By Neil Chue Hong, Director.

The Institute is delighted by the large number and breadth of applications to EPSRC's pilot Research Software Engineer Fellowship scheme, which represents a potential step change in the way that research software development is undertaken in the UK. As one of the original proponents of the term 'Research Software Engineer', and a constant supporter of the RSE career path and community, we will continue to help the community in achieving its goals. In particular, we are committed to working with the RSE community, and successful RSE Fellows in the following ways, including continued support for the UK RSE Association and helping establish a network for RSE Group Leaders with Sheffield, Manchester, Southampton and UCL.

Supporting the RSE community

We commit to:

• supporting the UK RSE Association:

  • providing effort to assist the organisation of an annual RSE meeting

  • advocating for the RSE community to stakeholders

  • running workshops on topics of interest to the RSE community

• helping curate a website of useful training materials for RSEs

• posting job adverts for RSE positions on the Institute website

• helping to establish a regular 'RSE News' update

Supporting RSE Fellows and Leaders

We commit to:

• supporting a network for RSE Group Leaders

  • sharing best practice and training for skills required by RSE Group Leaders (including finance, management, HR)

  • working to develop metrics for benchmarking RSE group performance and progress

  • sponsoring the first meetings of the network and providing event logistics support

  • offering free places to members at Institute events

• exploring with RSE group leaders how we could provide a brokerage for RSE skills to aid in fulfilling secondments and internships

• offering places on Software Carpentry and Data Carpentry instructor training courses organised by the Institute, for RSE Group Leaders and members of their team

Working with RSE Fellowship candidates

We are also happy to consider working with individual RSE Fellowship candidates, and those who are making a case to their institutions for funding, who are developing specific initiatives in the following areas:

• Developing new 'Carpentry' style training courses for the community

• Policy on encouraging RSE career paths

• Research into research software practices at their institution

• Co-operating to run events in areas of interest to the Institute

Please get in touch at info@software.ac.uk to discuss.