We are looking for Research Software Engineers (even if that's not your current job title) to volunteer in our upcoming Research Software Camp: Next Steps in Coding. There are opportunities to get involved in our Software Surgery and/or our Learning to Code mentorship programme.

Our Research Software Camp: Next steps in coding will focus on improving computational and training skills and exploring existing resources out there. The Camp will be held from 16th to 27th May 2022. Volunteers will receive an SSI t-shirt and stickers as a thank you!

Software Surgery

As part of the Camp we will be running a software surgery which aims to provide a safe and welcoming space for people to get advice on their software challenges. The software surgery will be open to anyone with any research software-related problem. Perhaps they need advice on how to employ good development practice, or which technology to use for a given situation and how best to use it. Or they might need a discussion to further understand the problem they have and you can help them work towards a solution.

By volunteering to help with the software surgery you can put your software skills to good use and help others in the community. It is an opportunity to practise your own skills, from diagnosing interesting technical problems to reviewing code.

The software surgery will run in allocated 20 minute-slots throughout the two weeks of the Camp from 16 to 27 May.  We ask volunteers to commit at least 40 mins (2 sessions) of their time per week. RSEs will provide their availability and attendees can choose the appointment time that suits them.

Find out more and sign up to volunteer with the Software Surgery.

Learning to Code mentoring

Volunteers will mentor beginners who code in academia as part of our Learning to Code mentorship programme. The aims of the mentorship are to improve the coding skills of beginner learners and provide hands-on help and support post-training to develop specific computational skills. 

The Learning to Code mentorship programme will run from 16 May to 22 July 2022 (12 weeks). We will hold a launch event on Monday 16 May as part of the Camp to introduce the programme, mark the start of the mentorship and pair mentors and mentees according to their language or tools of interest.

We ask mentors to commit at least one hour every week to walk their mentees through their projects from 16 May to 22 July 2022.

Find out more and sign up to become a mentor.

If you have any questions about volunteering with either activity, please email Jacalyn Laird.