Sustaining the global biodata infrastructure is a critical and growing challenge that requires urgent and cooperative action. This Global Biodata Coalition White Paper identifies key areas where research funders can work with biodata resources and wider stakeholder communities to build solutions. The White Paper calls for the adoption of nine foundational principles as the framework for cooperative funding models to enhance sustainability of the global biodata infrastructure and sets out recommendations for funders and biodata reosurces to develop and test new and innovative funding mechanisms.