Introducing the Central Data Facility

The Central Data Facility (CDF) was established in January 2025 as a single point of contact for all questions related to data and research data management.

We offer consultations, support you in creating and implementing data management plans (DMPs) for grant proposals, and provide information about storage options as well as other services and infrastructures at the University of Freiburg (UFR).

The CDF collaborates with a network of data stewards to provide local support and training.

With this newsletter, we aim to inform you every two months about updates on UFR services and infrastructures, research data management topics, and upcoming trainings and events.

New Services & Offerings

CDF Knowledge Base

The CDF Knowledge Base (this website) is the information hub for all services and offerings, for information, training and events regarding research data management at the University of Freiburg.

Policies & Best Practices

Policies

The University of Freiburg defines best practices through three key policies for researchers: the Policy on the Handling of Research Data, the Open Science Policy, and the Policy on the Use of Generative AI.

Make your data FAIR

The policies outline how researchers can ensure that their data are managed in accordance with the FAIR principles. Making your data FAIR is not difficult. Here are some tips:

1. Use clear, consistent file and folder naming Choose human-readable, structured names and avoid cryptic abbreviations. This makes data easier to find, reuse, and understand—by you and others.
2. Add rich, searchable metadata Describe your data with enough context so others know what it is, how it was collected, and how it can be used. Follow discipline-specific standards where possible.
3. Store and publish data in trusted repositories Use certified or domain-appropriate repositories that provide identifiers (like digital object identifiers (DOIs)) and a guaranteed long-term preservation. This ensures accessibility and proper citation.
4. Use citable identifiers To ensure the clear and permanent identification of digital objects, datasets, individuals, or institutions, persistent identifiers such as ORCIDs for people, DOIs for digital artifacts, and ROR IDs for institutions are used. FreiDok plus is the institutional repository of the University of Freiburg. FreiDok plus acts as a publication platform, university bibliography and research documentation system. This integration authenticates users and displays the ORCID iD in the repository. FreiDok also imports and exports publications from / to ORCID records (read more).

Training & Events

The CDF offers customized workshops on data organization and research data management for joint projects (e.g. CRC, excellence clusters). Contact us for more information!

LOVE DATA Week 09-13th February 2026

The LOVE DATA week is an international event taking place from 9-13th February 2026. The Central Data Facility will organize different events locally in Freiburg.

A separated Email on the LOVE Data Week will follow in January. More information will be added on the event page

Helpdesk & Open Hours

The Central Data Facility will offer open hours via Big Blue Button every Friday from 11-11:30 starting in January. Just drop in during this time using this BigBlueButton link and ask your question!

Get Involved

Data Steward Network

The CDF coordinates a data steward network at UFR for anybody interested in research data management. The network meets every two months to get updates of recent developments about research data management, and data stewardship at the university.

Presentations and discussion about projects, the work of data stewards and impact on research foster awareness, collaborations and exchange. If you are a data steward or do work of data stewardship, come to the next data steward meeting. You can read about the tasks that data stewards can assist with here.