We are pleased to announce that the Research Software Maintenance Fund (RSMF) has funded 13 projects to advance the sustainability and impact of research software. Through this initiative, the SSI, with funding from UKRI, helps sustain key research software so that critical tools remain reliable, accessible, and ready for future discovery.
Richard Gunn, UKRI Digital Research Infrastructure Programme Director, commented:
“Research software is the backbone of modern discovery, yet its maintenance often goes unseen and underfunded. By supporting these projects, we’re investing in the resilience of the UK’s research ecosystem—ensuring that critical tools remain robust, open, and ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow. This is about safeguarding the infrastructure that enables breakthroughs across every discipline.”
Round 1 of the Research Software Maintenance Fund has awarded a total of just under £3m to 13 projects selected for their potential to deliver high impact, value for money, feasibility, and quality.
The 13 successful projects span research areas supported by all seven UK research councils and involve software written in languages such as Python, R, C++, Fortran, and JavaScript. The earliest software release was in 1995, and the most recent was in 2022. The projects are led by 10 organisations and include 26 organisations as team members or project partners, 11 of which are based outside the UK. Three projects are led by research technical professionals, and three are led by women.
Four projects received large awards to deliver complex programmes of change in research software (up to two years, with budgets up to £500,000), and a further nine projects received smaller awards for more focused, shorter-term work (up to one year, with budgets up to £150,000). Awards have been confirmed, with work expected to commence from early 2026 once the contracts with lead organisations are complete. All projects are expected to wrap up by February 2028.
An update for Round 2 will be announced on 11 December 2025.