Research software engineering: history, impact and policy

Simon Hettrick

 19 July 2021 - EPSRC CoP University of Southampton      @sjh5000     ORCID: 0000-0002-6809-5195

Software Sustainability Institute

 

  • Founded in 2010

  • "Improve the software used across all research disciplines"

  • Initially EPSRC funded, now funded by all seven RCs

These slides: https://bit.ly/CoPSoton

"Not at all"

"Vital"

A brief history

of RSE

These slides: https://bit.ly/CoPSoton

2012: birth of the name 

2013: campaign begins &

first RSE Group

1428

members

March 2019

2014: the UKRSE Association

2016: the RSE Conference

 

 

Australia/New Zealand: @rse_aunz

Belgium: @rse_be

Germany: @RSE_de

Netherlands: @nl_rse

Nordic:  @nordic_rse

South Africa

UK: @ResearchSoftEng

USA: @us_rse

2017: internationalisation

2019: foundation

RSE Groups at

30 organisations

http://bit.ly/RSEGroupsUK

  • Founded in 2015
  • 6 RSEs (recruiting now)
  • 60+ projects across all faculties

www.rsg.soton.ac.uk

Policy

These slides: https://bit.ly/CoPSoton

UKRI/RCs

  • SSI works closely with UKRI and the RCs
  • UKRI and all RCs support RSEs on bids
    • "The UK’s research and innovation infrastructure: opportunities to grow our capability" (UKRI) 
      • RSE Fellowship (EPSRC & STFC)
      • Software for Research Communities (EPSRC)
    • "RSE Knowledge Integration Landscape Review "(EPSRC)

  • UKRI infrastructure fund
    • Resulted from Walport + roadmap + lobbying
    • A lot of surveying across RCs
  • Where do RSEs fit? Technician Commitment/Researcher Concordat

International

  • SSI works with ARC, Canarie, EU, Moore foundation, NSF, Sloan foundation, OECD
  • Recent reports on RSEs and research software
    • "Building digital workforce capacity and skills for data-intensive science" (OECD)
    • National Agenda for Research Software (ARC)
    • Recognising the Importance of Software in Research – RSEs, a UK Example (EU)
    • National Plan for Open Science (FR)
    • Something from NSF...
  • The UK is not the only country in which investment in RSEs will grow

Next steps nationally

  • Recognition via assessment
    • Hidden REF taps into interest for supporting non-traditional research outputs and roles
    • Rise of other hidden roles
  • More lobbying for support of RSEs who do not work in an RSE Group
  • EPSRC e-Infrastructure SAT
  • Promoting business plan to overcome limits on growth

  • Training: via CDTs/DTPs and Doctoral School
    • Keen to promote united approach on training
  • Enterprise: working with School, FEPS, Futureworlds and RIS on promoting software as route to enterprise

  • IRIDIS: partnering with iSolutions

Next steps in Southampton

Thank you!

@sjh5000

ORCID: 0000-0002-6809-5195

EPSRC Grant no: EP/S021779/1

Licence

 © Simon Hettrick

These slides are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International 

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

These slides: https://bit.ly/CoPSoton

CW12

1st Workshop for RSE

UK RSE Association

Society of RSE

RSE Leaders Network

UCL RSE Group

International RSE Leaders

Manchester RSE Group

+3 more groups

28 UK  groups

RSE Conference

de-RSE Conference

+3 more

de-RSE

+6 more

8 years/one slide

Image credits

 

Birthday cake - Dark Dwarf - CC BY-ND

Colossus - Public Domain

Supercomputer - Gemmaribasmaspoch - CC By-SA

Queen's College - Kaofenlio - CC By-SA

Anonymous crowd -  Yann Beauson - CC BY-NC-ND

Tabascos - DJM - CC By-SA

Tug o' war - Roger Davies - CC By-SA

RSE: history, impact and strategy

By Simon Hettrick

RSE: history, impact and strategy

Presentation to EPSRC University of Southampton Community of Practice

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