The Software Sustainability Institute has considered the decisions by the Society of Research Software Engineering and the Research Software Alliance to proceed with RSECon26 and IRSC26 at the University of Sheffield. We recognise that this is a difficult and sensitive issue for the research software community, and we want to explain our position. 

We understand the serious concerns behind the dispute between UCU and the University of Sheffield, such as pay, job security, and how staff are treated. We support the right to take industrial action and respect the decisions that members of the research software community may make in response to the boycott.

We also recognise the difficult situation the Society of Research Software Engineering is in. As an independent community organisation, cancelling, postponing, or moving RSECon26 could cause serious and lasting financial harm. This would affect not just the conference, but also the Society’s wider activities. Over the years, SSI has supported RSE careers, helped build and strengthen the Society, and contributed to RSECon and the wider RSE community.

The Society and RSECon remain an important part of that work. They give RSEs a collective voice, create opportunities to share knowledge and build networks, and help institutions, funders and research leaders understand the value of research software skills. Serious financial impact to the Society would harm the support, advocacy and community leadership needed to continue that progress.

We also understand ReSA’s choice to keep IRSC26 together with RSECon26. These two conferences bring together closely connected UK and international communities, and holding them at the same place creates valuable chances for collaboration, networking, and sharing knowledge. We know that moving a new conference at this point would also bring major financial and practical risks for the organisers.

For these reasons, we will support RSECon26 and IRSC26 and, by extension, the Society of RSE and ReSA. We believe it is also important to protect independent community organisations and the professional and international infrastructure they offer. 

However, we want to make it clear that this does not lessen our concern for University of Sheffield staff, and we do not endorse how the University has handled the dispute. We recognise that many people in the communities we support are affected by the University’s actions, or work in roles where they may face similar treatment in the future. Their concerns and experiences matter, and we do not want our support for RSECon26 and IRSC to diminish them.

We appreciate that both the Society and ReSA have promised to respect individual choices about attending and to support speakers who decide to withdraw. 

We understand that members of our community, including SSI staff, may make different decisions about attending RSECon26 or IRSC26. SSI colleagues can choose whether they want to take part, and we will respect those choices.