Report on Digital Research Technical Professional (dRTP) Training 2026

The Teaching and Training Special Interest Group within the Society of Research Software Engineering ran the dRTP Training Landscape Survey 2026 from 16 February – 31 March 2026, calling on dRTP group or team leads to contribute by sharing insights on their current training activities, barriers to development, and interests in cross-institutional partnerships.

The primary objective of the survey was to map out the current educational landscape for digital research professionals by gathering data from team leaders. The survey sought to identify the specific types of training currently being offered, the funding models supporting these initiatives, and the demographics of the learners involved. Furthermore, the questionnaire investigated in-house training development and seeks to uncover existing barriers that prevent teams from expanding their teaching portfolios.

Co-authored by Samantha Ahern, Aleksandra Nenadic, and Liam Berrisford, the resulting report summarises 18 survey responses and looks into how digital research technical training is designed, funded, and delivered in 2026.

Key Findings:

Universal involvement & formal recognition: training is a core function, with 100% of respondent teams involved in teaching or training activities. For 77.8% of these teams, training is formally recognised on job descriptions.
Target audiences and materials: the primary learner audiences are researchers (88.9%) and doctoral/MRes students (77.8%). To meet their needs, 94.4% of teams develop their own training materials, while 83.3% adapt or extend existing resources.
The AI and Machine Learning boom: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning have emerged as the most prominent topic area, representing 44.4% of current training themes and 33.3% of desired future training developments.
Funding and resource pressures: expanding training delivery remains challenging, with funding or resources (50.0%) and time or capacity (44.4%) cited as the leading barriers.
Strong appetite for collaboration: cross-institutional cooperation is highly valued; 61.1% of teams are already collaborating on training delivery or development, and 77.8% are open to future collaborative efforts.

The survey predominantly represented Higher Education Institutions (77.8% of respondents). To find out more about delivery models and detailed collaboration interests, read the full report.

Read the full report