. More information on the Service Readiness Levels will be published soon.

The proposal template and further information on the process will be communicated soon. If you have any questions, please contact the Base4NFDI office (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

2026-07-06

Base4NFDI is delighted to announce that TS4NFDI has been accepted for Ramp-Up phase funding following the Consortia Assembly’s decision!

Congratulations to the basic service team!

TS4NFDI aims to provide a central access point to all terminologies and a set of widgets for all NFDI consortia, as well as to support consortia in the creation, curation, and maintenance of community-specific terminology collections. The incubator program will continue to be an important tool for responding to the community’s needs. During the ramp-up phase, the focus will also be on scaling the service components and developing long-term financial sustainability and governance. Integration into relevant EOSC infrastructures is also on the agenda.

We are looking forward to what's ahead of us and encourage the NFDI community to join this endeavour by actively participating in the NFDI sections!

Best wishes from the Base4NFDI-Office!