Funding Programme “Coordinating Roles and Responsibilities in Information Infrastructures” (VIGO)

Schmuckbild „Verantwortung für Informations- infrastrukturen gemeinsam organisieren“ (VIGO)

The aim of the funding programme “Coordinating Roles and Responsibilities in Information Infrastructures” (VIGO) is to support researchers and information infrastructure operators in taking on independent responsibility for creating solutions to challenges in the development and expansion of research-related information infrastructure and in safeguarding its operation on a permanent basis. In order to achieve this goal, VIGO stimulates the processes of self-organisation required for the creation of information infrastructures.

Funding is directed at all areas in which self-organised negotiation processes are indispensable for building a coordinated system of information infrastructures. For this reason, it covers the coordinated alignment and (further) development of both strategically oriented infrastructure projects and of technologies with a comparable functionality, provided that the systematic networking of such technologies leads to added value for research. Against this background, a distinction can be drawn between two funding priorities:

  • the establishment of communication forums for the cooperative further development of existing information infrastructures;
  • the networking and ongoing professionalisation of initiatives aimed at developing cooperative solutions to meet cross-project infrastructural needs.

The funding programme is aimed at non-profit academic information infrastructure institutions such as libraries, archives, museums, computer and media centres as well as researchers.