The Service Support Track consists of five steps, of which just three will be fully active during an initial proof-of-concept phase.
During the proof-of-concept phase, only applications may be submitted for services that have previously applied to Base4NFDI but are not currently receiving regular three-phase funding.
Step 1 will establish whether a service has a convincing case for NFDI-wide relevance. Applicants first receive advisory support / consulting from Base4NFDI.
Step 2 will give both the applicants, the NFDI community and Base4NFDI a clear picture of where the service currently stands and what kind of support it actually needs. It replaces fixed sets of deliverables and allows for a modular trajectory towards the set of capabilities for a basic service.
Applicants first receive advisory support / consulting from Base4NFDI and then complete a structured self-assessment using the Service Readiness Level (SRL) framework — a nine-level scale that helps assess service maturity from early concept through to full institutional operation, deliberately designed to work for technical and non-technical services alike.
Step 3 will determine, based on how broadly a service is supported across the NFDI community, whether and what kind of support can be granted. In the full version of the SST, a questionnaire-based survey among NFDI consortia measures cross-community interest.
The Base4NFDI Management Committee determines what support can be provided. Funding decisions are documented, published on the Base4NFDI website, and the Consortia Assembly is kept informed through regular status updates at its meetings.
Step 4 will deliver the actual support to the service, drawing primarily on the expertise and available capacity of Base4NFDI staff. Where remaining funds allow, up to €20,000 per application can supplement support through Base4NFDI staff with additional measures such as workshops, external expertise, or piloting activities. The applicant works according to their own plan and timeline to produce a tangible, presentable result.
Step 5 will provide a basic but credible external assessment of what the service has achieved. Results are reported back to the originating Section, with a lightweight quality check.
If the service team wishes to pursue further SST support in the future, their results are reviewed and commented on by the Base4NFDI Technical Expert Committee (TEC) — a precondition for any subsequent SST application. In all cases, the Section or the TEC produces a very brief, publishable assessment that documents progress and outcomes, which the service can also use as evidence for other funding streams
Want to apply to the Service Support Track?
Application