Collaboration by Design - The Base4NFDI Decision Framework as a Common Ground for Community-Driven Basic Services

Background: Building a national research data infrastructure is an ambitious endeavor, reflected in the diversity of topics covered by the 26 NFDI consortia. From the outset, the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration was recognised to ensure that solutions to similar challenges would be compatible and synergistic. To facilitate this collaboration, the concept of Sections was introduced – exchange and expert groups aimed at fostering interdisciplinary dialogue [1]. Beyond the development of recommendations and standards, there was a need for a shared basic infrastructure to optimise the use of resources and harmonise solutions across all NFDI consortia [2]. To meet this need, Base4NFDI was launched in February 2023 – as an initiative supported by all consortia – to support the development of basic services and to provide a decision framework that accommodates various stakeholders while ensuring a bottom-up approach [3]. Now at the project's halfway point, Base4NFDI is reflecting on lessons learned and preparing for the decisive Ramp-Up phase. This final phase will be critical for establishing effective governance models and securing long-term sustainability of basic services. The experience so far highlights the importance of a structured yet flexible approach, with continuous refinement is essential for success both within and beyond NFDI. Decision Framework: To balance community involvement, development agility, and long-term sustainability, the development of basic services is structured into three distinct phases: the Initialisation Phase, focusing on requirements analysis and prototyping; the Integration Phase, ensuring integration across the different consortia; and the Ramp-Up Phase, focusing on governance and business models [4]. For each phase, a new proposal is required, with funding decisions made through a multi-stakeholder and expert review process. First, proposals can only be submitted through one of the five NFDI sections (Common Infrastructure, Metadata, EduTrain, ELSA, and Industry Engagement) ensuring initial support and facilitating cross-disciplinary discussions to assess relevance across consortia. After submission, proposals undergo a formal review by Base4NFDI and are forwarded to all NFDI consortia for a four-week evaluation period. During this phase, consortia provide feedback and submit votes of support or opposition through a survey. Simultaneously, the Technical Expert Committee (TEC), an independent external body, conducts a thorough technical evaluation to assess feasibility and long-term sustainability. Finally, all gathered input is forwarded to the Consortia Assembly, which makes the final decision on whether a service is approved as a basic service. This staged process ensures broad community participation, requirement-based development, and services that benefit the entire NFDI. A key challenge in implementing this framework is its evolution while services are already under development. Although Base4NFDI was launched quickly, the ongoing development of services and their integration within the consortia services has led to new requirements and insights, making it necessary to adapt both the framework and the services along the way. Conclusion: The principles of Base4NFDI – community-driven service identification, adaptive decision-making, and flexible implementation – offer strong potential for reuse. These principles can be applied to other research infrastructures to improve coordination, decision-making, and long-term sustainability, with the Decision Framework playing a key role in balancing divergent interests and aligning development across consortia.