Digital metadata solutions for the Health domain are urgently needed to bring together the numerous existing epidemiological cohorts for joint analysis of the effects of complex risk factor profiles on health. In addition, the environment plays an increasingly important role for human health and efficient linkage with the multitude of environmental and earth observation data is crucial to quantify human exposures. However, there are currently no harmonized metadata standards for the different areas, so that they cannot be merged automatically. The project aims to overcome these gaps by compiling machine-readable and interoperable metadata schemes for exemplary data of our three domains Health (Helmholtz Munich), Earth & Environment (UFZ), and Aeronautics, Space & Transport (DLR) in a standard suitable for Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration (HMC) and its respective hubs.

1. To compile standardized metadata schemes that fulfill the needs of the respective fields as well as the metadata principles of the Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration (HMC).
2. To develop a joint mapping strategy for the linkage of metadata of the three domains, so that they can be jointly queried, searched and integrated into the HMC infrastructure.
3. To establish qualitative descriptions of the research data through standardized and interoperable metadata to promote cross-community and international networking.

This project (ZT-I-PF-3-018) was funded by the Initiative and Networking Fund of the Helmholtz Association in the framework of the Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration project call (funding period: 2021-2023)

• Helmholtz Zentrum München, Institute of Epidemiology: Kathrin Wolf (PI), Marco Dallavalle, Maike Ferland, Marie Standl
• Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ): Jan Bumberger (PI), Ronny Gey: https://www.ufz.de/index.php?de=37276
• German Aerospace Center (DLR), Earth Observation Center: Hannes Taubenböck (PI), Jeroen Staab: https://www.dlr.de/eoc/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-5414/9543_read-18621/