Welcome to the Pillar 3 project eLabFTW@FDM-NDS

Project information:

The project involves the provision and sustainable operation of eLabFTW within the context of the Academic Cloud on servers at TU Braunschweig. By providing eLabFTW, the documentation of research data in scientific laboratories across Lower Saxony is to be modernized, optimized, and thus made interoperable. Regular maintenance and technical support will ensure high availability and data security. In addition, training and support will be offered to researchers and laboratory staff to enable seamless integration into existing workflows. A networking forum for eLabFTW users in Lower Saxony will also be established to facilitate the exchange of experiences, best practices, and solutions to specific challenges. The provision of eLabFTW will promote collaboration among researchers, improve the reproducibility of research results, and ensure compliance with data protection and security requirements.

Project duration: 01.07.2025 – 30.06.2027
Funding volume: 269.628 Euro
Lead university: Technische Universität Braunschweig
Universities involved: Technische Universität Clausthal, Gesellschaft für wissenschaftliche Datenverarbeitung mbH Göttingen
Contact: info@fdm-nds.de
People: Lea Löhn, Dr. Benjamin Golub-Overbeck, Jessica Hiller, Dr. Florian Strauß

eLabFTW@FDM-NDS Community

Mailing liste:
To make sure you don’t miss any information (e.g. about events, software availability, or published materials), simply subscribe to our mailing list. Link to the mailing list

Discussion forum:
Do you have questions about the software, its implementation or rollout, or are you looking for experience reports? Then the discussion forum is the right place. A discussion area has been set up on GitHub for this purpose. Sign up, ask questions, or share your best practices. Link to the discussion forum on GitHub

Open questions:
Do you still have open questions? No problem! Simply send a message to the helpdesk of the state initiative FDM-NDS (info@fdm-nds.de). The eLabFTW@FDM-NDS team will be happy to take care of your request.

Mehrere Personen legen ihre Hände übereinander auf einem Schreibtisch mit Laptop, Notizen und Dokumenten – Symbol für Teamarbeit und Zusammenarbeit.

What is eLabFTW?

eLabFTW is an open-source electronic lab notebook (ELN) that enables flexible and digital documentation of research. In contrast to discipline-specific electronic lab notebooks (e.g.. Chemotion ELN), eLabFTW is a generic ELN and can therefore be used across a wide range of research disciplines.

Linkto the eLabFTW website

Figure (right): „eLabFTW at a glance“ by eLabFTW@FDM-NDS, 2026, CC0 1.0 Universal.

FAQ

Note: eLabFTW is not yet available in the Academic Cloud. Subscribe to our mailing list (see above) and you will be notified as soon as the service becomes available.

Who can use eLabFTW in the Academic Cloud?

eLabFTW in the Academic Cloud is available to all researchers at public universities in Lower Saxony. Research groups are organized into teams. By providing the service within the Academic Cloud, researchers from cross-institutional teams can collaborate seamlessly.

Currently, access to the service cannot be granted unrestrictedly to researchers from non-university research institutions. However, if your institution is involved in a cooperation project with a partner that has access to the Academic Cloud, access may be possible. This would need to be discussed in detail. Please contact the eLabFTW@FDM-NDS team at info@fdm-nds.de for further information.

Is eLabFTW also available to researchers outside Lower Saxony?

Access to the service is generally limited to researchers at public universities in Lower Saxony. In specific cases, individual researchers or small research groups collaborating with an institution in Lower Saxony may be granted access. This requires individual discussion. Please contact the eLabFTW@FDM-NDS team at info@fdm-nds.de for details.

Who can request a team?

Any person with access to the service can request a team. Please fill out the team application form linked in the Academic Cloud. A team can only be requested with the approval of the PI (team leader).

How can I join a team?

During your first login to eLabFTW, you can select a team. After registration, you must be approved by the team administrator to gain access to the service. If no team exists yet for your research group, please request a team.

If you are already part of a team and wish to join another team, you must be invited by the administrator of the new team.

How do I log in to eLabFTW in the Academic Cloud?

Once eLabFTW is available in the Academic Cloud, log in using your Academic Cloud credentials. Please follow the provided instructions.