Today, the Software Sustainability Institute becomes the Institute for Research Software.
Our new name and visual identity reflect what the Institute is: a national centre of expertise that brings together research, community, training, policy, and practice to advance essential research software and empower the people behind it.
In a previous post, we explained why we’re changing and what the change represents. This launch marks the beginning of an ambitious new phase for the Institute.
“Research software and the people behind it should be valued, supported, and invested in as essential to research. That conviction has driven our work for 15 years, and we are proud and excited to carry it forward as the Institute for Research Software.” Neil Chue Hong, Director, Institute for Research Software
Access our new branding guidelines.
A visual identity rooted in history
Our new visual identity looks to the future while retaining important connections to our history and community.
The new mark is a hexagon, a shape long used across the research software community. Within it, the letters RS emerge from a precise geometric design: the hexagon reads first, with the initials revealing themselves after.
The colour system follows the same logic. Our signature red narrows its role, now marking “Research Software” specifically, a focal point with dark navy carrying the rest. The remaining tones bring a deliberate warmth, reflecting our position as a long-standing Institute.
The shift goes beyond the mark itself. The old logo was built from circles and soft curves; the new one is angular: straight lines, triangles, a consistent 30° angle running through the whole system. The typography follows the same logic: plainer, more geometric, less decorative than before. The system is built to read as precise and to the point.
We are what we build together
This moment is built on 15 years of collaboration. Thank you to everyone who has worked with us, supported us, challenged us and shared their expertise along the way. You have helped shape who we are today.
Together, we have advanced Research Software Engineering, developed skills and careers, built communities, produced evidence, influenced policy and made the case for greater investment in research software.
Our name and appearance are changing, but we remain the same Institute, building on the same relationships, programmes and commitments. Our motto remains Better Software, Better Research, and it continues to express the purpose behind everything we do.
What's next
Our new identity gives us a clearer platform for the next phase of our work. Research software is more visible and better recognised than it was in 2010, but significant challenges remain around research reproducibility and integrity, equitable access, FAIR software and the long-term maintenance of essential digital infrastructure.
To address these challenges, we will continue connecting the people who create and maintain research software with the institutions and funders that shape how it is supported and recognised. Together with our community, we will work to ensure that research software is open, well-maintained and properly recognised, and that the people behind it have the skills, careers, resources and support they need.
We will celebrate the launch with our community on 20 October 2026, in Edinburgh and online. We look forward to marking this moment together and sharing more about what comes next.
For questions about our new identity, please contact us at info@software.ac.uk.
About us
The Institute for Research Software strengthens research by advancing essential software and empowering the people behind it.
Established in 2010 as the Software Sustainability Institute, we are the UK’s leading authority on research software and work at the centre of an international movement to make it more effective, sustainable and properly recognised. We bring together research, community, policy and practice to produce evidence, shape policy, develop skills and careers, build communities and support investment.
Our work connects the people who create and maintain software with universities, funders, government bodies, learned societies, national facilities and industry. These connections help ensure that research software is open, well-maintained and able to support trustworthy, reproducible research.