From questions to expertise: the cross-disciplinary user support network in NFDI4Earth

Interdisciplinary research in the Earth system sciences increasingly raises complex questions related to research data management (RDM) that go beyond the scope of local, discipline-specific support services. While institutional RDM support remains the first point of contact for many researchers, cross-cutting issues often require coordinated expertise across institutions and domains.

Within NFDI4Earth, a User Support Network (USN) is being established to address these challenges. At its core, the USN currently consists of a team of support experts from ten partner institutions, all part of the NFDI4Earth consortium. User requests are handled via a central ticket system, allowing coordinated responses and transparent workflows. For more specialised or domain-specific questions, the core team draws on an emerging expert network within NFDI4Earth.

Rather than aiming for a fully distributed support structure from the outset, the USN follows an incremental approach. Existing expertise is consolidated in a central entry point, while the expert network is gradually expanded. A key objective is to strengthen links to local RDM services at partner institutions and to establish closer connections with user support and helpdesk initiatives across other NFDI consortia. In this way, the USN aims to evolve into a well-connected component of a broader NFDI-wide support landscape.

In this contribution, we present the current structure, workflows and first experiences of the NFDI4Earth User Support Network. We also invite researchers to make use of the service for their RDM-related questions and encourage RDM support teams and NFDI initiatives to engage with us, share expertise and help shape a connected, sustainable support landscape for Earth system sciences.